That’s kind of the vibe I get from the encounter between Jacob and Esau after their long separation, as described in Bereshit Rabbah 78. The verse in question is Genesis 33:14, where Jacob says, "Please, let my lord pass before his servant, and I will advance slowly, according to the pace of the property that is before me and according to the pace of the children, until I will come to my lord, to Seir."
Now, on the surface, it sounds like Jacob’s being respectful. He’s acknowledging Esau’s status and promising to meet him later in Seir. But the Rabbis of the Midrash, those brilliant interpreters of our tradition, they weren't so sure. They saw something more, something hidden, in Jacob’s carefully chosen words.
The text in Bereshit Rabbah dives right in. Esau, in this reading, is essentially saying, "Hey, let's be partners! Let's share the world!" A tempting offer, no? But Jacob deflects: “Please, let my lord pass before his servant." He's not interested in Esau's version of partnership.
Then Esau asks, a bit more menacingly, "Don’t you fear my ministers, my governors, and my officers?" He's flexing his power, reminding Jacob of the potential danger. But Jacob, ever the strategist, responds with that carefully worded promise: "I will advance slowly [le’iti]."
Here's where it gets interesting. The Midrash offers two interpretations of le’iti. One is straightforward: "I will walk slowly in accordance with my possessions." Like the slow, steady flow of water, as we find in Isaiah 8:6, which describes "The water of the Shiloaḥ that flows slowly [le’at]."
But the second interpretation is far more intriguing. Le’iti, the Rabbis suggest, could also mean "I will go with a covered face," like someone in disguise. They draw a parallel to I Samuel 21:10, "Behold, it is wrapped [luta] in the cloth." Is Jacob hinting at deception? Is he subtly telling Esau that he won’t be who Esau expects him to be?
And then there’s that final phrase: "Until I will come to my lord, to Seir." Rabbi Abbahu raises a critical question: “We reviewed the entire Bible and did not find that Jacob ever went to Esau at Mount Seir.” This is a huge problem! Is Jacob, the man known for his truthfulness, actually lying? Is Jacob, undefined, deceiving his brother?
The Rabbis recoil from this idea. It's unthinkable. So, they offer a powerful resolution: Jacob's promise to meet Esau in Seir isn't meant for this world. It's a promise for the future, for the Messianic Age. As it says in Obadiah 1:21, "Saviors will ascend Mount Zion to judge the mountain of Esau." Jacob will meet Esau, but only in the End of Days when justice will finally be served.
So, what does this all mean? It means that sometimes, the most straightforward words can conceal layers of meaning. It means that our ancestors understood the complexities of human relationships, the delicate dance between diplomacy and truth. And it means that even a figure as righteous as Jacob could find himself in a situation where he had to choose his words with extreme care.
Perhaps the biggest question this all raises is: How do we navigate those tricky situations in our own lives? How do we balance honesty with the need to protect ourselves and our loved ones? It's a question that continues to resonate, thousands of years after Jacob's encounter with Esau.