375. Jacob Sent
December 1979
“Jacob sent.” RASHI interprets, “real angels.”
We should interpret the meaning of “real angels” that Jacob sent to Esau. According to what is interpreted, Jacob is the quality of a person engaged in Torah and Mitzvot [commandments], and Esau is the evil inclination. How can it be said that he sent angels to the actual evil inclination?
We should understand this according to what Baal HaSulam said about why it is written about Laban, “And Laban answered and said to Jacob, ‘The girls are my daughters, the boys are my sons, the flock is my flock, and all that you see is for me.’” Concerning Esau, the opposite is written, “And Esau said, ‘I have much, my brother, let what is yours be yours.’” Jacob asked him, “Do take my blessing, which I have brought you… and he entreated him and he took.”
Baal HaSulam explained that “Laban” means before the act, when the evil inclination claims that everything a person does is not for the sake of the Creator, so what value is there in his desire to engage in Torah and Mitzvot [commandments]? But a person must overcome and nonetheless do good deeds.
Once the act has been done, “Esau,” who is called the evil inclination, claims that everything that the person did is for the sake of the Creator and wants to instill in him the quality of greatness so he will settle for his work.
With this we can interpret the words, “real angels.” This is why it is called “evil inclination,” for it argues that if he wants to engage in Torah and Mitzvot, he must first of all be completely white, without any stains or dirt, meaning that everything will be for the sake of the Creator. If he cannot aim for the sake of the Creator, it is not worthwhile to exert in vain.
Therefore, what will he gain by praying for another half an hour or learning for another half an hour? In any case, his work is worthless, so every bit of effort that he makes in Torah and work is a waste. By this, the evil inclination has the power to divert him from Torah and Mitzvot.
At that time, a person must overcome it through “And his heart was high in the ways of the Lord,” and say “I believe above reason that I am doing everything for the sake of the Creator, and even the Lo Lishma [not for Her sake] that I do is a great thing because from Lo Lishma we come to Lishma [for Her sake]. Thus, by working Lo Lishma, I am still doing a Mitzva [commandment] and observing the words of the sages, who said, ‘One should always engage in Torah and Mitzvot Lo Lishma, since from Lo Lishma we come to Lishma,’ for the light in it reforms him.”
But once he has done all that he could do, meaning the order of his times in Torah and Mitzvot, he must see the truth and criticize his work. Then, a person must say the opposite of what he said to the evil inclination. He should send messengers to the evil inclination, meaning tell the evil inclination that in his work, a person should be just like angels, meaning a Kli [vessel] for the sake of the Creator.
But since his work is not clean and compete, he says to the evil inclination that all his work was for him, for the evil inclination, and not for the sake of the Creator. This is regarded as a person sending all his work to the evil inclination.
At that time, the evil inclination says, “I have much, among other people who work for me. But you, my brother, let what is yours be yours, for it was all for the sake of your soul, and you do not need to be more complete in your work. Rather, continue with the same intention you have had thus far, until after great efforts “he entreated him and he took.”
At that time, the evil inclination will agree to accept the work for itself. That is, he is convinced, and the evil inclination will not be able to send him thoughts that he is fine. Rather, he remains with the truth that they must be real angels, meaning completely for the sake of the Creator. And then his work begins anew in order to walk on the path of truth.