Yaakov Avinu’s Anger – What Upset Him?
The Shem MiShmuel on Parshas Vayishlach discusses a passuk that describes Yaakov Avinu’s return to Eretz Yisrael and his confrontation with his estranged brother Esav: “Vata’avor haminchah al panav – The gift [for Esav] passed before him...” (Bereshis 32:22).
Rashi on this passuk quotes the Midrash Rabbah: “He [Yaakov Avinu] too was angry, because he had to resort to all this.”
Why does the Torah need to tell us that Yaakov Avinu was upset? He knew that Esav wanted to kill him – how could he not have been angry? Apparently, he was upset with himself, feeling that it must be that he did not have enough bitachon, for if his bitachon was strong enough he wouldn’t have been afraid at all, as the passuk states (Tehillim 118:6), “Hashem is here for me; I will not fear anything people might do to me.”
In the manner of a true tzaddik, Yaakov sought his own shortcomings to blame for the difficult situation he was facing. Esav, on the other hand, would always justify himself, considering himself blameless. Through this anger that Yaakov felt toward himself, he sanctified the middah of anger in the world, and in this way he nullified Esav’s anger.
