Joseph Shields His Mother and Angels Rout Esau's Men

"And he lifted his eyes and saw the women and the children" (Genesis 33:5). Since we find favor [chaninah] mentioned with eleven tribes but with the tribe of Benjamin we do not find it, where do we find it? Further on, "God be gracious to you [yochnecha], my son" (Genesis 43:29). "And the maidservants drew near, they and their children... and Leah also drew near with her children" (Genesis 33:6-7), but of Joseph it is written "and afterward Joseph drew near, and Rachel." Rather, Joseph said: this wicked man has a haughty eye; perhaps he will raise his eyes and gaze at my mother. So he grew tall in stature and covered her. This is what is said "a fruitful son is Joseph" (Genesis 49:22), you grew, Joseph; "a fruitful son over the eye" [alei ayin], it falls to me to cover over that eye. "And he said: what is all this company that I met?" (Genesis 33:8). All that night the ministering angels became companies upon companies, bands upon bands, and they would reach those of Esau and say to them: whose are you? They would say: of Esau's. They would say: strike them! And they struck them. They would say: we are of the son of Isaac. They would say: strike them. They would say: of the grandson of Abraham. They would say: strike them. They would say: of the brother of Jacob. They would say: leave them, for they are of our own. In the morning Esau said to him: "what is all this company?" He said to him: did they say anything to you? He said to him: I have been knocked about among them. "And he said: to find favor in the eyes of my lord" (Genesis 33:8).