Tuesday, March 14, 2017

parshanut torah comment - Why didn't Esav try to kill Ya'akov while Ya'akov was in Lavan's home?


I'm trying to reconcile a verse with the actual event timeline.


Genesis 27:41:



וַיִּשְׂטֹ֤ם עֵשָׂו֙ אֶֽת־יַעֲקֹ֔ב עַל־הַ֨בְּרָכָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר בֵּרֲכ֖וֹ אָבִ֑יו וַיֹּ֨אמֶר עֵשָׂ֜ו בְּלִבּ֗וֹ יִקְרְבוּ֙ יְמֵי֙ אֵ֣בֶל אָבִ֔י וְאַֽהַרְגָ֖ה אֶת־יַעֲקֹ֥ב אָחִֽי׃



We see from the above, that Esav was willing to wait until his father died until he would kill Ya'akov.


Ya'akov was in Lavan's home 20 years, as it says:


Genesis 31:41 (from Sefaria):




זֶה־לִּ֞י עֶשְׂרִ֣ים שָׁנָה֮ בְּבֵיתֶךָ֒ עֲבַדְתִּ֜יךָ אַרְבַּֽע־עֶשְׂרֵ֤ה שָׁנָה֙ בִּשְׁתֵּ֣י בְנֹתֶ֔יךָ וְשֵׁ֥שׁ שָׁנִ֖ים בְּצֹאנֶ֑ךָ וַתַּחֲלֵ֥ף אֶת־מַשְׂכֻּרְתִּ֖י עֲשֶׂ֥רֶת מֹנִֽים׃


These twenty years have I been in thy house: I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy flock; and thou hast changed my wages ten times.



Did Yitchak die during this period? If not, at what point did he die? If he did, since Esav knew that Ya'akov was in Lavan's home (see Breishit 28:6), why didn't he go after Ya'akov, there?



Answer




  1. Yitzchak was still alive long after the events in Vyishshlach so Eisav would not have gone to Lavan's house to kill Yaakov. Yitzchak was still alive when Yosef was sent to Mitzraim. Yitzchak died at 180 years, when Yaakov was 120. Ya'akov told Par'o that he was 130 years old when he met him. Thus Yitzchak died 10 years before Yaakov met Par'o. Since Yosef was missing for 22 years, Yitzchak died after Yosef had been missing for 12 years. Yosef was sold at age 17 and appointed at age 30 (13 years). Thus Yitzchak died the year before Yosef was appointed. Note that the meforshim say that the famine ended (early) when Yaakov came and blessed Par'o and Mitzrayim. That is why the count works out (as the Medrash says, 7 years of plenty and 2 years of famine). See the Art Scroll commentary on Vayigash 47:10.


Rashi




So Jacob blessed: According to the custom of all those who leave the presence of princes, that they bless them and take their leave. Now what blessing did he bless him? That the Nile should rise at his approach, because Egypt does not drink rain water, but the Nile rises and waters it, and since Jacob’s blessing, Pharaoh would come to the Nile, and it would rise to greet him and water the land. [From Tanchuma, Nasso 26]





  1. Eisav said he would wait until Yitzchak died to kill Yaakov




  2. Eisav was based at Har Seir so it was too far to send his forces after Yaakov. Note that the two did not meet until Ya'akov was just outside Canaan.





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