God Or Money

Yaakov said וכי יש לי כל as opposed to Esav who said יש לי רב.  What is the difference between the two expressions?  The Or Hachaim (as elaborated on by the Sfas Emes) explains that kol means to recognize the Godliness that exists within everything.  Yaakov understood his wealth was not just a gathering of riches, rather it was a kli to be used for the service of Hashem.  Esav on the other hand, viewed all that he had a number, another trophy to add to his collection.  This is reflecteve of the difference in the berachos that they received as discussed here.  The Baal Haturim says the three statements in krias shma of בכל לבבך בכל נפשך ובכל מאודך correspond to the three Avos.  Yaakov corresponds to meodecha which means that he used his money for Hashem’s sake.  However, based upon this idea it is a deeper idea, that he recognized the Godliness in all his possessions.

On a simple evel this means that Yaakov was able to realize how everything can be used for the service of Hashem.  The Meshech Chochma explains how all the things that Yaakov sent are relevant to kedusha.  Regarding oxen, sheep and donkeys the first born is kodesh, and slaves are obligated in many of the mitzvot.  Yaakov was telling Esav that I’m able to use all my possessions for kedusha.  The Rebbe explains that the taryag mitzvos shamarti while being a gar in the house of Lavan means that he viewed the fulfilling of the mitzvot as permanent but the wealth he amassed (the Lavan of the world) as temporary for it doesn’t exist for its own sake but rather to serve Hashem.

 The midrash says that Yaakov was trying to encourage Esav to do teshuva.  Possibly Yaakov was trying to hint to Esav that you also have Godliness within you that you can bring out.  The verse (33:1) says “Yaakov raised his eyes and he saw that Esav was coming”.  Why doesn’t it just say in short that he saw Esav?  The Sifsai Tzaddik explains that Yaakov was trying to bring the kedusha out of Esav through gazing at him, as the midrash says that tzaddikim can raise things up with their eyes.  (It means that the eyes of the tzaddik have the power to bring to the front the kedusha that exists within.)  This did have a temporary effect, as demonstrated by Esav showing love to Yaakov at their meeting.  Rashi (33:9) says that Esav agreed to the sale of the bechorah after his meeting of Yaakov.  What inspired him to admit after this encounter?  The Bad Kodesh explains that once Esav realized that the properties of Yaakov weren’t plain gashmious but rather were ruchnious he had no interest in them.