Why Did Yaakov Send Actual Angels to Esav?
“And Yaakov sent out angelic messengers before him to Esav his brother, to the land of Seir, to the field of Edom” (32:4).
The Ohr HaChaim HaKodosh asks why the pasuk apparently needlessly points out that the messengers were sent out lefonov – “before him”. He further asks why it is necessary to call Esav “Yaakov’s brother” considering that this is a well-known fact, and why mention the detailed names of their destination as “the land of Seir, the field of Edom” (when it would have been sufficient to leave out any of these seemingly extraneous details.) What difference would there be to the messengers’ mission had they gone there or elsewhere?
The Ohr HaChaim points out that when we answer the next question this will explain to us why all these details are necessary after all. The question is why Yaakov sent actual angels as messengers to Esav. Why use angelic beings for no apparent reason other than to relay a message to Esav? Surely any human being could do that just fine.
The Ohr HaChaim answers that this is why the pasuk says lefonov (before me)– meaning that the angels were there before him. By understanding that lefonav here means that the angels were right there, standing before him, rather than that Yaakov sent them “ahead of him”, the Ohr HaChaim explains that Yaakov deduced that since these angels were standing “before him”, he had every right to use them and send them on a mission. Furthermore, this mission was one that could not be carried out by mere human beings but only by angels. The pasuk therefore points out that the mission was to relay a message to Esav, a great and important person (see Bereshis Rabba 75). Had Yaakov sent simple people, perhaps Esav would have been unimpressed and not considered them worthy of an answer, or regarded their message as important in any way. Perhaps Esav would have attacked them straight away even before hearing what they had to say. Then he could have attacked Yaakov as a vulture sweeps down on his prey. Obviously, this is not the case with angels! By sending actual angels, Yaakov sought to frighten Esav and cause his heart to tremble from fear of the army of heavenly hosts, as Chazal say (ibid) that some of the terrifying angels were clothed in fiery flames and riding on horseback. This should have frightened Esav sufficiently to prevent him from harming Yaakov. The reason the pasuk points out that Esav was his brother is because Yaakov feared to go to war against his own flesh-and-blood relative because anyone of his own family had zechus avos, which might have protected Esav.
The Ohr HaChaim explains another reason for sending actual angels: Angelic beings do not travel as we do. They are spiritual, and the entire world is like their immediate vicinity, likened to their daled amos (four cubits). Practically, this meant that by sending angels on a mission, Yaakov achieved a dual form of protection, because the angels never actually left him – they were lefonov – they stood before him. Even after having been sent to Esav, they remained standing guard over Yaakov; since they did not have to physically traverse any space to deliver their message, they were able to be in two places at the same time! They could reach the land of Seir and the field of Edom, Esav’s home, before he even set out to approach Yaakov, allowing them to head him off – and simultaneously they would still be lefonav – standing before Yaakov and guarding him!
SNAKES AND SCORPIONS
While the rest of the brothers were plotting to actually kill Yosef, the Torah records that Reuven saved him by suggesting that they instead throw him into a pit (37:21). As Rashi writes (37:24) that the pit was full of poisonous snakes and scorpions, in what way was this considered "saving" Yosef and not merely substituting one type of death for another?
The Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh explains that while humans have free will and the ability to do to somebody even something which wasn't decreed in Heaven, animals have no such free choice and are limited to whatever was decided by God. Reuven knew that Yosef wasn't the wicked pursuer that the other brothers thought he was and was confident that a death sentence hadn't been decreed upon him. Nevertheless, Reuven feared that his brothers, with their free will, would succeed in their plans to kill Yosef, so he "saved" him by having him thrown into a pit where he knew that the snakes and scorpions would have no permission to harm him.
