A Gemara in Masechet Avodah Zara (דף כה עמוד ב) teaches a Halacha applicable to travelers. The Gemara states that if an idol worshiper should ask a Jew to where he is traveling, the Jew should name a destination that is further than the place he is actually going. The purpose for this Halacha is to enable the Jew to circumvent any sort of danger that may come about when sharing his destination with the idol worshiper. This Halacha is derived from a Passuq in this weeks Parasha.
Following Yaaqob’s and Esau’s initial encounter, Esau offered to walk with Yaaqob slowly along with his family and his cattle. Yaaqob’s response was the following, “Let my lord go ahead of his servant; I will make my way at my slow pace according to the gait of the work that is before me and to the gait of the children, until I come my lord at Seir” (33:14). Yaaqob told Esau that they will eventually meet Esau at Seir. However, a few Pessuqim later we learn that Yaaqob journeyed to Suqot, not Seir, nor did Yaaqob ever journey to Seir. Yaaqob knew of the danger that may befall him as a result of sharing his destination with Esau and therefore told Esau that he will journey to Seir when he actually was journeying to Suqot.
Although in his time of danger Yaaqob was allowed to deceive Esau, it still may be bothersome to accept that Yaaqob would be involved in this sort of trickery, after all, Yaaqob was Ish Emet, the man of truth. A Midrash in Beresheet Raba asks this question. “We never find that Yaaqob Avinu journeyed to Esau to Har Seir in his entire life, could it be that Yaaqob, the man of truth, was tricking Esau?” (Beresheet Raba 78:14). The Midrash answers beautifully. Although it is true that Yaaqob never Journeyed to Seir, in his discourse with Esau, when he said he will journey to Seir, Yaaqob was not referring to his current journey but instead he was referring to the future when the Mashiah would rise and conquer Har Seir. As the Passuq in Obadia says, “And saviors will arise upon mount Zion to mete out justice to mount Esau” (1:21).
Following Yaaqob’s and Esau’s initial encounter, Esau offered to walk with Yaaqob slowly along with his family and his cattle. Yaaqob’s response was the following, “Let my lord go ahead of his servant; I will make my way at my slow pace according to the gait of the work that is before me and to the gait of the children, until I come my lord at Seir” (33:14). Yaaqob told Esau that they will eventually meet Esau at Seir. However, a few Pessuqim later we learn that Yaaqob journeyed to Suqot, not Seir, nor did Yaaqob ever journey to Seir. Yaaqob knew of the danger that may befall him as a result of sharing his destination with Esau and therefore told Esau that he will journey to Seir when he actually was journeying to Suqot.
Although in his time of danger Yaaqob was allowed to deceive Esau, it still may be bothersome to accept that Yaaqob would be involved in this sort of trickery, after all, Yaaqob was Ish Emet, the man of truth. A Midrash in Beresheet Raba asks this question. “We never find that Yaaqob Avinu journeyed to Esau to Har Seir in his entire life, could it be that Yaaqob, the man of truth, was tricking Esau?” (Beresheet Raba 78:14). The Midrash answers beautifully. Although it is true that Yaaqob never Journeyed to Seir, in his discourse with Esau, when he said he will journey to Seir, Yaaqob was not referring to his current journey but instead he was referring to the future when the Mashiah would rise and conquer Har Seir. As the Passuq in Obadia says, “And saviors will arise upon mount Zion to mete out justice to mount Esau” (1:21).
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