וישלח יעקב מלאכים לפניו אל עשו אחיו, ארצה שעיר שדה אדום 32:4 “And Yaakov sent “Malachim” ahead of him to Eisav his brother, to the land of Seir, the field of Edom. — רש"י
Bereishis Rabbah says that Yaakov sent actual angels to Eisav. Yaakov sent the Malachim to tell Eisav that Yaakov had sojourned with Lavan (עם לבן גרתי) and was still doing well. Why did Yaakov send angels to Eisav deliver this message as opposed to sending mortal messengers?
There are two types of Malachim: Malachim who were created from the ששת ימי בראשית, from the beginning of Creation, and Malachim who are created from Torah and Mitzvos. The Magid says that Malachim which a person creates by learning Torah and performing Mitzvos are always with him, as opposed to the Malachim which were created during Creation of the world which only certain people are Zoche to meet at certain times. ויפגעו בו מלאכי אלקים – The Malachim met Yaakov Avinu; these Malachim were not always with Yaakov, and we therefore know that they are the Malachim from beginning of Creation. Yaakov called the place מחניים. At that point, he had two camps; one camp of Malachim which he created by his actions, and another camp which the Ribbono Shel Olam sent to him. (ישמח משה)
Rashi explains גרתי is a reference to the תריג מצוות. Yaakov was sending a message to Eisav that even when he was by Lavan’s house, he heeded the Taryag Mitzvos. How was Yaakov able to say that he heeded the Taryag Mitzvos? There are Mitzvos which did not apply to him, such as establishing a king for Klal Yisroel, and building the Bais Hamikdash. Menachos 110a – "כל העוסק בתורת קרבנות כאלו הקריב אותם" – anyone who learns the Torah regarding Korbonos, it is as if he was Makriv the Korbonos.” This rule applied to Yaakov as well. Being that he was Osek in the Torah which contains all of the Mitzvos, it was as if he actually performed all of those Mitzvos. (דברי דוד)
There is a profound lesson for us to learn here. Eisav may have thought that he would be able to overpower Yaakov. Eisav assumed that in Lavan’s house, Yaakov would not be able to perform many Mitzvos of the Torah Hakdoshah. Had Yaakov Avinu been bereft of many Mitzvos, Eisav could have won his battle with Yaakov. Yaakov was sending a powerful message to Eisav. עם לבן גרתי, Yaakov is Meramez to Eisav that even in Lavan’s house, he kept the Taryag Mitzvos. The Posuk says that Yaakov sent Malachim. Why did Yaakov send more than one Malach? Each Malach represented a different Mitzvah which Yaakov had fulfilled. How did Yaakov fulfill every Mitzvah? He fulfilled every Mitzvah by learning the Torah Hakdoshah. Yaakov learned how to be Mekayeim all of the Mitzvos of the Torah under all circumstances, by learning the Torah Hakdoshah. Yaakov came with all of these Zechusim, yet he still came with the Midah of Anavah. He attributed everything that he had to the חנן אלקים, the Chesed of Hashem. We should be Zoche to learn the Torah Hakdoshah in the proper manner to fulfill all of the Mitzvos of the Torah Hakdoshah.
- RABBI YAKOV YOSEF SCHECHTER
