<b>I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed until now. and I have oxen, and asses and flocks, and manservants and maid-servants (Gen. 32:5–6).</b> He was telling Esau: “Though I have lived with Laban, the arch-deceiver, for twenty years, I have acquired oxen, asses, and great riches.” He disclosed this fact to Esau in the hope that when he reflected upon it, he would say to himself: “Jacob went there with nothing more than a staff, and though he worked for Laban, the arch-deceiver, for twenty years, he has become a wealthy man and has returned in peace; how can I possibly contend against him?”
<i>And I have oxen</i>. This implies that I have no need to fear you (he was thinking to himself), for now Joseph is born, who is called an ox, as is said: <i>His firstling ox, majesty is his</i> (Deut. 33:17). <i>Asses</i>. The word <i>ass</i> alludes to the Messiah the son of David, as it is said: <i>Lowly and riding upon an ass</i> (Zech. 9:9). <i>Flocks</i> refers to the merit of the tribes, whose descendants will be called <i>flock</i>, as is said: <i>And ye My sheep, the flock of My pasture</i> (Ezek. 34:31).
Similarly, Judah will also be Esau’s adversary, as it is stated: <i>And the lion shall eat straw like the ox</i> (Isa. 11:7). <i>Lion</i> refers to Judah, as is said: <i>Judah is a lion’s whelp</i> (Gen. 49:9), and <i>like the ox</i> alludes to Joseph. <i>Will eat straw</i> informs us that Joseph will judge Esau, who is referred to as straw, and his descendants will be like straw, as it is said: <i>And the house of Esau is like straw</i> (Obad. 18).<sup class="footnote-marker">1</sup><i class="footnote">The two tribes, identified as animals, will consume the straw representing Esau.</i> Whence do we know that all the others will likewise judge Esau? From the verse <i>How was thy mother a lioness; among lions she couched</i> (Ezek. 19:2). We learn (from this verse) that all Israel will judge Esau.
<i>Male-servants</i> refers to Moses, as is said: <i>Moses was a servant of the Lord</i> (Deut. 34:5). <i>Maid-servants</i> alludes to Ruth, from whom David descended, and concerning whom it is written: <i>I am thy servant, the servant of thy maid-servant</i> (Ps. 116:16). He was the descendant of the woman who forsook being an important lady and a queen in order to find shelter beneath the wings of the Shekhinah.<sup class="footnote-marker">2</sup><i class="footnote">Tradition tells us that Ruth was the daughter of Eglon, the king of Moab. She would have become a queen if she had not left her native land for the land of Israel.</i>