Vayishlach

PARSH AT VAYISH LA CH

“TH E ST RUG GLE ” Ra bbi Ari Kahn When Ya'akov returns from Haran, as he is preparing for his epic showdown with his estranged brother Esav, he has a bizarre confrontation: Ya'akov remained alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. He saw that he could not (defeat) him, he touched the joint of his thigh. Ya'akov`s hip became dislocated from wrestling with him. And he said "release me for dawn is breaking." He said "I will not release you unless you bless me." He said "What is your name?" He said, " Ya'akov." He said, "Your name shall no longer be called Ya'akov rather Yisrael, for you have struggled with G-d and with man and (you) have been victorious." Ya'akov asked, and said, "Please tell me your name, " He said "why are you asking for my name?" And he blessed him there. And Ya'akov called the place "Pniel" (face of G-d or Divine face) "for I have seen G-d face to face and my soul was saved. The sun rose as he left Pnuel. And he was limping because of his thigh. Therefore the children of Israel do not eat the Gid Hanashe which is on the thigh (of an animal) until this very day, for Ya'akov's thigh was afflicted on the Gid Hanashe. (Breishit 32:25-32) The text seems deliberately enigmatic and contradictory. If Ya'akov is by himself then how can a man wrestle with him? Each verse seems to contain its own difficulties and ambiguities. He saw that he could not (defeat) him, he touched the joint of his thigh. (32:26) Who is "he" and who is "him"? This verse can not be understood on its own; only by reading the next verse can we reconstruct the meaning. Why is there so much confusion? What is the identity of Ya'akov's adversary? He said "What is your name?" He said "Ya'akov" (32:28.) Does the adversary not even know with whom he is struggling? He said, "Your name shall no longer be called Ya'akov rather Yisrael, for you have struggled with G-d and with man and (you) have been victorious. (32:29) The adversary who does not even know the identity of his foe, declares that he (the one with whom he has been wrestling) has been victorious in his struggle with G-d and man! Ya'akov asked, and said "Please tell me your name," He said, “Why are you asking for my name?” (32:30) Why does Ya'akov wish to know the identity of this person? Despite the complexity of the verses, the Midrashim and commentaries are relatively unified as to the identity of the assailant: It is no other than the divine protector of Esav, the Angel of Esav. As Ya'akov prepares to meet his brother after all these years, Esav`s angel comes down from heaven in order to "have a go" at Ya'akov first. It is interesting

to note that Ya’akov reaches and understanding with Esav, yet he is unable to avoid battle with the Angel. What are Chaza”l trying to teach us with this suggestion as to the identity of the mysterious assailant? The text reads: Ya'akov remained alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. (32:25) Our problem is that if Ya'akov is truly alone, who can be wrestling with him? One possible answer is-- no one! Ya'akov was actually wrestling with himself. This would explain the ambiguity in the passage. However, by solving the textual problem (if indeed we are correct), we have raised an even greater problem: Why would a sane man wrestle with himself? A careful reading of the text may give us some insight. Ya'akov remained alone, and a man (Ish) wrestled with him until daybreak. (32:25) Can the term "Ish" possibly refer to Ya'akov? The word Ish means man; we are told that Ya'akov wrestles with a man. There is, however, another verse in which the term Ish clearly refers to Ya'akov: The man burst forth exceedingly and he possessed great herds and maids and servants and camels and donkeys. (30:43) In this case, the word Ish undoubtedly refers to Ya'akov. The context is fascinating: Ya'akov has finally succeeded financially. The blessings which he had taken surreptitiously from Esav have come to fruition. Ya'akov has "made it". Here the text calls him "Ha-ish The Man". Ya'akov has completed a metamorphosis from being a man of the tent- a yeshiva student, if you will - to becoming a successful entrepreneur. Yet Ya’akov struggles with his success. It was one thing to take the blessings destined for Esav; it is quite another to live with the results of those blessings. As Ya'akov prepares to meet his brother he looks at all the wealth which he has accumulated and he is worried. He separates all that he owns and all that he loves into different camps, and he is left alone. Previously, the text described Ya'akov as alone when he was running from Esav, and he spent an awesome night under the stars and saw his life's vision--the stairway to heaven. Now, again, Ya'akov is alone as he prepares to meet his brother. When he fled to Haran, he didn't even have a place to rest his head and he used a rock for a pillow. He asked G-d for the bare minimum--food and clothing. Now, Ya'akov returns with riches. Now he asks only one question: Who am I? Ya’akov or Esav? As Ya’akov crosses the river and sees his reflection, he questions his identity. Had he begun to look like Esav? Had the fulfillment of the stolen blessings actually turned him into Esav? It would seem that Esav thought so. When last Esav was mentioned, he swore to kill Ya'akov. Now when they meet, Esav indeed comes prepared for war. And Ya'akov lifted his eyes and he saw, behold, Esav approached together with four hundred men. (33:1) When he sees the abundance of Ya'akov's camp, Esav asks Ya'akov to travel together with him---quite an unexpected response from someone sworn to kill. Esav's anger should naturally have been exacerbated by the sight of Ya'akov's great wealth; after all, this blessing of wealth was rightfully his own. What brought about Esav's sudden change of heart? Ya'akov did offer Esav gifts, but why settle for gifts when he could have killed

Ya'akov, taken his revenge and walked off with everything? Esav must have seen something in Ya'akov which he had never seen before. Esav saw the “new” Ya’akov, the man who had seemingly abandoned his spiritual pursuits in favor of material wealth. In Esav’s mind, Ya'akov had become Esav, and as far as Esav was concerned, there was no longer a reason to hate his brother. The barriers which had divided them had disappeared; they could now join forces. Esav thought he had achieved an ideological victory, which was far sweeter than any revenge he could have exacted. This was precisely the cause of Ya'akov's inner struggle. He, too, saw what Esav thought he saw. Ya'akov remained alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. He saw that he could not (defeat) him, he touched the joint of his thigh. Ya'akov`s hip became dislocated from wrestling with him. He said "What is your name?" He said, "Ya'akov." He said, "Your name shall no longer be called Ya'akov rather Yisrael, for you have struggled with God and with man and (you) have been victorious."(32:25-29) All night long, Ya'akov struggles with his success. His spiritual self and his physical self collide as he tries to determine his true identity. But Ya'akov was unable to resolve this conflict. He saw that he could not (defeat) him, he touched the joint of his thigh. Ya'akov`s hip became dislocated from wrestling with him…And he was limping because of his thigh. Therefore the children of Israel do not eat the Gid Hanashe which is on the thigh (of an animal) until this very day, for Ya'akov's thigh was afflicted on the Gid Hanashe. (32:26, 32-33) In the resolution that is finally achieved, the physical realm is forced to yield, to move at a slower pace. Laws, like that of the Gid HaNashe, will create spiritual boundaries within physical experience, making possible the elevation of the physical world to a spiritual plane. This is Ya'akov's resolution. Ya'akov may look like Esav; in truth, he is no longer the same Ya'akov. The very name Ya'akov, which connotes a relationship with Esav, will now be superseded by the name Yisrael, which speaks of his relationship with the physical and spiritual realms. When the Sages said that Ya’akov’s adversary was the angel of Esav, they referred to the power of Esav within himself with which Ya’akov was struggling, this power which Ya’akov fears has taken over his life.1 Ya’akov responds to Esav’s offer: And Esav said let us travel and I will walk alongside you. And (Ya'akov) said to him, "Master, know that the children are young and the flocks and cattle weigh heavily on me, and if I should overdrive them one day , all the flock will die. (33:12-13) When Esav offers Ya'akov to travel together, to join forces, Ya'akov begs off and explains that for him, his possessions are a burden which slow him down. Just as Ya'akov's leg

More on the similarity between Ya’akov and Esav and their struggle can be found in Parshat Achare-Mot”. 1

slows him down after his confrontation, so too is he slowed down here. The physical bounty with which he has been blessed in some way cumbersome for Ya’akov, a burden which holds him back from reaching his true stride, from realizing his spiritual potential. For Esav, this physical plenty is the goal, the sought-after prize, and he believes that Ya’akov has abandoned his earlier pursuits in favor of attaining the wealth that he sees before him. And on that day Esav returned on his way to Se'ir, and Ya’akov went to Succot and built him a house and made booths for the cattle; therefore the name of the place is called Succot. (33:16-17) The conclusion of the confrontation between Ya'akov and Esav takes them in two different directions. Esav returns to Se'ir, while Ya'akov travels to Succot. Ya'akov's destination is called Succot because of the booths he made for his animals. It is interesting that in this place Ya'akov also built a home, presumably for his family. Why would he prefer to name the place for the booths made for the animals? The association conjured up by these booths is, of course, the Festival of Succot. Jews are required to leave the comforts of their homes and live in a temporary abode, reminding us that the physical world is a temporary one. Therefore, Ya'akov building Succot for his animals seems an appropriate conclusion to the section: Ya'akov recognizes that the physical bounty with which he has been blessed is transitory. Even more so, he sees it as a means to an end, one which is not defined by the physical but rather elevates the physical. He names his first stop after meeting Esav and coming to terms with his material existence Succot in order to stress this message. If we find Ya'akov heading towards Succot, what is his point of departure? Where is he coming from? As strange as it may sound, a Jew heads to Succot immediately after Yom Kippur. In attempting to explain the concept of the Yom Kippur scapegoat, the se'ir la'azaz'el, Ramban2 in his Commentary to Vayikra explains that in offering this peculiar sacrifice on Yom Kippur, the Jews would give a bribe to Sama'el in order to appease him and to facilitate his testimony before the Heavenly Court on behalf of the Jewish People. 3 Who is Sama'el? The Midrash Tanhuma, commenting on our Parsha, writes: And Ya'akov was alone and a man wrestled with him: This is Sama'el the Guardian Angel of Esav, who wished to kill him (Midrah Tanhuma Vayishlach, section 8). We can trace the emergence of a pattern or theme: On Yom Kippur, every Jew must struggle with who he is or who he has become. The Torah commands us on Yom Kippur to offer a scapegoat, to "give the devil his due," as it were. This process enables man to keep his physical aspect in perspective. When Ya'akov met up with Esav, he , too gave gifts. The Zohar, apparently aware of this connection, writes: And Esav returned that day on his way to Se'ir: When did this happen? At the hour of Ne'ila [the Concluding Prayer Service of Yom Kippur]. (Zohar VaYikra, Parshat Emor, page 100b)

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The idea expressed in the Ramban is based on a teaching found in Pirki D` Rebbi Eliezer chapter 45 See Rav Solovietchik’s commentary on this Ramban in “On Repentance” (edited by P. Peli) 317ff. Without the Rov’s explanation this Ramban is almost impenetrable.

According to the Zohar, the confrontation between Ya'akov and Esav indeed takes place on Yom Kippur, and is resolved at Ne'ilah, at which point Ya'akov sets off to build his Succah, his temporary abode. Therefore, the gifts which Ya’akov gives Esav serve as the prototype for the yearly gift, offered on Yom Kippur, which is offered to the power of Esav in the world: the scapegoat, the bribe offered Samael. If the confrontation between Ya'akov and Esav takes place on Yom Kippur day, then, by extension, the confrontation with his anonymous opponent takes place the previous night-- Kol Nidre night, the Eve of Yom Kippur.4 All that night, Ya'akov struggled with the Esav within him: Was he still Ya’akov or had he become Esav? 5 Had his possessions, and his preoccupation with acquiring those possessions, changed him? By taking Esav’s blessing, had he in fact taken on Esav’s persona? By daylight, the time the High Priest would have begun the service in the Holy Temple, the struggle must be resolved. The Torah said that they wrestled; the Gemara comments: Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said, 'This teaches us that the dust from their feet (i.e., the combatants) reached the Divine Throne.(Hulin 91a) The Zohar elaborates and cites the same teaching in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi: And they wrestled: The identity of the angel was the Guardian of Esav, And who is he? Sama'el. And it is appropriate that the dust of their feet went up to the Divine Throne, for that is the place of judgment.(Zohar Bereshit 170a) The Zohar understands that judgment filled the air that night. Would the Angel of Esav be able to attest to Ya'akov's innocence as he would for generations of Jews in the future? He said, "I will not release you unless you bless me." (32:27) Ya’akov wants the blessing. In the end he receives it, And he blessed him there. And Ya'akov called the place "Pniel" (face of G-d or Divine face) "for I have seen G-d face to face and my soul was saved. The sun rose as he left Pnuel.(32:31,32) This section is closed with Ya'akov naming the place Pniel, for Ya’akov’s profound selfanalysis and inner struggle bring him “face to face” with G-d. Real Teshuva, repentance, which results from profound introspection, leads to a rendezvous with G-d. R. Levi said: Great is repentance, for it reaches up to the Throne of Glory, as it is said: Return, O Israel, unto the Lord thy G-d.(Yoma 86a) That is what Ya’akov feels as he takes leave in the morning. Real Teshuva, we are told, reaches the very throne of G-d. The sun rose as he left Pnuel. And he was limping because of his thigh.(32:32) Ya’akov limped away from that confrontation, physically weaker, but spiritually transformed and empowered. Now Ya’akov knew how to respond to challenges which awaited him from both this world, and the other. His identity would no longer 4 5

be defined or determined exclusively by his relationship with his brother Esav. He had now become Yisrael. The physical and spiritual were no longer at odds. Together, they accompany Ya’akov-Yisrael with every step he takes as he moves toward his destiny, albeit at a slower pace physically, but spiritually invigorated.