A Last Chance, and then a Parting of Ways (for Now)..
(based on the Pri Tzaddik and the Shaim Mishmuel)

We open this week's Parasha as Yaakov Avinu prepares for his anticipated meeting with Aisav:

"And Yaakov sent Malachim-messengers before him to Aisav his brother to the land of Seir, the
field of Edom.  And he commanded them saying, "Thus you shall say to my master to Aisav,
thus has said your servant Yaakov, 'with Lavan I have dwelled and I have stayed until now."

Yaakov Avinu was interested in placating and appeasing his brother, and therefore he humbled
himself exceedingly in the wording of his message and also in his behavior at the eventual
encounter.  But why did Yaakov call Aisav "my master" even when he referred to Aisav not in his
presence?

There is a Midrash that states that Yaakov's intention when he sent the delegation to Aisav, was
to give Aisav a chance to repent, to do teshuvah.  Aisav, born to Yitzchak and Rivkah, had the
din of Yisrael Mumar, a Jewish apostate.  A Yisrael Mumar is still considered Jewish no matter
how far he strays.  We are taught that all Jews, even resha'im gemurim, complete resha'im will
eventually do teshuvah. Yaakov thought that this applied to Aisav as well. (It did not.  It would
only start to apply to Yaakov Avinu's children.  Aisav could still and DID opt out of Am Yisrael.)

Yaakov Avinu recognized that Aisav had great potential.  Had he repented, Aisav certainly
could have attained the status of Rebbe to Yaakov.  When Yaakov referred to "my master to
Aisav", Yaakov was addressing Aisav accordingly.  Aisav had been raised in the house of
Yitzchak.  Aisav knew the entire Torah!!  He surpassed Yaakov in his intellectual capacity.
Aisav would spend the day in the field, running after all his crude desires, and still was able to
intuitively target and grasp the profound meaning of Halacha. Yaakov spent his days learning in
the Yeshivos of Shem and Ever in order to grasp the same depth of Torah from them.

Yitzchak Avinu, too, was keenly aware of Aisav's capabilities.
"And Yitzchak loved Aisav for the game-meat (tzayid) in his mouth."
The midrash says that Yitzchak  sensed the neshama of Rebbe Meir,  ger-tzeddek descendent of
Nero, the Roman Emperor, in Aisav.  Rebbe Meir, the greatest of his generation and main pillar
of Torah sheb'al Peh, the Oral Torah, inherited his fabulous mind from his great great-
grandfather Aisav.  The tzayid in Aisav's mouth was the Torah sheb'al Peh that would surface
many generations later in his descendant, Rebbe Meir..

What went wrong with Aisav?
How was it possible that this most talented, brilliant son of Yitzchak Avinu and Rivkah Imeinu,
should have fallen so low to become the epitome of evil, symbol of the devil himself??
*

"Amar HaKadosh Baruch Hu, haTorah kulah Shalom."
Said HaKadosh Baruch Hu, the entire Torah is Peace.

The fulfillment of Torah is synonymous with Shalom.  We must strive to learn, to observe and
fulfill the Torah in peace and harmony, first and foremost within ourselves.

How is this implemented?

We are taught that man's soul is comprised of intellectual and emotional powers.  His
emotional make-up is a result of the unique combination of the "arba yesodos", the four
elements; fire, air, water and earth, in his personality.

At first glance, it seems that these elements conflict with one another.
For example, when someone is in a rage (element of fire), chas veshalom, does he not feel like
a different person than when he is comfortably savoring his steak dinner (element of water)?

As we strive to live lives of Kedusha, we must seek to reconcile all the seemingly conflicting
facets of our souls.  This is only possible by firmly bonding the intellectual knowledge of
Hashem's Presence and Goodness to our emotions.
A Jew must be aware of Hashem's presence in the Bais Midrash as well as in his home, on the
street or wherever.  Whether he is dealing a cranky child, handling clients in the business, or
sitting the waiting room of  doctor, etc.,  in face of frustration and failure or satisfaction,
pleasure and success, a Jew must strive for inner unity and consistency.

This requires a person to be very honest with himself.  This is the hardest part.  For only when
he is ready to realize and recognize the emotional make-up of his personality, his weaknesses
and strengths, his habits and tendencies, can he work to firmly bond his knowledge of Hashem
to every crevice of his soul.

For example, let us examine someone who tends to be jealous of others.  Only  when this
person makes himself aware of this shortcoming, can he proceed to bond to himself the
knowledge that Hashem in His Loving-Kindness, provides him with all the conditions that are
presently right for him.  Only then is he capable of feeling love for his fellow-Jew, clean of
conflicting emotions.
 
So Aisav had a great head.  In the end, it was his head that was buried in Me'aras Hamachpela.
Nothing besides his head.  It rolled in, in the last minute.  Man, however, is not just a head.
The rest of Aisav is best described by the symbol that is carried by his descendants, in the
name of "the religion of love".  The four elements, disjointed and scattered, each goes off in its
own direction.  This filthy symbol also assumes the shape of a sword.  Yes, love (water) when it
is not defined and bridled by Torah, turns into murder (fire), as the "religion of love"  has
facilitated the murder of millions of our people throughout the ages.  Aisav and his followers
wreak havoc and destruction by the abuse of supreme intellegence not in harmony and not
integrated with the whole person..

The quest and achievement of inner peace, harmony and consistency is no quick job.  Aisav
offered Yaakov that they proceed together to Har Seir, and share Olam Hazeh, on his terms, at
his pace.

Yaakov's reply;
Your pace is too quick for me.
Yaakov eventually will inherit Olam Hazeh, when he succeeds in suffusing and merging the
earth (the emotions) with the Heaven (the intellect).  This is a painstakingly intricate and
delicate task,  requiring patience, perseverance and of course always Siyata diShmaya.

"Vehavienu l'shalom ma'arba kanfos ha'aretz,"
Bring us to peace from the four corners of the earth,

"Veyadata hayom vehashaivosa el levavecha ki Hashem Hu HaElokim bashamayim mima'al ve'al
ha'aretz mitachas ain od."
And you know today and you shall take to your heart that Hashem is the G-d in the heavens
above and on the earth below, there is nothing else...

Amen.
A gutten Shabbos from Yerushalayim Ir Hakodesh.