What were the answers to the three questions in the preceding Pasuk (refer to 32:18:1:1)?
Rashi: The answers were - (a) '[We were sent by] your servant Yaakov;' (b) (c) 'It is a gift being sent to my master Eisav.' 1
Riva: The three answers were - (a) 'To your servant Yaakov;' (b) 'It is a gift being sent to my master Eisav;' (c) 'The sender, of whom you said "in front of you" (32:18) - he is not; rather 'he is in back of us!' 2
Ohr ha'Chayim: (a) 'To your servant Yaakov;' (b) "Minchah Hi Sheluchah" (we are going to give a gift); (c) 'To my master, Eisav.'
The responses followed the order of the questions (Rashi). Riva disagrees, for if so, there is no answer to the second question! Refer to 32:19:1:2. Ha'amek Davar also noted this, refer to 32:18:154:1.
Our text of Riva says, "in back of you;" but it seems that this is a mistake. Tosfos ha'Shalem (18:6) says similarly, and concludes "in back of us." (PF)
Why is the word "to" repeated, in the phrase, "[belonging] to your servant, to Yaakov"?
Gur Aryeh (to 32:7): This implies 'your absolute servant (without conditions), whose name is Yaakov.' 1
I.e., he is inherently a servant; the name merely comes to clarify who is speaking. But 'to your servant Yaakov' would mean Yaakov is independent; not inherently a servant. (EK)
Why did the messengers need to inform Eisav that Ya?akov was coming behind them?
Rashbam: Because he intended to flee during the night - only the angel prevented him fro crrying out his plan - and he therefore instructed his servants to tell Eisav that he was following them in order to trick him, to avoid meeting him.
Why is the word "to" repeated, in the phrase, "[being sent] to my master, to Eisav"?
Gur Aryeh (to 32:7): He was flattering Eisav, by implying, 'my absolute master (without conditions), whose name is Eisav.' 1
I.e. Eisav is his generic master; the name merely comes to clarify who is being spoken about. But 'to my master Eisav' would mean he is a master, yet not excluding the possibility of other masters as well.
QUESTIONS ON RASHI
Rashi writes: "'Behold, also he' - [i.e.] Yaakov - is behind us." But right behind flock number one was not Yaakov, but rather flock number two?
Gur Aryeh: The pronoun "he" must be referring to someone already mentioned (and the first messenger made no mention of a second gift).
Rashi writes: "'Behold, also he' - [i.e.] Yaakov - is behind us." But verse 32:21 will state this explicitly?
Gur Aryeh: Even so, the latter verse repeats this, in order to add, "... for he said, I shall appease [Eisav's] countenance, etc." (32:21) - all of which the shepherds were to say to Eisav as well. 1
Refer to 32:21:2.1:2.
