Learning to 'Send Out' - NCCG.ORG Ning Network Archive 2008-10

Shabbat Shalom Kol Yisrael. It is our pleasure to present this week's Torah Parsha commentary by Nazarene Yisraelite Rabbi T. (Mordecai) Mitchell, Rabbi and Rosh Zaken of B'nai Yeshurun Nazarene Yisraelite Synagogue, Kittanning, Pa., and board member of the Union of Nazarene Yisraelite Congregations. It is our sincere hope and prayer that these commentaries encourage, inspire, and strengthen the body of Messiah in Kol Yisrael. This week our Parsha is Vayishlach (And he sent) Bereshith (Genesis) 32:3 – 36:43 Our Haftarah portion is Hoshea 11:7 — 12:12 and Obediah 1 — 21. Our suggested Brit Chadasha readings are: I Corinthians 5: 1 — 13 and Revelation 7:1 — 12. Also please read Tehillim (Psalms) 20 and 94.

Bereshith 32:3 And Ya'aqob sent messengers before him to Esaw his brother in the land of Seir, the field of Edom.

Ya'aqob has returned to his home land after serving Laban for almost 20 years. He has brought with him vast herds and flocks, his wives, concubines and children. Now he is preparing to encounter his brother Esaw who has sworn to kill him because Esaw believes that Ya'aqob stole his birthright.

On the SOD level, we can interpret “messengers” as angels. We might also understand that the '400 men' that accompany Esaw are also angels, but evil angels. We must never underestimate or dismiss the power and reality of angels in our lives – our daily affairs. Righteous people are surrounded and accompanied by good angels and evil people, people filled with hatred, are surrounded and accompanied by evil angels.

Have you ever met a person and felt an immediate attraction or repulsion? It's safe to say that we all have had this experience. What is happening when we feel an attraction, or perhaps we should say, when we pickup “good vibrations,” is that our good angels are coming into contact with other good angels. However, when we feel a clash of sorts, a clash of spirits, that's exactly what's happening, spiritual forces are clashing. We are picking up the bad vibrations of good versus evil. Sometimes such feelings are but for a fleeting moment, and sometimes they are strong and powerful, lasting and unmistakable. However, such circumstances can be negated or reversed.

This is demonstrated by 33:4 And Esaw ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.

Why would Esaw, an almost totally negative person, have such a change of heart? The answer is found in the previous chapter. In 32:9 – 12 Ya'aqob prays to Yahweh to show him additional favor by changing what he believes is an inevitable situation. In verse 11 he prays: “Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esaw, for I fear him, lest he come and shall smite me and the mother with the children.”

Ya'aqob prayed with all his heart to Yahweh to change a dangerous, life-threatening situation, and his prayer was answered. It's as simple as that. Prayer changed the heart of Esaw.

However, in closing, this verse deserves a bit more scrutiny. We may ask why Ya'aqob prayed to be delivered “...from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esaw...” We have two distinct requests here, One, he prays to be delivered from the hand of his brother, and two, from the hand of Esaw.

Regarding the first request, Ya'aqob, in his wisdom and no doubt from having bad experiences with others, including his father-in-law Laban, understood a principle taught centuries later by Yahshua our Messiah. In Mattithyahu 10:36 Yahshua said, “...a man's enemies are those of his own household.”

How often have we had not only family members, but friends, those who claim to be our spiritual brothers and sisters, the household of faith, people we once trusted, turn against us? It has happened to all of us. It is especially heartbreaking to see this happen among brethren, but sad to say, it does.

Such was foretold to happen in MattithYahu 24:10 “And then many shall stumble, and they shall deliver up one another, and shall hate one another.”

A candid admission is made by Ya'aqob, however, as revealed in the phrase “...I fear him...”

We are told in 1 Yochanan 4:18 that “...perfect love casts out fear...” However, while this is certainly true, there are times when we should “fear.” A healthy fear keep us from taking chances that we should not take.

Some years ago, our twins, then perhaps 7 or 8 years old, were discovered by their mother, to her great horror, climbing a steep cliff close to our home. They were perhaps about 50 or more feet up an extremely steep, shale covered slope. Of course to them, their excursion was great adventure. Despite the situation unfolding before her eyes, Mom kept her cool and calmly called to the boys to come back down. They smiled and waved and said “Hi Mom, see where we are.”

The boys were indeed in great danger and did not realize the seriousness of the situation. A healthy dose of proper fear would have kept them from climbing the cliff in the first place. After reading this story I think you get the point.

Quite often when we face spiritual danger from the esaws in our lives, we may also face physical danger.

Ya'aqob faced the hatred of his brother and was justifiably worried about the physical safety of his family. He knew that hate often turns to violence.

We have continually said that each Parsha gives us a certain power or understanding. So it is with Vayishlach. This Parsha, which means “To send away” is all about letting go. Letting go of our fears, and letting go of any hatred or ill feelings that we may have in our hearts. It is also about separation. After Ya'aqob and Esaw made their reconciliation, they each went their separate ways. Although Esaw had a temporary change of heart, he was still, in essence, a negative person. Ya'aqob could live at peace with his brother, but he could not dwell with him. So it is with us today. We must try to live at peace as much as possible with those around us, but there are those with whom we must not develop close personal relationships. Vayishlach give us the power to overcome negative energy and separate ourselves from it, lest it becomes part of us.

May Almighty Yahweh bless us as we seek to learn more of His ways and apply the lessons of Torah to our lives.

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