[Avodah] Notes on Parshas Vayishlach (SBA)

[yonah sears]

SBA wrote:
*32:8/9 - 'Vayachatz es ha'am'...'vehoyo hamachneh hanishor lifleita'.
Yaakov split up his camp into 2 (and according to the Midrash - a day's
travel apart from each other).

Presumably Yaakov's main concern here in doing this 'yachatz' wasn't to save
his cattle or his servants - but rather his wives and children.

But what do we see further on 33:1/2 ?
"Vayachatz es hayeladim" (BTW, there's that word again), but he had all the
wives and children together welcoming Esav !

So what then was the purpose of the 'shney machnos'?*
*====*

I just saw your question, but always assumed that the need for two camps was
no longer applicable after Yaakov defeated the malach, so Yaakov recombined
them before eventually reaching Eisav...
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