As Yaakov returns home, he faces questions of faith

Yaakov is on his return journey, homeward bound for the first time in either 22 or 36 years. His mother is dead (though he does not yet know that), and he is unsure of his status with his brother. Has he been forgiven?

He sends one group of messengers to Eisav with a warm greeting, “I’ve been away for awhile. I have made a decent living. I’m coming home — I hope I’ve found favor in your eyes.”

The response is that Eisav is approaching with 400 men.

Not knowing his intent, Yaakov sends an appeasement gift to Eisav that includes “200 she-goats, 20 he-goats, 200 female sheep and 20 rams” (32:15).

There were other animals as well, such as the 30 nursing camels that were either accompanied by their children (one each) or by their male counterparts (many commentaries address the strange terminology in the verse), as well as 40 cows to 10 bulls, 20 she-donkeys and 10 he-donkeys.

The verse about the she-goats etc. is unique, according to Rabbi Meir of Rothenberg (Maharam), because it is one of only two verses in the entire Torah in which all of the words end with a Final Mem.

The other verse is in Parshat Pinchas, Bamidbar 29:33, which describes a portion of the sacrifices of the seventh day of Sukkot.

Maharam explains the parallel between these two unique verses.

G-d had promised Yaakov not to fear Eisav nor any other human being. By sending this gift to Eisav, he is demonstrating a lack of faith in G-d to the tune of 550 animals. This waste of animals is going to be the source for a payment Yaakov’s descendants will have to make yearly to demonstrate their own faith in G-d.

The verse in Bamidbar is right before the obligations of Shmini Atzeret, so the korbanot (sacrifices) of Shmini Atzeret do not count in the “payment.”

How are there 550 korbanot? Two for every Shabbos (52) is 104 animals. Eleven for every Rosh Chodesh (12) is 132 animals. The animals for all of the holidays not including Shmini Atzeret account for the remaining 314 of the 550.

There is another approach to counting the animals.

There are two animal sacrifices every day of the year (which they count as 360 days based on 12 months of 30 days each) equaling 720 animals. The korbanot of Rosh Chodesh and the holidays add up to 440. All together there are 1160 communal sacrifices.