בס”ד
A THOUGHT ABOUT PARSHAT VAYISHLACH 5785
Wrestling with Faith and Understanding
The Text
A small excerpt from this week’s Parsha that raises many questions but also provides valuable lessons. Let’s begin by reading the text and zooming in on various aspects.
| 25 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. | וַיִּוָּתֵ֥ר יַעֲקֹ֖ב לְבַדּ֑וֹ וַיֵּאָבֵ֥ק אִישׁ֙ עִמּ֔וֹ עַ֖ד עֲל֥וֹת הַשָּֽׁחַר׃ |
| 26 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was strained, as he wrestled with him. | וַיַּ֗רְא כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יָכֹל֙ ל֔וֹ וַיִּגַּ֖ע בְּכַף־יְרֵכ֑וֹ וַתֵּ֙קַע֙ כַּף־יֶ֣רֶךְ יַעֲקֹ֔ב בְּהֵאָֽבְק֖וֹ עִמּֽוֹ׃ |
| 27 And he said: ‘Let me go, for the day breaketh.’ And he said: ‘I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.’ | וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שַׁלְּחֵ֔נִי כִּ֥י עָלָ֖ה הַשָּׁ֑חַר וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לֹ֣א אֲשַֽׁלֵּחֲךָ֔ כִּ֖י אִם־בֵּרַכְתָּֽנִי׃ |
| 28 And he said unto him: ‘What is thy name?’ And he said: ‘Jacob.’.” | וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֵלָ֖יו מַה־שְּׁמֶ֑ךָ וַיֹּ֖אמֶר יַעֲקֹֽב׃ |
| 29 And he said: ‘Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel; for thou hast striven with G-d and with men, and hast prevailed.’ | וַיֹּ֗אמֶר לֹ֤א יַעֲקֹב֙ יֵאָמֵ֥ר עוֹד֙ שִׁמְךָ֔ כִּ֖י אִם־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כִּֽי־שָׂרִ֧יתָ עִם־אֱלֹהקים וְעִם־אֲנָשִׁ֖ים וַתּוּכָֽל׃ |
The Struggle
In this narrative, Jacob’s actions are highlighted as he returns after safely crossing the river with his entire family and possessions. The Torah notes that “Jacob remained alone,” “levado” in Hebrew, a term the rabbis interpret by connecting it to “lecado,” meaning “for his vessel.” Thus, the phrase is understood as “Jacob went back for his vessel.” He went back because he believes every possession is a Divine gift with a purpose for spiritual repair. Retrieving the vessels reflects his commitment to optimal use, ensuring they contribute to spiritual betterment as intended.
“Levado,” of course, also means that he truly went alone. It was a perilous undertaking with Esau’s soldiers nearby, but Jacob, fueled by complete emunah (trust in G-d), proceeded alone. However, being alone, without the protection of his (spiritual) community, made him vulnerable to an attack, in this case, by Esau’s angel. The physical wrestling between Jacob and the angel had a deeper spiritual significance – the angel aimed to challenge Jacob’s unwavering emunah.
This insight is derived from the term “וַיֵּאָבֵ֥ק” (wrestled), where the word “אבק” (dust) is significant.
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: This teaches that the dust [avak] from their feet ascended to the throne of glory.
The Throne of Glory is sometimes synonymous with emunah. The dust was intended to obscure Jacob’s emunah. Given that Jacob’s trust in G-d was of the highest level, the angel sought to challenge him by bringing Jacob to the brink of a life-threatening struggle. Even when faced with physical danger, where instincts typically prevail over reason, Jacob’s unwavering emunah remained steadfast, reflecting these three levels—logic, emotion, and instinct—of his trust in G-d.
At the moment dawn begins to break, the angel realizes that he will not emerge victorious. Dawn signifies the point when light penetrates the darkness, bringing increased clarity and insight into the recognition that G-d is the Creator and Judge of the world. As more light emerges, it becomes easier for humans, including Jacob in this story, to uphold their emunah , and for those with less emunah, like us, to nurture its growth.
When the angel understands that he cannot overcome Jacob’s soul, he strikes him on the hip. The sages teach us that when evil cannot harm the core of your being, your soul, it attempts to inflict damage on the vulnerable aspects of your life by subjecting you to various external influences. We observe that Israel, over the years, has been exposed to various negative external influences such as slander, verbal abuse, intimidation, wars, etc. The dislocated hip thus symbolizes all the adversity that the people of Israel have endured.1
| 31 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: ‘for I have seen G-d face to face, and my life is preserved.’ | וַיִּקְרָ֧א יַעֲקֹ֛ב שֵׁ֥ם הַמָּק֖וֹם פְּנִיאֵ֑ל כִּֽי־רָאִ֤יתִי אֱלֹקים֙ פָּנִ֣ים אֶל־פָּנִ֔ים וַתִּנָּצֵ֖ל נַפְשִֽׁי׃ |
The “blessing” that the angel was forced to give was his admission and confirmation that Jacob was the rightful recipient of the blessing that his father Isaac had originally wished to give to Esau.2
After blessing Jacob, Jacob asks the angel for his name. This is remarkable. One might have expected this inquiry earlier. I can understand that if you know the angel before you is Raphael—the angel associated with healing—you might seek a blessing. However, this particular angel wrestled with Jacob, and who knows what “negative” name he might have. Why would you want to request a blessing associated with that name? A name reflects one’s essence. Jacob sought to understand the origin of the intense hatred and disdain that the Jewish people would endure throughout the ages. Knowing the source of this animosity might provide insight into alleviating the suffering it causes, but it could also diminish Jacob’s emunah. Paradoxically, not fully understanding the suffering allows us to place our trust entirely and solely in G-d.
From this story, we can glean several valuable lessons
1. Dedication to Spiritual Growth: Jacob’s willingness to go back for his possessions, believing they served a Divine purpose, reflects gratitude for what one has as a Divine gift. It underscores the importance of consciously using material possessions for spiritual improvement.
2. Unwavering Emunah (Faith): Jacob’s determination and struggle with the angel demonstrate that his emunah is unwavering, even in challenging situations. It serves as a reminder to maintain our trust in G-d regardless of the challenges we face.
3. Three Levels of Emunah: The three levels of emunah—logic, emotion, and instinct—are illustrated by Jacob’s response to the angel’s attack. Even when physically endangered, his trust in G-d remains steadfast, highlighting the strength of these different levels.
4. Spiritual Struggle: The wrestling between Jacob and the angel indicates that spiritual growth often involves struggle and challenges. It reminds us to persevere in our spiritual journey despite difficulties.
By Angelique Sijbolts
With thanks to Rabbi Tani Burton for his feedback
Sources
- Zohar I 146a. 171a ↩︎
- Article AskNoah.org: How could the angel of Esau bless Jacob? ↩︎
Rashi on Genesis 32:25:1 and Why Jacob Returns for His Small Vessel
Chullin 91A
Netivot Shalom, The Seidenfeld Edition by Rabbi S. Binyomin Ginsberg
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