Yaakov's Dividing of his Camp/2

Yaakov's Dividing of his Camp

Exegetical Approaches

Overview

Commentators struggle to understand the relationship between Yaakov's planned division of his household into two camps in Bereshit 32 and his actual encounter with Esav in Bereshit 33 which makes no mention of two camps and speaks only of the splitting and arranging of Yaakov's immediate family.

R. Bachya asserts that there is really no contradiction and the two chapters actually refer to the same division which was aimed at saving at least a portion of the camp.  R"E Ashkenazi, in contrast, assumes that Yaakov split his camp as part of a military strategy to best fight Esav.  He suggests that though the second camp was present in Bereshit 33, it is simply not mentioned since Esav's peaceful overtures obviated the need for its presence.

Other commentators assert that Yaakov's nocturnal struggle with the angel / man, altered his original plans.  Thus, according to R. Avraham b. HaRambam, Yaakov's victory boosted his confidence so that he no longer felt a need to divide his camp, while Rashbam maintains that the struggle prevented Yaakov from carrying out his plan to escape, leaving him no choice but to recombine his camps.  Finally, Abarbanel agrees that Yaakov's plans to flee were thwarted, but he asserts that this was due to Yaakov's own miscalculation of Esav's route rather than the angel's interference.

Plan Implemented

Yaakov's original plan to split his camp was still in place when he encountered Esav.  This position subdivides regarding the precise relationship between the initial division in Bereshit 32 and the later reorganization of Yaakov's family in Bereshit 33:1-2.

One and the Same

The two accounts of Chapters 32 and 33 are describing the exact same division into two groups.

Sources:R. BachyaBereshit 32:9About R. Bachya b. Asher

"וַיַּחַץ אֶת הָעָם אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ" – Who was to be in each camp? Since R. Bachya understands Yaakov's divisions of his camp in Bereshit 32 and Bereshit 33 to be one and the same,¹ he synchronizes the verses in the two chapters, and posits that what is explicit in Bereshit 33 applies also to the division of Bereshit 32.  I.e., already in Chapter 32, the maidservants and children were placed in one camp with some of the possessions and hired hands, while Leah and Rachel and the rest of the property were in the other.²

"וְהָיָה הַמַּחֲנֶה הַנִּשְׁאָר לִפְלֵיטָה" – Purpose of the division – According to R. Bachya, the word "לִפְלֵיטָה" refers to the remnant which would be able to escape.  Unsure which camp would be attacked, Yaakov divided his household somewhat evenly so as not to risk losing all his loved ones.³ Nonetheless, he still placed those most precious to him in the second camp, assuming that they would be safer there.  According to R. Bachya, had Esav attacked the maidservants who were the first to approach in Chapter 33, Leah and Rachel's families would have then attempted to flee.

Arrangement of wives and family – According to R. Bachya, this is not a rearrangement, but a description of the original division, with the maidservants in one camp and full wives in the other. Presumably, the rest of the camp is not mentioned since they are unimportant in comparison.

Size of Yaakov's camp – This approach might assume that Yaakov's household was not particularly numerous, and this led Yaakov to think that he had little chance of total victory.

Why send to Seir? R. Bachya asserts that Yaakov sent messengers to appease Esav's anger before returning home.  He therefore told him that he had amassed wealth through his own hard work, and not via his father's inheritance, and tried to find favor in Esav's eyes.⁴

Esav's intentions – Despite Yaakov's message of peace, Esav approached as an enemy, intent on doing battle.

The struggle with the "אִישׁ" – R. Bachya maintains like the Midrash⁵ that the man with whom Yaakov struggled was Esav's guardian angel, and that he affirmed that the blessings of Yitzchak rightfully belonged to Yaakov.  Despite this confirmation, though, Yaakov was not sufficiently confident that Esav would not attack and decided not to change his original plan.

Unanswered prayers – R. Bachya does not address this issue.

Division and Subdivision

In Bereshit 32, Yaakov divided his entire camp into two parts, and the subsequent organization of Yaakov's family in Bereshit 33 constituted an additional step in the preparatory process.

Sources:R. Eliezer AshkenaziMa'asei Hashem, Ma'asei Avot 33About R. Eliezer Ashkenazi (Ma'asei Hashem), H. Seri⁶

"וְהָיָה הַמַּחֲנֶה הַנִּשְׁאָר לִפְלֵיטָה" – Purpose of the division in Chapter 32

• Military strategy – According to both R"E Ashkenazi and H. Seri, this division was for military purposes.⁷  Were the first camp to be attacked, the second camp would come to its rescue⁸ and thereby save both.⁹  Thus, the verse does not mean (as commonly assumed) that the camp remaining after the initial attack would run for its life and escape, but rather that the camp which "remained behind" ("הַנִּשְׁאָר") would serve "לִפְלֵיטָה", as a rescue force ("לפליטת האחר") for the camp under attack.‎¹⁰
• Escape – Alternatively, Yaakov was preparing for potential flight.  If one camp was attacked, he hoped that the other would be able to escape.

"וַיַּחַץ אֶת הָעָם אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ" – In which camp was the family?

• First camp – According to R"E Ashkenazi, Yaakov and his family were part of the vanguard camp,¹¹ as Yaakov was ready to lead the battle against Esav's forces.
• Second camp – Alternatively, one could suggest that Yaakov was hoping to give his family a chance to flee, and that he and his loved ones thus stayed behind in the second camp.
• Neither camp – H. Seri asserts that Yaakov's family was not included in the initial division at all; he divided only "הָעָם אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ", his household servants and hired hands.  These men constituted his fighting force.

Arrangement of wives and children in Chapter 33 – According to this approach, the verses in Bereshit 33 are predicated on the original split into two camps and describe an additional preparatory step:

• Preparation for battle – According to R"E Ashkenazi and H. Seri, this second division took place before meeting Esav, and was a safety precaution.
• Line formation – According to R"E Ashkenazi, Yaakov arranged his family so as to be able to best provide for their safety.  He feared most for Leah and the maidservants, not being sure if Hashem's promise of providence¹² included them.¹³  He therefore placed them in the middle, sandwiched between Yaakov in the front and Rachel in the back.¹⁴ 
• Parallel formation – H. Seri, in contrast, asserts that Yaakov placed his family behind the two military camps, in similar parallel formation.  Behind one camp was Zilpah and children, followed by Leah and her children, while in back of the second camp was Bilhah and her children, followed by Rachel and Yosef.¹⁵ 
• Honor guard – Alternatively, the verses in Bereshit 33 describe the sequence of events after the first (non-family) camp encountered Esav with no ill effects.  Yaakov, realizing that there was no need for flight, set up his family to greet Esav with honor.

Why are the two camps of Chapter 32 not mentioned in Chapter 33? Since ultimately Esav did not attack, there was no need to mention anyone except for Yaakov's family.

Size of Yaakov's Camp – R"E  Ashkenazi and H. Seri likely assume that Yaakov's camp was of considerable size and strength, and thus, a worthy opponent to Esav.  As such, Yaakov was not fearful of losing and preparing for escape, but was simply designing the best military strategy to ensure victory.

Esav's intentions – The Ma'asei Hashem maintains that Yaakov's messengers returned with a positive assessment of Esav's intentions.  Yaakov, though, was unsure if perhaps Esav was planning to ambush him by coming like a brother into the midst of his camp, only to then attack like an enemy.  It was this uncertainty which led him to divide his camp.¹⁶

Unanswered prayers – These sources do not address this question.

The tribute for Esav – R"E Ashkenazi argues against the claim that the purpose of the offering was to appease Esav, suggesting that if Esav was still angered over the birthright and blessing, and intent on killing Yaakov, the gift would not sway him.¹⁷  As such, R" E Ashkenazi proposes instead that Yaakov sent the gift to gauge Esav's feelings.¹⁸

"גַּם הִנֵּה עַבְדְּךָ יַעֲקֹב אַחֲרֵינוּ" – R"E Ashkenazi asserts that Yaakov instructed each group of gift-bearers to say these same words, so that Esav would not know exactly when Yaakov was arriving.  Esav would thus be caught off guard when Yaakov arrived and his true intentions would be more readily apparent rather than disguised, allowing Yaakov to react and defend himself if necessary.

Crossing the Yabbok – According to this approach, the crossing was not part of an escape plan, but simply the next part of the route that needed to be taken.

The struggle with the "אִישׁ" – According to the Ma'asei Hashem, this was a failed attempt by the guardian angel of Esav to retrieve the deed of sale of the birthright.  After the struggle he conceded Yaakov's rights to it.  However, the event did not persuade Yaakov to act differently than originally planned, since his doubts concerning Esav's intentions were still in place.

The aftermath – did Yaakov ever make it to Seir? According to R"E Ashkenazi, after the two brothers made peace, it would be illogical that Yaakov would then lie about coming to Seir.  He thus asserts that Yaakov did in fact follow Esav until the region of Seir¹⁹ and only then headed to Sukkot.  He even suggests that Yaakov accepted the offer to have some of Esav's men accompany him.²⁰

One Camp Went Ahead

Bereshit 32 describes the sending ahead of the first camp to bring the tribute to Esav and gauge his feelings, while Bereshit 33 speaks of the second camp which had remained behind and included Yaakov and his family.

Sources:R. Yaacov Medan²¹

"וַיַּחַץ אֶת הָעָם אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ" – Who was in each camp? According to R"Y Medan, the two camps served completely different purposes and were not divided equally.  Rather, the first camp was the vanguard and consisted of the messengers sent to Esav bearing the tribute (as described in verses 14-21).  The second camp was the home front which included Yaakov and his family and the rest of their possessions.

"וְהָיָה הַמַּחֲנֶה הַנִּשְׁאָר לִפְלֵיטָה" – Purpose of the division – According to R"Y Medan, the messengers were sent to appease Esav and test his mood.  If they were met with hostility or violence, then Yaakov would have time to flee with the rest of the family.

When did Yaakov divide his camp? This approach encounters some difficulty regarding this question.  While Bereshit 32:8,10 appear to indicate that the camp was already divided at that stage, the setting aside of the tribute to Esav is described in Bereshit 32:14-21 as happening only later, during the subsequent night ("בַּלַּיְלָה הַהוּא").²²

"אֲכַפְּרָה פָנָיו בַּמִּנְחָה... וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן אֶרְאֶה פָנָיו" – These words might support the idea that Yaakov sent the tribute to gauge Esav's feelings, and "see his face".²³

"מִי לְךָ כׇּל הַמַּחֲנֶה הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר פָּגָשְׁתִּי" – When Esav speaks of the entourage of gifts sent by Yaakov he refers to them as "הַמַּחֲנֶה", supporting the possibility that this is indeed one of Yaakov's two camps.

Why is only one camp mentioned in Chapter 33? Since the first camp had gone ahead, there was only one camp which remained when Yaakov met Esav.  Any of the messengers which returned were reabsorbed into Yaakov's camp, but are not mentioned as they no longer play a role in the story.

Plan Changed

Chapter 32 describes Yaakov's original division of his camp, which was intended to ensure the safety of at least a portion of his household.  Chapter 33, in contrast, follows Yaakov's defeat of the angel / man in the nocturnal encounter.  This sufficiently emboldened Yaakov, and he no longer felt a need to implement his initial plan.

Sources:R. Avraham b. HaRambam #2Bereshit 32Bereshit 33:1-2, 13About R. Avraham Maimonides,²⁴ Akeidat YitzchakBereshit #26About R. Yitzchak Arama, NetzivBereshit 32Bereshit 33:1, 8About R. Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin

"וְהָיָה הַמַּחֲנֶה הַנִּשְׁאָר לִפְלֵיטָה" – Purpose of the division in Chapter 32 – These commentators all agree that Yaakov was hoping that if one camp was attacked, the other would be able to escape ("לִפְלֵיטָה").  They differ, though, regarding what or whom this division was designed to save:

• Wives and children – The Akeidat Yitzchak asserts that Yaakov originally placed his shepherds and possessions in the first camp, while securing his entire family in the relatively safer second camp.
• Half of his possessions – According to R. Avraham b. HaRambam and Netziv, it was only Yaakov's possessions and entourage which were split between the two camps (in an attempt to salvage half), while Yaakov's family remained with him and was not part of either camp.²⁵  R. Avraham b. HaRambam posits that Yaakov preferred that his entire family either survive or perish together with him,²⁶ while the Netziv assumes that Yaakov trusted Hashem's promise to watch over him.²⁷ and was thus confident that his children would be safe.²⁸

The struggle with the "אִישׁ" – Both R. Avraham b. HaRambam and the Netziv assert that the "אִישׁ" came to bolster Yaakov's confidence that he would be able to defeat Esav.²⁹

Arrangement of wives and children in Chapter 33

• According to R. Avraham b. HaRambam and Netziv, after being encouraged by the struggle with the angel/man, Yaakov no longer felt it necessary to split his camp.  R. Avraham b. HaRambam maintains that the assembly line was a show of honor; Yaakov lined the family up according to their importance much the way dignitaries might be ordered in front of a king.³⁰
• In contrast, the Akeidat Yitzchak maintains that while Yaakov's morale was bolstered, he did not undo the original split or let down his guard entirely.  He asserts that although originally Yaakov had intended to place his own camp second, after being encouraged by the vision of the "אִישׁ", he switched the order so that his own camp would be first.³¹

Why are the two camps of Chapter 32 not mentioned in Chapter 33?

• Recombined – According to R. Avraham b. HaRambam and Netziv, by the time of the encounter, the two camps had already been recombined.
• Followed behind – According to the Akeidat Yitzchak, the verses detailing the actual meeting mention only the members of the family camp, as the other camp with the rest of the household and possessions followed them and played no role.

Why send to Seir? According to R. Avraham b. HaRambam and Netziv, Esav had not yet permanently moved to Seir, but rather lived there part time.³²  As such, it was a very real possibility that Esav might come to attack Yaakov upon his return, leading Yaakov to send messengers to gauge Esav's feelings towards him.³³

Esav's intentions – All of these sources assume that Esav intended to do battle 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 not just him but his entire family. The Netziv, in contrast, understands that Yaakov was concerned specifically about the mothers, that Esav might harm them as they protected their children.³⁴  Due to Hashem's promise, though, he did not fear that the children themselves would perish.³⁵

Unanswered prayers – The Akeidat Yitzchak posits that, after Yaakov's prayer to Hashem, he "slept in the camp" preparing for Hashem to answer him via a prophetic vision. However, Hashem did not respond immediately, since Yaakov needed to do more on the human level before expecting Divine intervention. Only after Yaakov sent the gift to Esav did Hashem reply through the nocturnal encounter with the angel / man.³⁶

Tribute – The Akeidat Yitzchak asserts that Yaakov's gift was intended to be a more complete payment for the birthright which he had previously purchased for merely a bowl of lentil stew. Yaakov hoped that this would appease Esav.

Plan Foiled

While Yaakov originally split his camp in an attempt to enable his family to flee, his plan was thwarted, and Yaakov and his family were nonetheless forced to confront Esav.  This position subdivides regarding the reason for the plan's failure:

Nocturnal Struggle Prevented Escape

The struggle with the angel / man prevented Yaakov from being able to implement his plan and escape with his family. This forced him to recombine his camps.

Sources:Perhaps RashbamBereshit 32: 5, 7-9, 21, 23, 25-29About R. Shemuel b. Meir³⁷

"וַיַּחַץ אֶת הָעָם אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ" – Who was placed 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 in Chapter 32 – The first camp was to act as a decoy and stay put to detain Esav, thereby affording Yaakov's immediate family an opportunity to escape from danger.³⁸

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 an army planning to attack. Yaakov, though, did not trust his messengers' report and feared that Esav must mean harm.

"וְהִכַּנִי אֵם עַל בָּנִים" – These words highlight that Yaakov's main concern was that Esav would unleash his vengeance specifically on Yaakov's immediate family (the mothers and sons). It is for this reason that it is they whom he attempts to bring to safety.

Unanswered prayers – According to this approach, Hashem may have not immediately reassured Yaakov, because Yaakov's entire plan to flee was misguided, and he was being punished for his lack of trust in Hashem.  Hashem conveyed this message to him through the confrontation with the angel/man (see below)

"וְהִנֵּה גַם הוּא אַחֲרֵינוּ" – Rashbam asserts that Yaakov's sending of the gift to Esav and having his servants say that Yaakov is following shortly, was all part of a ruse intended to deceive Esav and thereby facilitate Yaakov's escape.

Crossing the Yabbok – Yaakov's original plan was to have his personal family camp flee to safety across the River, leaving his other camp to remain and do battle with Esav.³⁹

The struggle with the "אִישׁ" – According to Rashbam, the confrontation was both punitive (for Yaakov's lack of belief in Hashem's providence)⁴⁰ and preventative. The angel detained Yaakov overnight, preventing his flight and leaving him no choice but to encounter Esav.

Arrangement of wives and family in Chapter 33 – When Yaakov realized that he had lost his opportunity to bring his family to safety, he was forced to recombine his two camps, and have them all meet Esav.  When he did so, he tried to at least arrange his loved ones so that the most precious to him would be furthest from danger.

Miscalculated Esav's Route

Yaakov succeeded in splitting his camp and fleeing with his family, but he miscalculated regarding which bank of the Yabbok River Esav would arrive.  As a result, it was exclusively the family camp which unexpectedly found itself face to face with Esav.

Sources:AbarbanelBereshit 32:8:18Bereshit 33:1About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel

"וַיַּחַץ אֶת הָעָם אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ" – Who was placed in each camp? Yaakov placed his family in one camp and his possessions in the other,

"וְהָיָה הַמַּחֲנֶה הַנִּשְׁאָר לִפְלֵיטָה" – Purpose of the division in Chapter 32 – Yaakov separated the camps, hoping that Esav would attack the camp with his property, allowing his immediate family to escape.  Due to the distance between the camps, he hoped that Esav might not even be aware of the second camp's existence and would assume that he had vanquished Yaakov's entire camp and depart.

Crossing the Yabbok – Yaakov was attempting to cross to the other side of the Yabbok in flight from Esav.  He assumed that Esav would arrive at the original bank where the second camp remained to do battle.

The struggle with the "אִישׁ" – According to Abarbanel, although the nighttime encounter bolstered Yaakov, he still feared his brother and preferred to flee rather than confront him.

Why are the two camps of Chapter 32 not mentioned in Chapter 33? Yaakov miscalculated and Esav approached from the very side of the Yabbok to which Yaakov had crossed with his family.  Thus, in direct contrast to Yaakov's original plan, it was exclusively his family who now remained (by themselves) to encounter Esav.  Thus, it is only they who are mentioned in the opening verses of Chapter 33.

Arrangement of wives and family in Chapter 33 – Realizing he had no choice but to face his brother, Yaakov hastily arranged his family to greet Esav, placing his most beloved Rachel and Yosef in the back.

Why send to Seir? According to Abarbanel, when Yaakov met the angels in Machanayyim (32:2-3), it was revealed to him that Esav was en route and fast approaching. He, therefore, sent messengers to test his brother's feelings.⁴¹

Esav's intentions – Abarbanel asserts that Esav approached with intent to harm.

Unanswered prayers – Abarbanel follows Akeidat Yitzchak in suggesting that Yaakov "slept in the camp", hoping for Hashem to answer him via a prophetic vision.  Hashem did not provide immediate reassurance because He was angered by Yaakov's decision to split his household in two and its implication that Yaakov thought that Hashem would not be able to save both groups.⁴²

"וְהִנֵּה גַם הוּא אַחֲרֵינוּ" – Since Abarbanel assumes that Yaakov was not planning on confronting Esav, this verse is difficult.⁴³ He explains that this was a further test of Esav's feelings, to see if the knowledge that Yaakov was looking forward to seeing him would deter Esav from doing battle.

The tribute – Abarbanel⁴⁴ maintains that Yaakov's gift was intended to appease Esav and serve as compensation for the birthright which he had previously purchased for merely a bowl of lentils.

¹ That said, the description in Bereshit 32 is more inclusive than that of Bereshit 33, mentioning Yaakov's possessions and overall household (הָעָם אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ) in which his wives and children are subsumed.

² Though Bereshit 33:2 at first read sounds as if it is speaking of a division into three (maidservants, Leah and Rachel), the fact that the verse states that both Leah and Rachel were "אַחֲרֹנִים" might suggest that they were both, together, in the "last" camp.

³ He points to the advice given in Bavli Bava Metzia, that one should never "put all of one's eggs in one basket", but rather diversify one's investments.  See also Bereshit Rabbah76:3About Bereshit Rabbah.  Cf. the opposite approach of R. Avraham b. HaRambam below.

⁴ It is possible that R. Bachya thinks that  Yaakov had sent word to Edom, but without any intention of meeting Esav face to face at this point on his journey.  Only when he heard that Esav was approaching, did he start preparing for a confrontation.

⁵ See Bereshit Rabbah 77:3.

⁶ See H. Seri, "ועתה הייתי לשתי מחנות", Megadim 40 (2004): 17-25.

⁷ Cf. TanchumaVayishlach 6About the Tanchuma and RashiBereshit 32:1-9About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki who also speak of Yaakov preparing for war and point to the division of his camp as evidence.

⁸ According to R"E Ashkenazi the two camps were one behind the other, while according to H. Seri they were in parallel (side by side) military formation.

⁹ See Yoav's similar strategy in Shemuel II 10:9-12, where he tells his brother, "אִם תֶּחֱזַק אֲרָם מִמֶּנִּי וְהָיִתָה לִּי לִישׁוּעָה וְאִם בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן יֶחֶזְקוּ מִמְּךָ וְהָלַכְתִּי לְהוֹשִׁיעַ לָךְ".

¹⁰ See HaKetav VeHaKabbalahBereshit 32About R. Yaakov Mecklenburg who explains similarly.  However, there is no evidence for such a usage of "פְּלֵיטָה".  In its various appearances in Tanakh, it always means a remnant that is saved, not the salvation of others.  See, for instance, Bereshit 45:7, Melakhim II 19:31, and Yeshayahu 37:32 where it parallels "שארית".

¹¹ He would likely assume that they were not alone in the camp, but accompanied by other fighting servants as well.

¹² See Hashem's words to Yaakov in Bereshit 28: "וְהִנֵּה אָנֹכִי עִמָּךְ וּשְׁמַרְתִּיךָ בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר תֵּלֵךְ וַהֲשִׁבֹתִיךָ אֶל הָאֲדָמָה הַזֹּאת כִּי לֹא אֶעֱזָבְךָ"

¹³ Since Leah was given to him as a wife against his will and the others did not have full marital status, they might not have been included in the promise.

¹⁴ See Bereshit 33:3, that Yaakov passed all of his family in order to move to the front.

¹⁵ Thus, contrary to R"E Ashkenazi (and the common reading), the family did not stand in one long line, subdivided into three groups: maidservants, Leah, and Rachel, but rather in two parallel groups, each subdivided into maidservant and real wife.  This explanation accounts for the double language in the verse ("וְאֶת לֵאָה וִילָדֶיהָ אַחֲרֹנִים וְאֶת רָחֵל וְאֶת יוֹסֵף אַחֲרֹנִים"), which describes both Rachel and Leah as being last ("אַחֲרֹנִים").

¹⁶ Esav's intentions would become obvious at some point, and if they were evil, the second camp could come to the rescue.  R"E Ashkenazi claims that had it been clear that Eav was to wage war, Yaakov would not have feared and would have simply readied himself for battle.

¹⁷ Since Esav planned to annihilate Yaakov's camp, all of Yaakov's property would be his in any case.

¹⁸ As evidence of this understanding, he points to the words:  "אֲכַפְּרָה פָנָיו בַּמִּנְחָה הַהֹלֶכֶת לְפָנָי וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן אֶרְאֶה פָנָיו אוּלַי יִשָּׂא פָנָי".  Yaakov planned to look at Esav's face from afar after receiving the gift, to determine whether or not he was appeased.  If not, Yaakov planned to attack immediately before Esav had a chance to enter his camp.

¹⁹ He assumes that Esav was not asking that Yaakov come and stay for a visit, but simply suggesting that the two travel together, much the way a king might appoint a servant to accompany a departing dignitary part of the way home.  Cf. the Hoil Moshe who suggests instead that Yaakov came to visit his brother at some later point, and might have even made multiple trips as he shepherded in the area.

²⁰ He reads Yaakov's words, "לָמָּה זֶּה אֶמְצָא חֵן בְּעֵינֵי אֲדֹנִי" as a polite refusal, but not a real one and claims that the verse mentions only that Esav returned to Seir, because he left some of the 400 to accompany Yaakov.

²¹ R"Y Medan, כי קרוב אליך: ספר בראשית‎ (Tel Aviv, 2014): 254-255.

²² This approach would be forced to argue that the division into two camps actually happened earlier, and only the sending off the first camp occurred at the later stage.  However, this does not seem to be the simple reading of Bereshit 32:14 ("וַיָּלֶן שָׁם בַּלַּיְלָה הַהוּא וַיִּקַּח מִן הַבָּא בְיָדוֹ מִנְחָה לְעֵשָׂו אָחִיו").

²³ See R"E Ashkenazi above who explains the verse in this manner.

²⁴ In his first option, he suggests that the original splitting into two camps may have remained until the encounter with Esav.

²⁵ See the Netziv who notes that the verse speaks of Yaakov splitting his "עַם" (i.e. his entourage), rather than his children or immediate family.

²⁶ Contrast to the diametrically opposite position of R. Bachya above who advocates for not putting all of one's eggs in one basket.

²⁷ See Hashem's words to Yaakov in Bereshit 28: "וְהִנֵּה אָנֹכִי עִמָּךְ וּשְׁמַרְתִּיךָ בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר תֵּלֵךְ וַהֲשִׁבֹתִיךָ אֶל הָאֲדָמָה הַזֹּאת כִּי לֹא אֶעֱזָבְךָ"

²⁸ He did, nonetheless, worry about his wives, since they were not of his blood, and thus, perhaps not included in the promise "to watch over you".

²⁹ For further discussion of this read of the story see Wrestling With Angels and Men.

³⁰ Netziv, in contrast, suggests that this was a sign of submission. Furthermore, 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 so that they would absorb the brunt of the impact.

³¹ He suggests that once Yaakov was no longer worried about his family's personal safety, he could worry about his possessions. Yaakov did not want Esav's "evil eye" to fall on the cattle and harm them, and so he moved them to the back.

³² See R. Yosef Bekhor Shor who similarly states that Esav had two abodes and divided his time between Canaan and Seir.

³³ Netziv explains that he sent the messengers to Seir specifically because he thought that in Canaan, out of deference to his father, Esav would not act on his hatred even if he was still angry.  This would have left Yaakov in doubt whether he was still in danger or not; only by sending to Seir, could know where he stood.

³⁴ He reads the phrase "אֵם עַל בָּנִים" literally, as referring to the mothers as they stood atop their children guarding them.

³⁵ See above that he thought that Hashem' promise of protection included his sons, who were part of him, but not necessarily his wives.

³⁶ 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.

³⁷ 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 Chapter 32 suggests this approach.

³⁸ Yaakov might not have been worried about the safety of the first camp itself, assuming that Esav was looking to attack him personally.

³⁹ Rashbam finds a parallel to a nighttime escape over a river in David's flight from Avshalom (Shemuel II 17:22).

⁴⁰ This is the reason that he is hurt in the thigh. Rashbam compares Yaakov to Moshe, Bilam, and Yonah, who each tried to avoid fulfilling the mission assigned to them by Hashem, and were similarly punished. Each is put into a potentially fatal situation, and Bilam is also hurt in his leg.

⁴¹ Abarbanel further asserts that Yaakov wanted Esav to know that he was not coming as a poor brother in need of alms, but as an equal. He also raises the possibility that Yaakov sent word to appease his brother by showing him honor and letting him know that he did not benefit from the blessings, but rather had to work long, hard years by Lavan to earn his wealth. Thus his emphasis on "עִם לָבָן גַּרְתִּי וָאֵחַר עַד עָתָּה".

⁴² He also raises the possibility, like Akeidat Yitzchak above, that Hashem expected Yaakov to do more on his own before looking to Divine intervention.

⁴³ He could have easily explained, as does Rashbam above, that this was merely a ruse to deceive Esav.

⁴⁴ In this he follows Akeidat Yitzchak.