Yaakov is tense. Twenty years after, under the instructions of his parents, he fled from the rage of Esav who schemed to kill him, he returns to Eretz Israel where Esav dwelled. How does Yaakov prepare himself for this encounter?
 

The first answer which comes to mind is: "with a gift, with prayer and for war." But the accuracy of this answer is very partial, since this is not what Yaakov originally planned for. Yaakov sends a message to Esav, and only after his messengers return and alert him that Esav is coming with four hundred men, Yaakov resorts to these three preparations.
 

Let us look at the preparation Yaakov originally planned, in the form of the message he sent to Esav with his messengers: "Thus says your servant Yaakov: with Lavan I resided, and I was delayed until now. And I acquired cattle and donkeys, flocks and servants and maidservants, and I am sending word to (you) my master to find grace in your eyes."
 

And we must ask: what is the meaning of this message? Why would Esav be impressed by hearing that Yaakov was delayed until now in Lavan's house and had acquired possessions? Why were these things supposed to appease Esav, and why did Yaakov think that by means of this message he would "find grace" in Esav's eyes?
 

Let us look at Rashi's interpretation of this verse:

"I resided" (garti) – I did not attain an important status, such as a minister, but remained a foreigner (ger). Therefore you have no reason to hate me on account of our father's blessing "be a master to your brother" as this did not materialize regarding me. Another thing: the gematria of גרתי (garti – I resided) is תרי"ג (613 – the number of Mitzvot in the Torah) – meaning: I resided with the wicked Lavan and I observed the 613 Mitzvot and I did not learn from his evil deeds. "And I acquired cattle and donkeys" – father said to me "From the dew of the Heavens and from the fat of the land" – this is not from the Heavens or from the land.

We can understand how Yaakov's declaration that "the blessings did not materialize regarding me" was supposed to mollify Esav. But we must make an effort to understand the meaning of the statement "I resided with Lavan and I observed 613 Mitzvot" – why does Yaakov think this will alleviate Esav's jealousy? An additional difficulty is that this drash seems very far from the simple meaning of the Torah.
 

Indeed, the Kli Yakar challenges Rashi's approach for additional reasons:
 

"And these two explanations contradict each other: If Yaakov said to Esav 'I did not become a minister' then he is coming before him submissively. But if he said to him 'I observed 613 Mitzvot' then to the contrary, it sounds like the message he is sending is that he is not afraid of him, as he observed 613 Mitzvot, and this is incompatible with what Itzchak promised Esav: 'and it shall be that when you will grieve, you will break his yoke' (when Israel will transgress the Torah). Additionally, why did Yaakov call him 'master' and himself 'servant' and act submissively toward him? And it is surprising that the Torah would imply the 613 Mitzvot with the expression garti (I dwelled)."
 

To reconcile these questions, the Kli Yakar offers an innovative explanation:

And therefore my heart says that both of these explanations are part of one truth, and not as Rashi said "another thing" meaning that each explanation can stand separately. And this is the explanation of the message Yaakov sent to him: I dwelled with Lavan and did not become an important minister, but a foreigner, to say that the blessings were not realized with regard to him – Yaakov did not intend to contradict his father and imply that his blessings were unattainable, G-d forbid. But rather, he said: when my father blessed me, he thought I was Esav, and this is what he intended when he blessed me, and the deception which I committed brought me no benefit, since "one will not roast (enjoy) the prey of deceit" (Mishlei 12:27) which he fed to his father for the purpose of obtaining the blessings. And one man cannot touch that which has been prepared for his fellow man, and all the blessings are directed according to my father's intention, and he intended that they will be bestowed upon Esav's head, and thus it will be. And the proof of this is that I am a stranger in the land not a minister or personage of importance.

And were you to say that ultimately I will merit that the blessings will come to pass, and that the reason I did not become a minister or an important man is because I did not observe the Torah, since the blessings were given on condition that I will keep the 613 Mitzvot, as was said "and it shall be that when you will grieve, you will break his yoke" – for this reason he said garti, meaning I abided by the 613 Mitzvot, and nevertheless I was not made a minister or an important man. But certainly no benefit will come from my deeds, as a deceiver does not gain through his deceit, and the blessings will devolve upon he whom Itzchak intended when he said them. Therefore he says garti, which encompasses both meanings – gerut (transience), and תרי"ג (613) – saying that even though I kept 613 Mitzvot, I was a stranger in the land, since, if this was not so, why did he say garti (I resided)? He should have said avadti (I worked) since he really was like a slave to Lavan and this would point out most strongly the opposite of the blessing "be a master to your brother." But he said garti so that we will understand from this the letters of תרי"ג. And did I not fear my colleagues, I would delete the words "another thing" from Rashi's commentary, as both of these explanations really depend on each other.

However, we can add that besides the simple dimension of pacification, Yaakov's words contain an additional message for Esav. Yaakov is concerned that Esav will claim against him that he has no more part and inheritance in their father's house, since he deserted Itzchak's camp and his country and went to live twenty years in a foreign land, in the house of Lavan the Armenian. From now, claims Esav, you have no more right to inherit the blessing of Avraham and Itzchak. Only I, who remained, clung to our father's house, and therefore only I am entitled to continue in his path.
 

In response, Yaakov says to Esav: I never severed the connection. During all the years I dwelled with Lavan, I was connected with Eretz Israel and our father's house. With Lavan garti – I was only like a ger, a foreigner who resided there temporarily, even though I did not isolate myself, but to the contrary I engaged in worldly affairs and accumulated possessions. And there is no greater evidence of my connection with the Land and our father's house than: I kept 613 Mitzvot. There is no possibility of living in Lavan's house for twenty years and continuing to observe the Mitzvot unless one's heart is still deeply anchored and connected to its roots in the Land of Life.
 

We can add an additional point, by prefacing with a question: why did Esav think he was entitled to and worthy of succeeding Itzchak? Didn't he see the great disparity between his conduct and Yaakov's?
 

Esav claims: it is no great feat to be ish tam (a guileless man) and a tzaddik as long as you are "sitting in tents." The mission of Am HaShem is to be active within life itself. According to Esav, Yaakov is ish tam only because he sits in tents, but if he would go out and engage in worldly affairs like Esav, then he would look no different from him.  

Yaakov parries this claim and says: here is the tangible proof: I lived with Lavan year in and year out, I engaged in worldly pursuits and accumulated sheep and possessions, and nevertheless I was only a foreigner in his land and in relation to his way of life. I did not learn from his evil deeds, but remained as I was: "I observed 613 commandments."
 

In this spirit we can explain an additional, amazing Midrash which interprets Yaakov's words (Bereshis Rabbah, Vayishlach parsha 75):
 

Regarding Yaakov's enumeration of his acquisitions: שור (bull) is Yosef, as it is written "A first born bull, glory is his" (Devarim 33:17). חמור is Issachar as it says: "Issachar is a heavy-boned donkey" (Bereshis 39:14). צאן (flocks) is Israel, as it says (Yechezkel 34): "And you are My flock, the flock of My pasture, you are man." ועבד (and servant): this is David, as it says (Tehillim 116:16) "I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant." ושפחה (and maidservant), this is Avigail who said (1 Shmuel 25:41) "behold, your maidservant is a slave."
 

Clearly, the outstanding characteristic of these five is that they were not influenced by their negative environment. Even when their surroundings broadcasted and drew toward evil, they did not lose their spiritual and moral backbone, and they stuck to their positive ways. Such was the case with Yosef in Egypt, such was David who was among the Philistines for a long period (after "they banished me from cleaving to Hashem's inheritance" and perhaps, later on as well, as king among the kings of the nations – "And I will speak of Your testimonies before kings and I will not be ashamed." Such is Israel among the nations, such is Avigail in the house of Naval, and such is Issachar – "He saw a place for resting, that it was was good, and the land, that it was pleasant – and he lowered his shoulder to carry and he became an indentured worker." Yaakov acquired a great ability and imbued it in his progeny – the ability to retain their spiritual values and principles, and not to succumb to their negative environment.
 

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