VBM War and Morality: Yisrael in the Land By Rav Yoel Bin-Nun
Did Yaakov also prepare for war?
According to Chazal, in anticipation of his encounter with Esav, Yaakov prepared himself in three different ways:
With prayer, and with gifts, and with war. (Kohelet Rabba 9:1)
In contrast to Rashi, who maintains that Yaakov actually prepared himself to fight, both Ramban and Rashbam explain that “with war” means that Yaakov planned to flee in order to save himself. Ramban writes:
This episode is recorded in order to tell us that the Holy One, blessed be He, saved His servant and delivered him from the hand of one who was stronger than him; He sent an angel who saved him. It also teaches us that [Yaakov] did not rely on his righteousness, and made efforts to save himself as far as he was able to. There is also another lesson for future generations that is alluded to here: that all that happened to [Yaakov] our patriarch with Esav, his brother, will happen to us continually with Esav’s descendants, and it is proper that we follow the example of this righteous man and prepare ourselves in the three areas in which he prepared himself – prayer, gifts, and deliverance in war, to flee and be saved. And Chazal noted this allusion in the text, as I shall explain. (Ramban, Bereishit 32:4).
Did Yaakov also prepare for war?
According to Chazal, in anticipation of his encounter with Esav, Yaakov prepared himself in three different ways:
With prayer, and with gifts, and with war. (Kohelet Rabba 9:1)
In contrast to Rashi, who maintains that Yaakov actually prepared himself to fight, both Ramban and Rashbam explain that “with war” means that Yaakov planned to flee in order to save himself. Ramban writes:
This episode is recorded in order to tell us that the Holy One, blessed be He, saved His servant and delivered him from the hand of one who was stronger than him; He sent an angel who saved him. It also teaches us that [Yaakov] did not rely on his righteousness, and made efforts to save himself as far as he was able to. There is also another lesson for future generations that is alluded to here: that all that happened to [Yaakov] our patriarch with Esav, his brother, will happen to us continually with Esav’s descendants, and it is proper that we follow the example of this righteous man and prepare ourselves in the three areas in which he prepared himself – prayer, gifts, and deliverance in war, to flee and be saved. And Chazal noted this allusion in the text, as I shall explain. (Ramban, Bereishit 32:4).
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