What do Sichon, Esav, Yishmael and Pharoah all have in common?

Devarim (Deuteronomy) 2:26: "I (Mosheh/Moses) sent emissaries from the wilderness of Kedemoth to Sichon (Sihon), King of Cheshbon, [with] words of peace..."

NOTE: This occurred earlier in B'Midbar (Numbers) 21:21. However, based on the previous verse (ibid. v. 20), Israel's location was "the valley that is in the field of Moav," not the wilderness of Kedemoth. Additionally, in Devarim 2:24, Mosheh relates that HaShem had commanded him to make war with Sichon and take possession of his land. Why then would Mosheh send emissaries of peace? Rashi in v. 26 attempts to resolve this difficulty by interpreting our verse figuratively.

Rashi (ad loc): "'from the wilderness of Kedemoth' - Even though G-d did not command me to offer peace to Sichon, I learned this [behavior] from [G-d in] the wilderness of Sinay (Sinai), from [the manner of the giving of] the Torah which preceded (kidmah) [the creation of] the world. [NOTE: The Torah is a revelation of the Divine Will, which is eternal. Therefore the Torah is described as preceding the creation of the world.] When the Holy One came to give [the Torah] to Israel, he offered it to [the descendants of] Esav (Esau) and Yishmael (Ishmael), even though it was obvious to Him that they would not accept it. He nevertheless made them an offer of peace, [therefore] I too made an overture to Sichon with words of peace."

NOTE: Rashi has thus interpreted the phrase "the wilderness of Kedemoth" as a reference to the wilderness where the Torah was given. Sending emissaries from there means that as a result of something that occurred then, Mosheh sent emissaries at this point. Kedemoth, from the Hebrew root that denotes something that comes before, is a reference to the Torah which came before all. Rashi continues:

"Alternatively, `from the wilderness of Kedemoth,' - I learned from You Who preceded (kidamta) the world. You could have send one bolt of lightening and incinerated Egypt, but you patiently sent me from the wilderness to Pharoah to say, 'Let my people go!'"

NOTE: Here "Kedemoth" is understood as a reference to the Eternal One Himself. The Wilderness refers to that wilderness in which Mosheh sojourned when he fled from Egypt after killing the Egyptian until HaShem commanded him to return to Egypt and lead His people to freedom. (See Shemoth/Exodus 2:11-15 and ibid. ch. 3). Therefore, just as HaShem commanded Mosheh to approach Pharoah in a diplomatic fashion, Mosheh learned that he should do the same here.