Yaakov's Dividing of his Camp/2

Yaakov's Dividing of his Camp

Exegetical Approaches

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Yaakov Split his Camp

Yaakov split his camp as originally planned.  This position subdivides regarding whether the goal was to escape from Esav or to confront him.

Flight

Yaakov split his camp so that at least one portion of his household could flee and escape Esav's wrath.

Sources:R. Avraham b. HaRambam #1, R. BachyaBereshit 32:9About R. Bachya b. Asher, Akeidat Yitzchak, AbarbanelBereshit 32:8:18Bereshit 33:1About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel,

Fight

The rearrangement of the camp was a military strategy, meant to facilitate the expected battle against Esav.

Change of Plan

Though Yaakov originally intended to divide his camp, he changed his mind before meeting Esav.

No Longer Necessary

After his victory over the angel/man, Yaakov no longer feared his brother and saw no need to rearrange his camp in preparation for the encounter.

Sources:R. Avraham b. HaRambam #2Bereshit 32Bereshit 33:1-2, 13About R. Avraham Maimonides, NetzivBereshit 32Bereshit 33:1, 8About R. Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin

"וַיַּחַץ אֶת הָעָם אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ" –  Who was to be in each camp?

• Split only non-family members – R. Avraham b. HaRambam asserts that Yaakov divided his possessions and larger household into two camps but that he kept his wives and children with him, distinct from both.¹  He preferred that they all survived together or all perished together.
• Possessions split, children not – According to Netziv, Yaakov and his sons stayed together in one camp with some of the possessions and wives, while the rest of the property was in another camp.²  He assumes that Yaakov trusted in Hashem's promise that he and his children would stay safe and so he felt no need to split them.³

"וְהָיָה הַמַּחֲנֶה הַנִּשְׁאָר לִפְלֵיטָה" – Purpose of the division – Yaakov hoped that if one camp was attacked, the other would be able to escape. The word "פְלֵיטָה" is understood as "refuge".

Why send to Seir? According to both these sources, Esav had not yet permanently moved to Seir, but rather lived there part time.  Netziv maintains that Yaakov sent messengers specifically there so as to test out Esav's feelings towards him.  He thought that in Canaan, out of deference to his father, Esav would not act on his hatred even if he was still angry, leaving Yaakov in doubt whether he was still  in danger or not.  By sending to Seir, he could know where he stood.

Esav's intentions – Both these sources assume that Esav's entourage was intent on battling with Yaakov.

"וְהִכַּנִי אֵם עַל בָּנִים" – According to R. Avraham b. HaRambam, these words reflect Yaakov's fear that Esav would have no mercy and attempt to kill all. The Netziv, in contrast, understands that Yaakov was concerned that Esav might kill the mothers as they protected their children,⁴ but not that the children themselves would perish.⁵

Unanswered prayers – Neither of these sources addresses the issue explicitly, but according to R. Avraham b. HaRambam, it is possible that Yaakov's "being left alone" was an attempt to attain prophecy in solitude,⁶ and the ensuing vision⁷ of the struggle with the angel/man was Hashem's answer to his prayer.⁸

The struggle with the "איש" – Both R. Avraham b. HaRambam and the Netziv assert that the "איש" came to bolster Yaakov's confidence,  that he would be able to defeat Esav.⁹

The final split – After being encouraged by the struggle with the angel/man, Yaakov no longer felt it necessary to split his camp, but he did rearrange his family. 

• According to R. Avraham b. HaRambam, the goal was not to enable potential for flight but rather a show of honor; he lined the family up according to their importance much the way dignitaries might be ordered in front of a king.
• Netziv, in contrast, suggests that this was a sign of submission.  Since Yaakov had been hurt in the thigh by the angel, he was concerned that this might mean that Esav could still harm him a little, even if he would not be victorious. As such, he placed those less dear to him first that they should absorb whatever blow might be hit.

No Longer Possible

Though Yaakov wanted to split his camp right up to the moment of meeting, the struggle with the angel/man prevented him from being able to do so.

Sources:Possibly RashbamBereshit 32: 5, 7-9, 21, 23, 25-29About R. Shemuel b. Meir¹⁰

"וַיַּחַץ אֶת הָעָם אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ" – Who was to be in each camp? According to this approach Yaakov put his servants and hired hands in one camp and his wives and children in another. 

"וְהָיָה הַמַּחֲנֶה הַנִּשְׁאָר לִפְלֵיטָה" – Purpose of the division – The first camp was to act as a decoy and stay put to await Esav, thereby afffording Yaakov's immediate family an opportunity to escape from danger.¹¹

Esav's intentions – According to Rashbam, Esav had no evil intent and the 400 men accompanying him were an honor guard coming out of respect to Yaakov, rather than a fighting army planning to attack.  Yaakov, though, did not trust his messenger's report and feared that Esav must mean harm.

"וְהִכַּנִי אֵם עַל בָּנִים" – According to this position, this phrase might not refer to a total annihilation, but rather specifically to an attack on the mother's and children.  Yaakov was concerned not about his larger household, but that Esav would take out his vengeance on his immediate family specifically.  It is for this reason that it they whom he attempts to bring to safety.

¹ Accordng to him, the word "עָם" refers to the masses of people and cattle who were with Yaakov, but not to his close relatives.

² Like R. Avraham b. HaRambam, he too reads "הָעָם" to refer to the larger household rather than Yaakov's immediate family.

³ He did, nonetheless, worry about his wives, since they were not of his blood.

⁴ He reads the phrase, "אֵם עַל בָּנִים" literally to refer to the mothers as they stand atop their children guarding them.

⁵ See above that he thought that Hashem' promise of protection included his sons, who were part of him, but not necessarily his wives.

⁶ R. Avraham b. HaRambam does say that in the solitude Yaakov achieved prophecy, but not assert that he was actively seeking it.

⁷ He maintains that the entire struggle with the angel/ish took place in a prophetic dream rather than reality.

⁸ Cf. RadakBereshit 32:4-8, 14, 22-31 on verse 14, that Yaakov waited at night for Hashem's response, and that it finally came through the interaction with the angel.

⁹ For further discussion of this read of the story see Wrestling With Angels and Men.

¹⁰ Rashbam does not explicitly address the discrepancy between the description of the plan to divide the camp and the final meeting where no such division is mentioned, but his overall understanding of the chapter suggests this approach.

¹¹ Yaakov might not have been worried about the safety of the first camp itself, assuming that Esav was looking to attack him personally.