We know from the Torah that Jacob took precautions, dividing his family and possessions. But Ginzberg, in Legends of the Jews, paints a more vivid picture of Jacob’s strategic, almost desperate, preparations. Even though Jacob had steeled himself for the worst, even open conflict, the sight of Esau and his men prompted a further division. He separated the households of Leah, Rachel, and the handmaids, and carefully arranged the children among them.
He placed the handmaids and their children in the lead, followed by Leah and her children, with Rachel and Joseph bringing up the rear. It sounds a little…calculated, doesn't it? Like a chess move. And according to the Legends, that's precisely what it was.
The text compares Jacob’s strategy to a fable about a fox and a lion. There once was a time when the king of beasts was furious with his subjects, and the animals were desperate to find someone who could appease him. The fox stepped forward, boasting, "I know three hundred fables that will quell his rage!" Overjoyed, the animals accepted his offer.
But on the way to see the lion, the fox stopped short. "I've forgotten one hundred of the three hundred fables," he confessed. "Never mind," the others replied, "two hundred will still do the trick!" A little further on, the fox stopped again. He'd now forgotten half of the remaining two hundred. The animals, still hopeful, reassured him that one hundred fables would be enough.
Then, a third time, the fox halted. This time, he admitted that his memory had failed him completely. He'd forgotten every single fable. His advice? Each animal should approach the king on their own and try to appease his anger as best they could.
The parallel is clear, isn't it? Initially, Jacob felt confident enough to face Esau on behalf of everyone. But then, overwhelmed by the impending confrontation, he decided to let each member of his family fend for themselves. He seemed to lose faith in his ability to protect them all, hoping individual appeals might soften Esau's potential wrath.
It's a very human moment, isn't it? A moment of fear, of doubt. It makes you wonder: When faced with daunting challenges, do we sometimes rely on clever strategies only to realize that, ultimately, each of us must find our own way to face the "lion"? And is that necessarily a bad thing?