“Jacob said: Please, no, if I have found favor in your eyes, receive my gift from me, for therefore, I have seen your face, as the sight of the face of angels [elohim], and you welcomed me” (Genesis 33:10). “Jacob said: Please, no, if I have found favor in your eyes, receive my gift from me, for therefore [I have seen your face], as the sight [kirot] of the face [penei] of elohim” – just as “the face of elohim” connotes judgment, so, “your face” connotes judgment.27Elohim in this context means judges.
Just as the face of elohim:28Elohim in this context means God. “They shall not appear before Me [yera’u fanai] empty-handed” (Exodus 23:15), so, you: They shall not appear before you empty-handed. “Please, take my gift that was brought to you as God has graced me, and because I have everything. He urged him, and he took it” (Genesis 33:11).
“Please, take my gift that was brought to you” – he said to him: ‘How much exertion did I exert until it came into my possession, but you, it came to you on its own.’ It is not written here, “that you brought,” but rather, “that was brought” – it came to you on its own. “He urged him, and he took it” – he appeared as though he was withdrawing, but his hand was outstretched. Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon said: “Those who grovel [mitrapes] for pieces [beratzei] of silver” (Psalms 68:31) – he opens his palm [matir et hapas] and is placated [umitratze] with silver.
Reish Lakish ascended to inquire after the well-being of Rabbeinu.29The grandson of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi. He said to him: ‘Pray for me, because this empire30The Roman empire. is very wicked.’ He [Reish Lakish] said to him: ‘Do not take anything from anyone, and you will not need to give anything.’ While he was sitting with him, a certain woman came and gave him a bowl with a knife in it.
He [Rabbeinu] stood and took the knife and returned the bowl to her. An imperial messenger came, saw it, coveted it, and took it. Before evening, Reish Lakish ascended to inquire after the well-being of Rabbeinu and saw that he was laughing. He said to him: ‘Why are you laughing?’
He [Rabbeinu] said to him: ‘That knife that you saw, a messenger from the empire came, saw it, coveted it, and took it.’ He [Reish Lakish] said to him: ‘Did I not say to you: Do not take anything from a person, and you will not need to give anything.’ A certain ignoramus said to Rabbi Hoshaya: ‘If I say to you a good saying, would you say it in public in my name?’ He said to him: ‘What is it?’
He said to him: ‘All those gifts that our patriarch Jacob gave to Esau, the nations of the world are destined to return to the messianic king in the future. What is the source? “The kings of Tarshish and of the islands will return tribute” (Psalms 72:10). It is not written here, “bring,” but rather, “return.”’ He said to him: ‘As you live, you said a good saying, and I will say it in your name.’