Tehillimandpoetry

Hey, friend! So glad to see you could come back to hear more of the stories of our ancestors. Now that we have heard about Hashem as the creator, then hurried through the accounts of Adam, Noach, Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya’akov, we have really slowed down. Moshe seems to be laying some foundations, so we can understand who the people groups are, out here in the land inhabited by the Kena’ani.

It is said by my people that everything we experience is the playing out of events that were started by our founders. I think that is what Moshe is trying to tell us in these stories. By knowing about Mitzrayim, we learn to understand the people we just left—in what some of us are calling “The Exodus”. Tonight, I hear Moshe will be telling us about Esav and the beginnings of the peoples of Mount Se’ir. They live to the South of the Salt Sea, and it looks like they are planning to give us some real trouble when we try to get by them on our way into the Land. Let’s see what Moshe can tell us about these tribes, and why they have such heartburn about letting us cross through their territory.

Two Armies

“As we ended up last time, we saw Ya’akov had come to a point of maturity in his life. Why do I call it maturity? Because he came to recognize that Adonai and his army surrounded him, so that everywhere he went, there were really two armies–machanayim.

“Our people have long held to the belief that events here on Earth mirror events going on in the spiritual realm. When armies compete in Heaven, comparable armies meet on the battlefield here below. Hashem has his heavenly hosts, but also his earthly host as well–and that host is called, ‘Israel’. Ya’akov was beginning to see that parallel when he recognized that his life was woven together with spiritual realities he never dreamed existed. His life had always been part of the ‘two armies’, but only now did he come to understand this fact.

Preparing for the Meeting

“Armed now with the realization that Hashem was watching over him, guiding events in his life as a general directs an army at war, Ya’akov mustered up the courage to deal directly with the situation at hand. Before he could return home, he had to face his brother, Esav. How could he do that? The last he heard, Esav wanted to kill him! Well… the argument had been over the inheritance of the family business, and the wealth that came with it. Perhaps a sizeable gift would turn his brother’s anger aside.

“With that thought in mind, Ya`akov sent messengers ahead of him, to meet his brother at his home. He instructed them to tell the story of how Ya’akov had prospered while living with Lavan the past twenty years. He also sent gifts with them. Esav had never been one for subtilty, so Ya’akov told his messengers to connect the dots for Esav, saying, ‘I have cattle, donkeys and flocks, and male and female servants. I am sending all this to you in order to win your favor.’

“Can you spell B-R-I-B-E???

“At any rate, the messengers did as they were told. They took the gifts. They took the message. What did they bring back? A message: ‘We went to your brother `Esav, and he is coming to meet you… with an army of four hundred men!’

“Just to put things in perspective, let me remind you of something we mentioned not too long ago. Do you remember when we talked about Avraham going to war with, not one army, but a confederacy of four kings and their soldiers? Do you recall how many men the wealthy Avraham mustered for that battle? Three hundred eighteen! Now, just a few decades later, Esav is bringing out four hundred men against his brother. Surely, he was planning to make good on his promise to kill Ya’akov!

“This news really got to Ya`akov. He was scared to death that his children were about to become orphans. So, he took some basic precautions. He divided the people, flocks, cattle and camels into two camps, thinking to himself that, ‘If `Esav comes to the one camp and attacks it, that will allow the other camp time to escape.’ Talk about ‘machanayim’! Now Ya’akov’s own camp had literally become ‘two armies’.

“Then, do you know what Ya’akov did? He prayed! He noted that Adonai, the God of Avraham and Yitzchak, had blessed him and protected him ever since he left home. Then, this same God had told him to return home now. And now, Ya’akov knew he needed help in order to overcome his own fear, and face his brother, Esav. After all, he possessed the covenant promise that had begun with Avraham–a Land, a people, and a blessing! How could the promise come to pass if Esav wiped out his whole clan in one night???

“Sure that he was rapidly coming to the close of his life, Ya’akov continued his plan of appeasement. The next morning, he selected a substantial number of animals from his herds, assigned them to some of his chief range riders. Then, he sent them out in five different groups. It was like a huge parade!

“First, there were two hundred twenty goats.

“These were followed by two hundred twenty sheep.

“Then came sixty camels!

“After them were fifty cows.

“Finally, there were thirty donkeys!

“Just imagine the procession! Esav would barely have time to count each group and assign the animals a place among his herds, and then another herd would become visible, rising over the top of the next sand dune! This parade kept going all day. Ya’akov wanted his brother to get the impression that there was never-ending wealth coming his way. It was meant to be impressive, and it was. Think about how much wealth was represented by this huge gift.

“Once all the flocks and herds were underway, Ya’akov had some time on his hands. It would take all day and most of the night for them to arrive at Esav’s home. Then there would be the rest of the night and the next day for the messengers to get back. What should he do with himself? He was a bundle of nervous energy!

“He tried to sleep, but that just wasn’t happening. So, of course, he kept everybody else awake, as well. It occurred to the sheik to protect his family by sending them to the other side of the Yabbok River, so they would be out of sight and a little harder to access. This would have taken several hours, carrying Ya’akov well into the wee hours of the morning.

“That business taken care of, he tried again to get a little rest. Now, a fitful sleep came upon him, but not a sound, restful sleep. His thoughts swirled in his mind, constantly returning to concerns over Esav’s intentions, blending with the promises of Hashem’s protection. The two ideas danced around each other, seemingly unable to reconcile.

Wrestling Match with… Whom?

“As Ya’akov watched the show in his head, he saw a scene take form. There were two men standing several feet apart, facing off like wrestlers in a ring. One of the men was… he gasped… himself! And the other? He didn’t have a clue. It didn’t look like anyone he knew.

“Suddenly the unknown man rushed at him. In the dream, it took everything Ya’akov had to hold his own with this fellow. It was as though the man knew what he was going to do before he did it. They were perfectly matched. This went on for an hour or two, until the day began to dawn. When the stranger noticed that dawn was approaching, he dealt Ya’akov a crippling blow, almost as if to prove he had been holding back earlier.

“Then, the fellow did a strange thing. He asked Ya’akov’s permission to leave. Ya’akov, recognizing this fellow must be someone special, asked the man for a blessing. In return, the man gave Ya’akov a new name. Instead of “Deceiver”, he said Ya’akov would now be known as “Prince of God”–”Israel”.

“At that, Ya’akov’s eyes snapped open! He thought, at first, that everything must have been a dream. He looked around, saw that the sun was coming over the horizon, and took note that there was nobody there with him. He thought about what had occurred in the vision. It had seemed so real. Almost like an actual encounter with someone beyond this Earth. Then, he tried to get up… and realized that his hip really was injured!

“How could this be? Had it all been real? Had he actually wrestled with a messenger from Hashem? Ya’akov was never quite certain whether the events of that night had been real, or a dream. But he took on the name that had been offered to him. That’s why we are known to this day as, “the descendants of Israel”.

“Ya’akov/Israel called the place ‘P’ni-El’, which means, ‘Face of God’, because he said to himself, ‘I have seen God face to face, yet my life is spared.’ But we are going to see in just a moment that he had another thought about that phrase, as well.

“By the time, father Israel had thought on these things a bit, the sun had gotten a bit higher in the sky, and he noticed a caravan in the distance. It was huge! The messenger had been right—there must have been some four hundred men in that line!

“Quickly, Ya’akov altered his plans. At first, he had thought to face Esav alone. But now he decided to retrieve his wives and his concubines, and meet his brother with all his family intact. Perhaps he was thinking of his solitary encounter with the messenger of Hashem, and wanted to make sure he had witnesses this time—his hip still ached from that “dream” encounter.

Ya'akov and Esav Reunified“So, the brothers, each leading his army, came face to face. Sort of. Ya’akov definitely put on the submissive face, kneeling before his brother. Esav, though, seemed to ignore the gesture. He just ran out to meet his brother, with much hugging and emotional display.

“Ya’akov brought his brother up to speed on what had gone on in his life for the past twenty years. He now had two wives, two concubines, eleven children, and vast wealth. He had done well for himself. So well that he could now afford to replace the inheritance Esav had once sought from their father.

“But he did say something to Esav that he probably would not have said, had he not had that waking dream experience with the messenger. Do you remember what Ya’akov called the place where he wrestled with the man? P’ni’el… the Face of God. Do you know what he said to Esav?

“‘Just seeing your face has been like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me.’

“It makes us wonder whose face that messenger was wearing in the ‘dream’, doesn’t it?

“So, as much as Ya’akov appreciated the gracious reception he received from his brother, he didn’t want to take up residence with Esav, among the Yishmali. Those people could be rough! So, Ya’akov declined his brother’s invitation to come set up camp near him, and instead turned towards Sh’khem, which was part of the territory that had been given to Avraham, between Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. There, he established a town that is still called ‘Sukkot’ (for the many animal shelters he needed to build). He also built a permanent monument stone, where he worshiped the God of his fathers, and he called the place, ‘El, Elohay Yisrael’—’God, the God of Israel’.

The Rape of Dinah

“While Ya’akov had hoped Sh’khem would be a better place than living among the Yishmaeli, he was soon to be disappointed. We don’t know how long Ya’akov lived there in peace. But not too many years had gone by when this next event occurred.

“His daughter Dinah was still a young woman, not yet married, and carefree. One day, when she was out visiting her girlfriends, she was accosted by a fellow named Sh’khem. Does that name sound familiar? It should! He was the son of the man who founded the town, and the place was named after the boy. He was wealthy and powerful—a fine choice for a son-in-law under better circumstances. However, the boy behaved in a manner that brought pain to all those involved.

“When he saw Dinah, he was taken with her beauty. But, instead of pursuing a relationship through proper channels, he took advantage of Dinah right there on the spot! The odd thing, though, was that he really wanted to marry her afterwards. Usually boys who treat girls this way don’t really love the girl, and leave her in short order. But Sh’khem went to his father, and asked him to talk to Dinah’s father about arranging a marriage.

The Response

“Now, Israel was not a strong man. He hated confrontation. But he had two very strong-willed sons, named Shim’on and Levi. They were also son’s of Leah, full brothers of Dinah, and they were outraged that their sister should be treated in this manner. They came up with a plan for revenge. They pretended to be agreeable to a marriage between Sh’khem and Dinah, as long as all the men in Sh’khem’s village got circumcised. Yes, they pretended that their only concern was religious!

“I have to give credit where credit is due. Sh’khem must have truly cared for Dinah, because he and his father, Hamor, went and persuaded all the men of their community to have the surgery… just so the boy could marry Dinah!

“But sadly, this was to be the last major decision these men ever got to make. While they were recovering from the surgery, and unable to move rapidly, Shim’on and Levi came into the town and slaughtered every one of those honorable men! Then, they took Dinah home with them.

“And believe it, or not, it gets even worse! Once the sons of Leah arrived back home with Dinah, all of the sons of Ya’akov proceeded back the Sh’khem, where they plundered the town, taking everything they owned, from flocks to jewelry. They even took the women and children from their homes! It was horrible, what those boys did. They acted no better than the Yishmaeli they so despised.

Ya’akov Re-evaluates His Life

“Well, you can imagine what their father thought of this! He was appalled at this over-reaction. And he was well aware that his neighbors would hear of this behavior, and turn against him. All the Kena’ani and P’rizi would despise him. Which, by the way, has a lot to do with why the people we are meeting out here in the desert don’t exactly receive us with open arms. All these people also tell stories, and one of their standard tales includes the horror of the attack on Sh’khem by the sons of Ya’akov.

“But the boys insisted they had done right in avenging the honor of their sister. Perhaps they had a point. But it forced Ya’akov to make some hard choices.

“About that time, Ya’akov was communing with Hashem. The Almighty told him to leave the area of Sh’khem, and move on to the town of Beit-El. This sounded like a wise thing to Ya’akov, and he treated this move as a time for spiritual renewal. He told all his family and servants to get rid of their idols, take baths, put on fresh clothes—the whole nine yards! He even had them surrender the jewelry that had been taken from Sh’khem, and the wealth that had been dedicated to the idols, and buried it all there, near Sh’khem. It was time for a new start.

“Israel was afraid, though, that the neighboring communities would come out and attack him while he traveled to Beit-El. Hashem was well aware of this concern, and he sent a spirit of fear upon the surrounding people. They wanted to avenge their brothers in Sh’khem, but then they immediately recognized that the attack had been provoked by the rape of Dinah. They also took note that a mere eleven men managed to kill every man in Sh’khem! That wasn’t the sort of force they wanted to take on. And besides all that, all the women and children from Sh’khem were now traveling with the Israeli caravan. Nobody wanted to risk killing those innocents.

Arriving in Beit-El

“Once they arrived, Ya’akov did as he had been instructed. He built an altar, and called it ‘El Beit El’, or, ‘God of the House of God’. In a way, it was like returning home, for this was the place Ya’akov had stopped to worship on his way to Paddan-Aram twenty years ago. The arrival was bittersweet, however.

“As he was meditating on the twists and turns of recent times, Rivkah’s nurse, D’vorah passed on, and was buried there at Beit-El, under the oak tree they named, “Alon Bakkut”, the “Oak of Weeping”. Now Ya’akov had lost both his mother, and the servant who most reminded him of her. This was a very hard time for the man.

“And that was when Hashem appeared to Ya’akov and confirmed all the previous conversations they had shared. Hashem affirmed that Ya’akov had truly been renamed ‘Israel’. As well, the Almighty One assured the patriarch that his life had been worthwhile, even though Israel wondered sometimes. The covenant was once again repeated—’I am El Shaddai. Be fruitful and multiply. A group of nations, will come from you; kings will be descended from you. Moreover, the land which I gave to Avraham and Yitz’chak I will give to you, and I will give the land to your descendants after you.’

Birth and Death

“It would be nice if we could end tonight’s story on that positive note. However, there is one more event we need to discuss. That is the birth of the twelfth of the sons of Israel, Binyamin.

“Israel had pulled up his tent stakes one more time, and was in the process of moving frmo Beit-El to Ephrath, near a walled city called “City of Peace”. While on their way, the beloved Rachel gave birth to a baby boy. But something went wrong. The baby was born breech, which means he was upside down, and that is always hard for both the baby and the mother. Sometimes the baby dies. But that time, the mother died.

“With her last breath, Rachel named the boy ‘Ben-Oni’, or ‘Son of my Grief’. But Israel couldn’t bear to remember his dear wife that way. Instead, he named the boy, “Bin-Yamin’, ‘Son of my Strength’. That way, he could always remember the help and support he received from Rachel. It would become a blessing for the child, as well. Who wants to be named, ‘Sorrow’?

“So, we finally have all the twelve fathers of our tribes:

23 The sons of Le’ah were

24 The sons of Rachel were

25 The sons of Bilhah

(Rachel’s slave-girl)

were

26 And the sons of Zilpah

(Le’ah’s slave-girl)

were

Re’uven

Shim’on

Levi

Y’hudah

Yissakhar

Z’vulun Yosef

Binyamin

Dan

Naftali Gad

Asher

“And so, Ya`akov came home to his father Yitz’chak at Mamre, near Kiryat-Arba (also known as Hevron), where Avraham and Yitz’chak had lived as foreigners. Yitz’chak lived to be 180 years old. Then he died and his sons, `Esav and Ya`akov, buried him in the cave of Machpelah.

The Genealogy of Esav

“Now, lest we forget, we have been focusing on the life of Ya’akov/Israel. But while he had been out becoming ‘Mr. Bigshot’, his brother had also been growing a family and a business. In fact, he moved off to the hill country around Mount Se’ir because he and his brother couldn’t both pasture their flocks in the same area (that was the same issue that led Avraham and Lot to separate years earlier). That region to the South became known as the territory of Edom. Remember that name—it will come up again in our stories.

“Esav had many sons and grandsons. One of the more important members of Esav’s family was Amalek. His people continue out here, somewhere. We need to be on the watch for them.

Summary

“Just so we end up on a more positive note, let’s close out with a brief review of what we covered tonight.

•Ya’akov returned home from Paddan-Aram after twenty years

•He encountered a messenger of Hashem

•And was reunified with Esav

•His daughter was raped, which led to his sons becoming known as murderous marauders

•Ya’akov moved back home, where he buried Avraham, D’vorah, and Rachel

•The covenant promise was reconfirmed by Hashem

•We were introduced to Esav’s family, some of whom we are meeting in our wanderings

“There has been a lot of detail in our stories tonight. I’ll have to go write them down, so we can remember them! Hmmm… what do you think for a title when we collect all these stories into a scroll?

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