10 Dec PARASHAT VAYISHLAH: YAAKOB AND THE CAMP OF ANGELS

Yaakob Abinu was
making his way back to
Eretz Yisrael with his
family when he learned
that his brother, Esav,
was coming to meet him with an army of four
hundred men. He immediately made a number
of preparations for his feared encounter with
Esav, including reciting a heartfelt prayer, and
sending Esav a large gift.
The Torah relates that after Yaakob made
these preparations, “…he slept in the camp
that night. He arose during that night, and he
took his two wives…and crossed the Yabok
crossing” (32:22). Yaakob brought his family
across the Yabok stream, and then returned
to the other side to retrieve some belongings
which he had left there. At that point, “Yaakob
was left alone” on the other side of the stream,
and an angel attacked him and fought with
him throughout the night, until Yaakob
finally prevailed. This angel is identified by
the Sages as “Saro Shel Esav” – the angel
of Esav. Yaakob’s triumph over the angel
demonstrated that although Esav would try to
hurt him and destroy him, he would prevail.
Rav Moshe Alshich (Safed, 1508-1593) raises
a number of questions regarding the Torah’s
account of these events. First, why are we told
that Yaakob “slept in the camp that night”?

Where else would he have slept? Secondly,
why did he arise in the middle of the night,
instead of sleeping until the morning? It
seems that Yaakob suddenly awakened in the
middle of the night to bring his family across
the Yabok, thus exposing himself to danger
as he found himself alone at night on the
other side of the stream. Why did he cross the
Yabok during the night?
Rav Moshe Alshich answers these questions
based on the final verses of the previous
Parasha, Parashat Vayeseh. There we read that
after Yaakob left the home of his uncle, Laban,
and began journeying back to Eretz Yisrael,
he met angels. Yaakob proclaimed, “Mahaneh
Elohim Zeh” (“This is a camp of angels”), and
so he named the site “Mahanayim,” which
means “two camps.” The Rabbis explained
that the angels of Eretz Yisrael came to greet
Yaakob, who, as mentioned, was traveling
back home to Eretz Yisrael. Yaakob was thus
now accompanied by two “camps” of angels
– the angels who had accompanied him during
his sojourn outside the Land of Israel, and
the angels who came to escort him in Eretz
Yisrael. Normally, the angels of Eretz Yisrael
do not leave the Land of Israel. But in honor
of Yaakob Abinu, and because of his unique
stature of piety, they went to greet him and
accompany him as he made his way back

home, even before he crossed into
Eretz Yisrael.
The Alshich explains that when
the Torah speaks of Yaakob Abinu
sleeping that night “Ba’mahaneh”
– “in the camp,” it means that he
slept in the “camp” of angels that
was accompanying him. Although
he prepared for his meeting with
Esav, and sent Esav a lavish gift to
bribe him, he was still afraid, and so
he sought refuge among the angels
who had come to protect him along
his journey.
However, in the middle of the night, he arose.
The Alshich writes that Yaakob realized that
by sleeping, he was in effect causing the
angels of Eretz Yisrael to delay their return to
the Land of Israel. As mentioned, these angels
normally do not leave the land; this was an
extraordinary measure undertaken in Yaakob’s
honor. Yaakob did not feel comfortable
causing the angels to remain outside the Land
of Israel longer than necessary. He therefore
arose in the middle of the night and brought
his family and belongings across the river, to
resume his journey to Eretz Yisrael.
The Alshich adds that this explanation sheds
light on the description of Yaakob remaining
alone – “Va’yivater Yaakob Lebado.”

As Yaakob had moved all his people and
belongings to the other side of the Yabok –
including the angels that had been escorting
him – he was left “alone,” without protection,
and this is what enabled Esav’s angel to attack
him.
Significantly, however, Yaakob prevailed
even when he was alone. Hashem here
showed Yaakob that he will ultimately emerge
victorious from all the battles that he and his
offspring will be forced to wage. Although
there will be times when we feel truly “alone,”
when we find ourselves struggling, with
nobody assisting or supporting us, we must
firmly believe that Hashem never abandons
us, and is constantly helping us overcome
whatever hardships we face.