Daf 166b (דַּף קס״ו ע״ב)

"And Ya'akov sent angels" (וַיִּשְׁלַח יַעֲקֹב מַלְאָכִים). Rabbi Shim'on opened and said (רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן פָּתַח וְאָמַר): (Mishlei 12) "Better to be lightly esteemed with a servant than honored but lacking bread" (טוֹב נִקְלָה וְעֶבֶד לוֹ מִמִּתְכַּבֵּד וַחֲסַר לֶחֶם). This verse was taught concerning the evil inclination (הַאי קְרָא עַל יֵצֶר הָרָע אִתְּמָר), because it constantly accuses human beings (בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ מְקַטְרְגָא תָּדִיר לְגַבֵּי בְּנֵי נָשָׁא). The evil inclination raises the heart and desire of a person with arrogance (וְיֵצֶר הָרָע אִיהוּ אָרִים לִבֵּיהּ וּרְעוּתֵיהּ דְּבַר נָשׁ בְּגַאֲוָתָא). A person who follows after it curls his hair and lifts his head proudly (וְאָזִיל אֲבַתְרֵיהּ מְסַלְסֵל שַׂעֲרֵיהּ וּבְרֵישֵׁיהּ), until it rises over him and draws him down to Gehinnom (עַד דְּאִיהוּ אִתְגָּאֵי עֲלֵיהּ וּמָשִׁיךְ לֵיהּ לַגֵּיהִנֹּם). However, "Better to be lightly esteemed" (אֲבָל טוֹב נִקְלָה)—this refers to one who does not follow the evil inclination and is not arrogant at all (הַהוּא דְּלָא אָזִיל אֲבַתְרֵיהּ דְּיֵצֶר הָרָע וְלָא אִתְגָּאֵי כְּלָל). He humbles his spirit, heart, and desire before Kudsha Berikh Hu (וּמָאִיךְ רוּחֵיהּ וְלִבֵּיהּ וּרְעוּתֵיהּ לְגַבֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). Then the evil inclination itself becomes his servant (וּכְדֵין הַהוּא יֵצֶר הָרָע מִתְהַפֵּךְ לְעֶבֶד לוֹ), unable to rule over him (דְּלָא יָכִיל לְשַׁלְטָאָה עֲלוֹי). That person rules over it, as it says (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר): (Bereishit 4) "And you will rule over it" (וְאַתָּה תִּמְשָׁל בּוֹ). "Honored" (מִמִּתְכַּבֵּד) refers, as we said, to one who glorifies himself, curls his hair and is arrogant in spirit (כְּמָה דְּאֲמָרָן דְּאִיהוּ אוֹקִיר גַּרְמֵיהּ מְסַלְסֵל בְּשַׂעֲרֵיהּ אִתְגָּאֵי בְּרוּחֵיהּ). And he was lacking bread, lacking faith, as you say (וְאִיהוּ חֲסַר לֶחֶם, חֲסַר מְהֵימְנוּתָא כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר), “the bread of his God, etc.” (לֶחֶם אֱלֹהָיו וְגו׳) (Leviticus 21), “the bread of their God they offer, etc.” (לֶחֶם אֱלֹהֵיהֶם הֵם מַקְרִיבִים וְגו׳).

Another matter (דָּבָר אַחֵר): "Better to be lightly esteemed with a servant" (טוֹב נִקְלָה וְעֶבֶד לוֹ)—this refers to Ya'akov, who humbled himself before Esav (דָּא יַעֲקֹב דְּמָאִיךְ רוּחֵיהּ לְגַבֵּיהּ דְּעֵשָׂו), so that afterward Esav would become his servant, and he would rule over him (בְּגִין דִּלְבָתַר לֶיהֱוֵי עֶבֶד לוֹ וְיִשְׁלוֹט עֲלוֹי), fulfilling what is written concerning him (וְיִתְקַיַּים בֵּיהּ): (Bereishit 27) "Nations will serve you and peoples will bow down to you" (יַעַבְדוּךָ עַמִּים וְיִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לְךָ לְאוּמִים וְגו'). But at that time it was not yet his moment (וַעֲדַיִן לָא הֲוָה זִמְנֵיהּ כְּלַל). Rather, Ya'akov would ascend to it in later days (אֶלָּא בְּגִין דְּסָלִיק לֵיהּ יַעֲקֹב לְבָתַר יוֹמַיָא), and thus at that moment he humbled himself immediately (וְעַל דָּא הֲוָה מִיָּד נִקְלָה). Afterward, the one who had glorified himself would become his servant (וּלְבָתַר הַהוּא דְּאִיהוּ מִתְכַּבֵּד יְהֵא עֶבֶד לוֹ). The one who lacked bread would serve the one to whom "plenty of grain and wine" were given (הַהוּא דְּאִיהוּ חֲסַר לֶחֶם יְהֵא עַבְדָּא לְהַהוּא דְּיַהֲבוּ לֵיהּ רוֹב דָּגָן וְתִירוֹשׁ).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), for Ya'akov knew that he needed Esav at that moment (עַל דָּא בְּגִין דְּיָדַע יַעֲקֹב דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ לֵיהּ). Therefore, he immediately became humble before him (הַשְׁתָּא אִתְהַפַּךְ לֵיהּ נִקְלָה). In doing this, he acted with greater wisdom and cunning than in anything else he had done concerning Esav (וְיוֹתֵר חָכְמָה וַעֲקִימוּ עֲבַד בְּדָא, מִכָּל מַה דְּעֲבַד לְגַבֵּי דְעֵשָׂו). Had Esav understood this wisdom, he would have killed himself rather than allowing this situation to occur (דְּאִילוּ הֲוָה יָדַע עֵשָׂו חָכְמָה דָא יִקְטִיל לֵיהּ לְגַרְמֵיהּ וְלָא יֵיתֵי לְדָא). Yet Ya'akov did everything with wisdom, and concerning this Channah said (אֲבָל כֹּלָּא עֲבַד בְּחָכְמְתָא, וְעֲלֵיהּ אָמְרָה חַנָּה): (Shmuel I 2) "Hashem, His adversaries will be broken," etc., "and He will give strength to Molcho," etc. (יְיָ יֵחַתּוּ מְרִיבָיו וְגו' וְיִתֵּן עֹז לְמַלְכּוֹ וְגו'). "And he commanded them, saying: Thus shall you say to my master, Esav; thus says your servant Ya'akov, 'I have lived with Lavan, and stayed until now'" (וַיְצַו אֹתָם לֵאמֹר כֹּה תֹאמְרוּן לַאדֹנִי לְעֵשָׂו כֹּה אָמַר עַבְדְּךָ יַעֲקֹב עִם לָבָן גַּרְתִּי וָאֵחַר עַד עָתָּה). Immediately, Ya'akov began to transform himself into a servant (מִיָּד פָּתַח יַעֲקֹב לְאִתְהַפָּכָא לֵיהּ לְעַבְדָּא), so Esav would not recall the blessings their father had blessed him with (בְּגִין דְּלָא יִסְתַּכַּל עֵשָׂו בְּאִינוּן בִּרְכָאן דְּבָרְכֵיהּ אֲבוֹי), as Ya'akov would later ascend to those blessings, as we have said (דְּהָא יַעֲקֹב סָלִיק לוֹן לְבָתַר כְּדְקָא אֲמָרָן).

Rabbi Yehudah said (אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה), What did Ya‘akov see that he sent to Esav and said, “With Lavan I have sojourned” (מַאי חָמָא יַעֲקֹב דְּשַׁדַּר לֵיהּ לְעֵשָׂו וְאָמַר עִם לָבָן גַּרְתִּי) (Bereshit 32). And what did he accomplish in the mission to Esau by saying this word? (וְכִי מַה עָבִיד בִּשְׁלִיחוּתֵיהּ דְּעֵשָׂו מִלָּה דָא). Rather, Lavan the Aramean—his voice traveled in the world, that there was no man who could be saved from him. (אֶלָּא לָבָן הָאֲרַמִּי קָלֵיהּ אָזִיל בְּעַלְמָא דְלָא הֲוָה בַר נָשׁ דְּיִשְׁתְּזִיב מִנֵּיהּ). For he was a sorcerer in sorceries, and great among the diviners. (דְּהוּא הֲוָה חָרָשׁ בֶּחֳרָשִׁין וְרַב בְּקוֹסְמִין). And he was the father of Beor, and Beor was the father of Balaam, as it is written: Balaam son of Beor the diviner. (וַאֲבוֹי דִבְעוֹר הֲוָה, וּבְעוֹר אֲבוֹי דְבִלְעָם, דִּכְתִיב בִּלְעָם בֶּן בְּעוֹר הַקּוֹסֵם) (Joshua 13). And Lavan was wise in sorceries and divinations more than all of them. (וְלָבָן חָכָם בֶּחֳרָשִׁין וְקוֹסְמִין יַתִּיר מִכֻּלְּהוּ). And with all that, he was not able against Ya'akov. (וְעִם כָּל דָּא לָא יָכִיל בְּיַעֲקֹב). And he sought to destroy Ya'akov with many weapons. (וּבָעָא לְאוֹבָדָא לְיַעֲקֹב בְּכַמָּה זַיְינִין). This is that which is written: An Aramean sought to destroy my father. (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, אֲרַמִּי אוֹבֵד אָבִי) (Deuteronomy 26).

Rabbi Abba said (אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא): Everyone knew that Lavan was a great master of wisdom, enchantments, and divination (כּוּלֵי עַלְמָא הֲוֵי יָדְעֵי דְּלָבָן הֲוָה רַב חַכִּימִין וָחֳרָשִׁין וְקוֹסְמִין). Anyone whom he wished to destroy by means of sorcery could not escape from him (וּמַאן דְּבָעֵי לְאוֹבָדָא בֶּחֳרָשׁוֹי לָא אִשְׁתְּזִיב מִנֵּיהּ). Everything that Bil'am knew, he had learned from Lavan (וְכָל מַה דְּיָדַע בִּלְעָם מִנֵּיהּ הֲוָה). It is written concerning Bil'am (בְּבִלְעָם), (Bamidbar 22): "For I know that whom you bless is blessed, and whom you curse is cursed" (כִּי יָדַעְתִּי אֵת אֲשֶׁר תְּבָרֵךְ מְבֹרָךְ וַאֲשֶׁר תָּאֹר יוּאָר). Therefore, the whole world feared Lavan and his sorcery (וְכוּלֵי עַלְמָא הֲווּ מִסְתָּפֵי מִלָּבָן וּמֵחֳרָשׁוֹי). Thus, the first message that Ya'akov sent to Esav was: "I have lived with Lavan" (וּמִלָּה קַדְמָאָה דְּשַׁדַּר יַעֲקֹב לְעֵשָׂו אָמַר עִם לָבָן גַּרְתִּי). And if you should say that the month or the year was brief—no, not so. (וְאִי תֵימָא דִּזְעֵיר הֲוָה יֶרַח אוֹ שַׁתָּא. לָאו הָכִי). Rather, I was delayed until now—twenty years I was delayed with him. (אֶלָּא וָאֵחַר עַד עָתָּה, עֶשְׂרִין שְׁנִין אִתְאֲחָרִית עִמֵּיהּ). And if you should say that nothing was gained in my hand: And there was to me ox and donkey—these are two decrees of judgment. (וְאִי תֵימָא דְּלָא סָלִיק בְּיָדִי כְּלוּם. וַיְהִי לִי שׁוֹר וַחֲמוֹר — אִינוּן תְּרֵין גִּזְרֵי דִינִין). That when they are joined together as one, they do not join but to destroy the world. (דְּכַד מִתְחַבְּרָן תַּרְוַויְיהוּ כְּחֲדָא, לָא מִתְחַבְּרָן אֶלָא לְאַבְאָשָׁא עַלְמָא). And because of this it is written: You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together. (וּבְגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב, לֹא תַחֲרשׁ בְּשׁוֹר וּבַחֲמוֹר יַחְדָּו) (Deuteronomy 22).

Flock, servant, and maidservant—these are the lower crowns that Kudsha Berikh Hu struck in Egypt: firstborn of beast, firstborn of captive, firstborn of maidservant. (צֹאן וְעֶבֶד וְשִׁפְחָה — אִלֵין אִינוּן כִּתְרֵי תַּתָּאֵי דְּקָטַל קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּמִצְרַיִם: בְּכוֹר בְּהֵמָה, בְּכוֹר הַשְּׁבִי, בְּכוֹר הַשִּׁפְחָה) (Exodus 12). This is what is written: Flock, servant, and maidservant. (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: צֹאן וְעֶבֶד וְשִׁפְחָה). Immediately Esau feared and came toward him, and he was afraid of Ya'akov just as Ya'akov was afraid of Esau. (מִיָּד מִסְתָּפֵי הֲוָה עֵשָׂו וְנָפַק לָקֳדָמוּתֵיהּ, וּדְחִילוּ הֲוָה לֵיהּ מִיַּעֲקֹב כְּמָה דְּהֲוָה לֵיהּ לְיַעֲקֹב מֵעֵשָׂו).