Haftarat Parshat Vayishlach: Brothers Reunite

Yaakov’s fear is palpable as Parshat Vayishlach opens. Eisav and his outsized militia are approaching, and the younger brother presumes the threat of murder from the past remains alive. He divides his camp, prepares gifts, offers heartfelt prayer, and (per Chazal) readies for the possibility of battle. Yet at the climactic moment of encounter, the Eisav that Yaakov meets is of a different mind from what he feared – the elder brother embraces his long-lost twin, admires Yaakov’s family, and suggests that the two journey on together.

Strikingly, Yaakov chooses not to journey with Eisav. Rather, he voices concern for his children and flock who won’t be able to keep up with Eisav’s pace, and instead offers to continue on more slowly behind Eisav to Se’ir. Eisav accepts and sets out for Se’ir, while Yaakov, in perhaps yet another act of trickery against his brother, makes his way to Sukkot, rather than following Eisav.

Chazal are perturbed by the seeming untruth: Yaakov claims he will continue on to Se’ir, yet he never does so. How could he tell such a blatant lie? “Said R. Abahu: We have reviewed all of the Scripture, but we cannot find when our father Yaakov ever went to Eisav at Mt. Seir. Could it be that Yaakov, despite being a truthful person, had tricked him [Eisav]? Rather, when will he [Yaakov] arrive? In the end days, as it says (Ovadia 1:21) “And the saviors will ascend the mountain of Zion to judge [to be with] the mountain of Eisav, and dominion shall be God’s.” (Breishit Rabbah 78:14)

This Midrash ties our parsha to the haftarah – Ovadia’s one-chapter book of prophecy, to Edom, the descendants of Eisav. Ovadia harshly criticizes the people of Edom for their choice not to stand by the Jewish people at their moments of suffering (the Philistine attack in the days of King Yehoram or the Babylonian attack that led to the fall of the first temple; see Daat Mikra: Ovadia, “Introduction” for overview).

The Edomites not only remain at a distance when the Judean kingdom is in trouble; they ridicule their cousins, taking glee in their downfall. “On that day when you stood aloof, when aliens carried off his [the Jewish people’s] goods, when foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you [Edom] were as one of them. How could you gaze with glee on your brother that day, on his day of calamity! How could you gloat over the people of Judah on that day of ruin! How could you loudly jeer on a day of anguish!” (Ovadia 1:11-12)

The disappointment in Edom stems from the brotherly relationship which was meant to last through the generations, from the twin brothers born to Rivka and onwards through their descendants. The Torah forbids us from despising the people of Edom, and permits their descendants to convert to Judaism, “for they are your brethren.” (Devarim 23:8)

We, the descendants of the patriarch Jacob, are meant to hold onto that Torah commandment and relationship with Edom, despite the challenges that have arisen over the years. In fact, it’s hard to tell if there was really ever a time when we had things right with Eisav/Edom. Every interaction between Eisav and Yaakov, and every encounter between their descendants recorded in Tanach, is marked by tension at best, and violence at worst.

Yet R. Abahu asks us to hear in the words of Yaakov and the embrace of Eisav that there can eventually be a day of reconciliation with Edom, even if it remains in the far-off future, in the end times whose character we can only imagine.

Today, it seems we are living in the early stages of the Messianic era. We must hold Edom accountable for their attacks on our people, due to the fact that as I write, there are still hostages in Gaza, and our sovereignty is still being challenged. Yet we also have witnessed a renewed engagement with other parts of Edom, as evidenced by the Abraham Accords with the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco, as well as the potential interest of Saudi Arabia to establish relations with Israel. We must support this blooming relationship both in order to fulfill our mandated mission and to ensure a better future.

In the here and now, says Ovadia, Edom must be held accountable. Yet that accountability is a result of a brotherly relationship that was left forgotten, which can eventually be restored. By acknowledging our shared history, we can and must begin to build bridges instead of walls. And only then, we are taught, will God’s sovereignty be complete.