(2) Jacob went on his way, and messengers of God encountered him. (3) When he saw them, Jacob said, “This is God’s camp.” So he named that place Mahanaim [meaning, "two camps"]. (4) Jacob sent messengers [melachim] ahead to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom, (5) and instructed them as follows, “Thus shall you say, ‘To my lord Esau, thus says your servant Jacob: I stayed with Laban and remained until now; (6) I have acquired cattle, asses, sheep, and male and female slaves; and I send this message to my lord in the hope of gaining your favor.’” (7) The messengers [melachim] returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau; he himself is coming to meet you, and his retinue numbers four hundred.” (8) Jacob was greatly frightened; in his anxiety, he divided the people with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps,

וישלח יעקב מלאכים AND JACOB SENT MESSENGERS (Heb. מלאכים angels) — actually angels (Genesis Rabbah 75:4).

AND JACOB SENT. [MESSENGERS.] From among his servants. [i.e. humans]

Parshat Va'yishlach

In the midrash and in Rashi's commentary, "Jacob sent angels" is understood as being actual angels. We must therefore give a reason for this--why did he send actual real angels, and not messengers of flesh and blood? We can explain it according to the Midrash, taught on the verse, "for no man may look upon me and live" (Ex. 33:20), in two ways.

The first, that it is impossible to see the Shekhinah and to live, rather, you would die immediately upon seeing the Shekhinah. An example of this is found in a calf, which upon seeing its mother, runs after her--so too the Neshama, which sparks forth from the Shekhinah, upon seeing the Shekhinah, instantly flies from the body and chases after the Shekhinah. The second [explanation], is that the expression is a command, which means to say that, "for no man may look upon me and live," is explained that one should not consider themself to resemble the angels who see the face of the Shekhinah and live forever. These angels are not the same as the ministering angels who are higher beings [compared] to you. It should be said, that the difference of these two explanations is based on whether you would say the Tzadikim are greater than the ministering angels, or that the ministering angels are greater than the Tzadikim. If you say that the ministering angels are greater, then it is forbidden for a Tzadik to [even] glance upon the Shekhinah. But, if the Tzadik is greater, then it is permitted for them to glance upon the Shekhinah.

Therefore, the Midrash states two reasons for why Yitzchak's eyes grew dim: either because Yitzchak glanced upon the Shekhinah at the moment of his binding and blindness is equated with death, or it was for the purpose of allowing Ya'akov to come and take the blessings [in the place of Eisav]. If so, we could say that Ya'akov sent actual angels, because the sender is greater than the messenger. If so, Eisav saw by this [that Ya'akov could send angels], that a Tzadik is better than an angel. That being the case, it makes a difficulty with saying that Yitzchak our father's eyes grew dim [because he saw the Shekhinah], and we are compelled to say that it was for the second reason--in order for Ya'akov to take the blessings; with that being the case, [it's as if Ya'akov were saying], "you can't hate me for taking the blessings, you have to understand that they came to me through judgement."

It can also be said that this was Ya'akov's intention when he said, "to see your face is to see the face of G-d, and you have received me [favorably]." [Ya'akov] was hinting to [Eisav] that he had seen the Shekhinah, and that being the case, it is permitted for a Tzadik to glance.

And this [is the meaning], "our father Yitzchak's eyes grew dim, by necessity, in order that I might take the blessings, and discover that from a [divine] judgement the blessings had come to me. Because of this, I return to you, Eisav, my brother, that which is yours," and I am grateful for the strength of this argument as is written in the midrash.