Bnei Yisrael channel blessing to the world

בפסוק והיה כאשר תריד כו' פרש"י כשיתבטלו מן התורה ויהי' לך פ"פ כו'.

On the pasuk, "And it shall be, when you grieve (tarid) [you shall break his yoke from upon your neck]" (Bereishis 27:40), Rashi explains: when [Bnei Yisrael] will be idle from the Torah, and you [Esav] will have a grievance (pisachon peh) [to complain about the blessings Yaakov took].

Yitzchak's words to Esav contain a condition: Esav's "yoke" is broken — he gains license to complain and to throw off Yaakov's dominance — only when Bnei Yisrael become lax in Torah. The Sefas Emes will explain the deeper logic of this dependency.

הענין הוא עפ"י מ"ש רש"י ויתן לך האלקים אם תזכה כו'.

The matter is understood according to what Rashi wrote on "And may God give you [of the dew of the heavens]" (Bereishis 27:28) — "[He shall give and give again] if you are worthy."

Yaakov's blessing is conditional: "if you are worthy." The flow of blessing to Yaakov and his descendants depends on their merit and avodah; it is not unconditional.

אבל בעשו כתיב יהי' לך בכל גווני.

But regarding Esav it is written, "it shall be yours" — in all circumstances.

Esav's blessing, by contrast, carries no condition. He receives his portion of this world regardless of merit, "in all manners."

והיינו שניתן ההשפעה ביד בנ"י כמו שהי' בזמן המקדש שע"י עבודת בני ישראל המשיכו השפעה וקיום הטבע.

This means that the flow of shefa (Divine abundance) was placed in the hands of Bnei Yisrael, as it was in the time of the Bais Hamikdash, when through the avodah of Bnei Yisrael they drew down the shefa and the sustaining of nature.

The reason Yaakov's blessing is conditional is that the channel of blessing for the entire world was entrusted to Bnei Yisrael. In the era of the Bais Hamikdash, the avodah of Bnei Yisrael literally drew down the abundance that sustained all of creation.

ובאמת כאשר בנ"י עומדין בצדקתם ממילא גם התמצית שכל העולם טז) ניזונים על ידיהם הוא להם ביותר מכפי דרך הטבע.

And in truth, when Bnei Yisrael stand firm in their righteousness, then automatically even the "extract" (tamtzis) — for the whole world is sustained through them — is theirs in greater measure, beyond the way of nature.

When Bnei Yisrael are righteous, the abundance flowing through them is so great that even the residue or overflow ("tamtzis") suffices to sustain the entire world. And Bnei Yisrael themselves receive supernatural blessing, above the natural order.

ואין להם להתרעם כלל.

And [the nations] have no cause to complain at all.

As long as Bnei Yisrael serve Hashem properly and the world is sustained through them, the nations — Esav among them — have nothing to protest, for they too are being amply provided for.

אכן כאשר בנ"י לא עמדו במדריגה הראוי' וכ' ועצר את השמים כו'. אז יש להרשעים להתרעם.

However, when Bnei Yisrael do not maintain the proper madreigah, and it is written, "and He will shut up the heavens [so there will be no rain]" (Devarim 11:17) — then the resha'im have cause to complain.

When Bnei Yisrael fail in their avodah, the channel of blessing is blocked and "the heavens are shut." Now the wicked have a grievance — for the abundance that was meant to reach them through Bnei Yisrael no longer flows.

כי להם מגיע עוה"ז גם בלי הקדמת עבודה לה'. ולכן כתיב אח"כ ואבדתם מהרה פרש"י ע"י האומות.

For to them this world is due even without the prerequisite of avodah to Hashem; therefore it is written afterward, "and you will quickly perish" (Devarim 11:17) — Rashi: through the nations.

Esav and the nations feel entitled to this-worldly abundance with no spiritual prerequisite. So when Bnei Yisrael fail and the flow is cut off, the nations rise up against them — "you will quickly perish through the nations" — angry that their unconditional portion has been disrupted.

וז"ש כאשר תריד שיהי' לך מחסור ע"י נתינת השפע ת"י בנ"י.

And this is the meaning of "when you grieve (tarid)" — that you [Esav] will feel a lack, because the giving of the shefa is by the hands of Bnei Yisrael.

The Sefas Emes now reinterprets Esav's "grievance": it is rooted in a sense of "lack." Because all abundance is channeled specifically through Bnei Yisrael, Esav resents being dependent on them, and that resentment surfaces when Bnei Yisrael falter.

ופרקת עולו כי בנ"י נכנסו לתקן כל העולם. ולמשוך שפע ע"י עבודתם לכל האומות.

"And you shall break off his yoke" — because Bnei Yisrael entered [the world] to rectify the entire world, and to draw down shefa through their avodah to all the nations.

The "yoke" of Yaakov upon Esav is precisely this role: Bnei Yisrael were given the mission to repair the whole world and to channel blessing, through their service, to all the nations. Esav chafes against being subordinate to that arrangement.

וז"ש אם ערבת לרעך. שבנ"י נעשו ערבין לברר שבכח התורה ועבודתם במקדש יתברכו כל הברואים.

And this is the meaning of "if you have given surety for your fellow (im aravta l'rei'acha)" (Mishlei 6:1) — that Bnei Yisrael became guarantors (areivim) to demonstrate that through the power of the Torah and their avodah in the Bais Hamikdash all created beings are blessed.

Bnei Yisrael took on the role of "guarantors" for the whole world: they pledged to show that the Torah and the avodah of the Bais Hamikdash are the source of blessing for all creatures. Their service is, in effect, a surety on behalf of all mankind.

וז"ש במד' שנק' השולמית שעשו שלום בין עליונים לתחתונים ע"ש:

And this is what the Midrash means when it calls [Bnei Yisrael] "the Shulamite" — that they made peace (shalom) between the upper worlds and the lower worlds. See there.

The name "Shulamite" (from Shir HaShirim) shares a root with "shalom." Bnei Yisrael are so called because their avodah makes peace between Heaven and earth, drawing the supernal shefa down into the lower world and uniting the two realms.

Summary: Yaakov's blessing is conditional ("if you are worthy") while Esav's is unconditional, because the channel of all blessing for the world was entrusted to Bnei Yisrael. When Bnei Yisrael are righteous, abundance overflows through them to sustain even the nations, and Esav has no grievance; but when they falter, the heavens are shut, and Esav — who feels entitled to this world without avodah — rises against them and "breaks off the yoke." Bnei Yisrael are guarantors for all creation, demonstrating that the Torah and the avodah of the Bais Hamikdash are the source of blessing for every creature, making peace between the upper and lower worlds.