"And Yaakov remained alone and a man struggled with him until the dawn." -- Bereishit 32, 35
This week, we read of the titanic struggle between Yaakov and the angel. Yaakov remains alone on the east bank of the Jordan River after his family and the rest of his camp have crossed. At that point, an angel encounters him, and they begin to wrestle. They are locked in a struggle until the angel sees the dawn coming. The angel touches Yaakov's sciatic nerve, disabling it and giving him a lifelong limp. Immediately, he asks Yaakov to release him. The angel then asks Yaakov's name, and Yaakov responds that he is called Yaakov. The angel famously tells him, "You will no longer be spoken of as Yaakov, but Yisrael will be your name, for you have struggled with G-d and man and emerged victorious." Yaakov then asks the angel for his name, which the angel does not wish to give, and then the angel blesses Yaakov and disappears.
It is a strange incident. Who was the angel? Why was he sent to struggle against Yaakov? What is the significance of the dawn? What is the significance of Yaakov's name change, which comes at the end? It is the core of the story. What lessons does it teach us?
Before this encounter, Yaakov was afraid of his brother, Eisav. He worries because he has heard that Eisav approaches him with an army of four hundred men. Yaakov's worry is understandable. The situation is unstable, and his brother is prone to violence. There is no possible good outcome that will result from a direct confrontation. However, justified worry can become paralysing. While Yaakov is correct to be concerned, he is wrong to take that concern so much to heart that he dallies on the east bank of the Jordan rather than resolutely crossing it at the head of his family.
Into this complicated psychological milieu steps the angel. There are different opinions amongst our rabbis about which angel it was. Some say it was a reflection of Yaakov, that they angel looked exactly like him. Others say that it was the angel assigned to look after Eisav. In any case, the angel comes to fight Yaakov and succeeds. He was sent to show Yaakov that the fight could be won and that winning and coming out better off was possible. The angel proves to Yaakov that he can triumph over others and his fears. Fighting will never be without cost, but sometimes it is worth the price, as it was here.
Finally, the angel leaves Yaakov with an important message: his name has changed. As dawn comes, the first light begins to banish the shadows of night, and the angel blesses Yaakov by telling him not that Yaakov will no longer be his name but that he will be spoken of using a different moniker. Yaakov will continue to use that name in his dealings for the rest of his life. However, Yisrael will be the name preserved for his descendants. This name reminds us of our ability to struggle and win.
As Jews, we have frequently avoided struggle in our history. We have kept our heads down and endeavoured to keep a low profile, convinced that the dangers of fighting those who would destroy us are too great. However, the angel continues to tell us that we are the nation of Israel. We are that nation that struggles and wins. This time, as violence continues to roil our streets, let's hold up our hands to be counted and say that we are a nation of strugglers and strivers and that by leaning into that identity, our world will become a better place.
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