Nachal novea; makor chochma -
A flowing river; the source of wisdom (Mish. 18:4)

The forefathers reached the level where they became bound to Hashem, as it is said, "The G-d of Avraham, the G-d Yitzchak, and the G-d of Yaakov".  Through the forefathers becoming bound to Hashem they were given many of the same powers that Hashem has.  Therefore, they were able to command the angels to do their bidding.  This is why Rashi Hakadosh says that Yaakov sent actual angels. In the next verse Rashi Hakadosh says, “Though I [Yaakov) have lived with Lavan the wicked, I have observed the 613 commandments, and I haven’t learned from his ways".  Rashi is saying that Yaakov hinted to Esav how he, Yaakov, came to the level where he was able to send actual angels as messengers.  That Yaakov kept the entire Torah, while living with the representative of the Satan in this world, Lavan.  In this way Yaakov was able to purify himself and break any hold that evil had on him.  There is a spiritual rule, that evil can only be broken at its source.  Therefore, Yaakov keeping the Torah in the most difficult circumstances, living with a physical Satan, Lavan, was able to totally rid himself of any evil pollution caused by Adam’s sin, and he broke evil at its source.  Doing this allowed Yaakov to be totally attached to Hashem and therefore he merited the privilege to use the powers of Hashem to rule the angels.  This type of tikkun, where a person breaks the hold evil has upon him at its source is what Rabbi Nachman was referring to when he said that a man should come to rule over the angels.  One must try to emulate Yaakov and keep the Torah in the difficult circumstances of this world, so in the future he will merit to rule the angels. (Lekutai Halachot: Choshen Mishpat: Hilchot Seluchim 2:7)
 

Through Yaakov living with Lavan he was able to keep and understand the entire Torah.  Rashi comments that the deeper meaning of this verse is, “I lived with Lavan and was able to guard the entire Torah (physically, and guard it in my mind intellectually]”.  Yaakov was able to guard and defend the Torah intellectually, to be left with no doubts concerning belief in the Torah and its laws, through his continuous debates about the Torah with Lavan.  It was through Yaakov's guarding and defending the 613 mitzvoth against Lavan's intellectual attacks which enhanced and allowed Yaakov to better understand and keep the Torah.  This continuous debate between Yaakov and Lavan produced new Torah books, which enhanced the better understanding of the Torah, as mentioned by Rabbi Nachman above. (Lekutai Halachot: Orach Chayim: Hilchot Rosh Chodesh 7:46)
 

All people in this world innately desire to acquire money.  Not only do people love money, but they love other people who have lots of money, as the following verse tells us, "Even to his fellow [pauper] is the poor man hateful; but the friends of the rich are many" (Mishlay 14:20).  Why is the spiritual source for people liking the rich?  It is that the rich man's soul comes from a very lofty spiritual place, the same place as where money comes from.  Money is a very holy item, which takes the form of physical money when the spiritual light of money reaches this world.  Therefore, people desire money, for money comes from the same lofty place as one's soul.

A person shouldn't desire the physical money itself, but love the lofty place where money comes from.  Therefore, the Talmud says, "Rebbi [Yehuda HaNasi] respected the rich" (Eruvin).  He respected he lofty spiritual place of where their money came from.  Since every Jew is so holy, and each Jew comes from the same lofty place as where money comes from, it stands to reason that every Jew should be rich.  Why is this not the case?  The one thing that prevents wealth from reaching a Jew is anger.  When a person is due to get a lot of money, sent to him from heaven, the Satan incites this person to anger and he then loses his wealth.  Anger and wealth come from the same spiritual source, gevurah, harshness.  When someone is supposed to receive wealth, which is spiritual gevurah, he is then connected to the spiritual pipe of gevurah.  Gevurah has many facets and ways of physically manifesting itself in this world in the form of money, anger, or in a multitude of other forms.  If that person gets angry, the pipe of gevurah, which he is at present connected to, draws the gevurah from the pipe to this world in the form of anger.  Thus he has chosen to have the spiritual gevurah manifest itself as anger instead of wealth.

The Torah talks about the laws of payment for the day worker, as it says, "In the same day you shall give him [the day worker] his wages... for he is poor, and his soul longs for it [money)" (Devarim 24:15).  Another verse says, "At the peril of our souls must we bring home our bread" (Eicha 5:9). From these two verses we see that one's soul desires money, since the soul is connected to money.

Anger damages the soul, as the following verse illustrates, "He tears his soul to pieces in his anger" (Iyov 18:14) (Zohar Tizaveh).  By damaging one's soul, one also damages his spiritual connection to receive money.  For money that comes to a person is described as “He [Hashem] has given sustenance (teref in Hebrew], to those: that fear Him" (Psalms 111:5). When a person gets angry he turns his teref, sustenance, to toraf, a tearing of one’s soul, which is connected to one's wealth, as the verse says, he tears [toraf), his soul to pieces in his anger" (Eyov 16:4).  He therefore then loses his money (Lekutei Moharan I: 88).

Keeping in mind that poverty is mainly due to the character flaw of anger, we can now understand why Yaakov displayed his wealth to Esav.  Esav was the epitome of anger.  Esav was a murderer,  murder being motivated mainly by one's anger.  Yaakov informed Esav of his great wealth to make Esav aware that he had broken his character trait of anger.  Yaakov's great wealth was proof of this fact.  So Yaakov in effect was telling Esav, "I am no longer afraid of you, the epitome of anger.  For my great wealth is like a wall, which protects me against you, who tries to damage my soul".  Wealth protects like a wall as the verse says, “The rich man's wealth is a towering wall" (Mishlay 18:11).  This is also why Yaakov tried to accumulate money of holiness in Lavan's house. (Lekutai Halachot: Choshen Mishpat: Hilchot Sicheruth Poalim 4:7)
 

Rashi comments on this verse, and says, “Yaakov made himself like a bridge.”  Yaakov represents the spiritual aspect of truth, as the verse says, "You will give truth to Yaakov" (Micha 7:20).   “Yaakov made himself like a bridge” refers to overcoming all the worldly confusions and obstacles, as illustrated by Yaakov's crossing the Yabbok as he was fleeing from Esav, who represents this world's obstacles.  One must build a bridge of truth, as Yaakov did, to escape the troubles of this world.  For by attaching oneself to the Truth, one is attaching oneself to Hashem, who's  seal is truth.
 
It was in the merit of truth, Yaakov, that the Jews escaped to safety at the splitting of the Red Sea, as the verse says, "What (troubles] you oh (Red] sea that you flee?" (Psalms 114:5).  "Tremble...at the presence of the Hashem of Yaakov" (Psalms 114:7).  These two verses tell us that in the merit of Yaakov—truth, the Red Sea split.  On the third day of creation the waters were gathered together to form dry land.  The dry land allows us passage through this world, which enables us to serve Hashem and pass to the next world.  The third day represents Yaakov, who was the third of the Avot, and represented the third spiritual power of Tiferet.  Again this concept teaches us that only through truth can one's troubles be overcome. (Lekutai Halachot: Orach Chayim: Hilchot Tefilin 5:11,41)

Therefore, the evil inclination fights with a person  [as illustrated by our verse, that Esav's guardian angel, the Satan fought with Yaakov in the night, in order to keep Yaakov in the darkness of despair] and tries to trick him into becoming unhappy and dissatisfied.  Rabbi Nachman taught that it is very difficult to serve Hashem when one is unhappy and dissatisfied.  When one is happy be becomes bound to Hashem, who is the source of all happiness. All the angels sing to Hashem with great joy.  Therefore, the angels live in a place called joy.  This place is called shechachim.  This word comes from the word sichok—joy.  The main joy comes from knowing the truth, which as explained earlier, refers to Yaakov.  That is why depression, represented by Esav, fought with Yaakov, truth, which is the source of joy.  What is the truth?  The truth is that the soul of each and every Jew is part of the chosen people who are very special and close to Hashem, the source of all joy.  With this knowledge every Jew should become extremely happy at all times.

Rabbi Nachman taught that it is forbidden and a great sin to be depressed, for depression demonstrates a lack of faith.  Rabbi Nachman talked a lot about being happy at all times to his students, saying that the main source of impurity is depression, and that it is a great mitzvah to always be happy.  The main weapon in driving away the evil inclination is joy.  It is a Breslov custom to sing and dance after the conclusion of the morning and evening prayers in order increase one’s happiness.  Rabbi Nachman also explains in great detail how depression causes all sorts of illness and can cause a person to age prematurely.  Therefore, the solution is as we said before, "For in joy shall you go out (from all your troubles]" (Isaiah 55:12). (Lekutai Halachot: Orach Chayim: Hilchot Hodaah 6:25-28)
 

The question now remains, who is right Rachel or Yaakov, on how to deal with exile?  The answer is that they are both right.  The combination of Rachel and Yaakov naming their son Binyamin refers to that we must mourn our tragedies briefly everyday.  No more than an hour a day.  Note that mourning doesn't refer to being depressed but to having a contrite heart, which is not depression. However, the rest of the day we must be very happy.  This combination is the proper path to follow, as indicated by our verse. (Lekutai Halachot: Orach Chayim: Hilchot Hodaah 6:44)