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Rabbi Chaim Walkin

Sefer Da’at Chaim

33rd ma’amar

Sefer Da’at Chayim

33rd ma’amar

The inner spark driving a person’s actions.

The Midrash Rabbah on perashat VaYeshev (84:2) relates the following
(in commentary on Mishle 28) “The Rasha will run away even though
no one is pursuing him, while the Tzadikim are as confident as young
lions” - Evil runs away without anyone in pursuit, as it is written (in
Chumash Beresheet 36:6) “He (Eisav) went to his land.” Rebbe
Elazar said he went because of an outstanding “contractual debt,”
namely, the Heavenly decree that “your descendants will be strangers
in a foreign land” which was an obligation placed on the descendants
of Yitzchak as a binding condition on them before they would inherit
Eretz Yisrael. Eisav said – I will leave this place, I do not want any
part of this gift of the Land that was offered to him, and I do not want
any part of repaying the outstanding “contractual debt,” as per Rashi in
that cited Chumash, seventh pasuk. Rebbe Yehoshua Ben Levi says
it was because of Eisav’s shame since he sold his first-born right for
a mere bowl of lentil soup - Rashi, in that citation. And Tzadikim are
as confident as young lions; and Yaakov dwelled… (Beresheet 37:1).
It is clear from the words of the Midrash commenting on the pasuk
“They \ Reshaim run away although no one is pursuing them” that this
is a reference to Eisav, that it was as if he was escaping away from
Yaakov.43 This requires more study, as in the Torah it says (in Beresheet

43. Please see Rashi’s commentary there in the seventh pasuk, citing the Midrash
Aggadah, and so too see the Midrash Beresheet Rabbah 82:14 that cites this same
explanation.

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