That night, after separating everyone and everything into two camps, Jacob stays behind. While alone, he encounters an angel with whom he wrestles until daybreak, insisting, “I will not let you go until you bless me.” (Genesis 32:26) Jacob refuses to settle for anything less than a full inheritance, and his tenacity is commendable; even the angel takes note of it. But his response at first is puzzling. The angel asks Jacob, “‘What is your name?’ He said, ‘Jacob (Yaacov יַעֲקֹב).’” (Genesis 32:27) Why did the angel ask about Jacob’s name? In Hebrew, his name (Yaacov) can mean the heel of the foot (because he grasped Esau’s heel when coming out of the womb); but it can also carry a connotation of deceiver or supplanted. The angel” knew that in order for Jacob to embark on his divine destiny, he first needed to face the truth about himself. Stating his name was essentially admitting his character. The angel changed his name to Israel (Yisrael יִשְׂרָאֵל) because he had struggled (sarita שָׂרִיתָ) with God and with men, and had overcome. (Genesis 32:28) The name of Israel comes from two Hebrew words: strive (sar שר) and God (El אל). Israel can also mean Prince with God. There is a lesson in this for everyone. To become the overcomers we are called to be, and to experience full victory in our lives, there are times when we must be tenacious in our faith and times when we must prevail in prayer. Torah identifies Jacob’s mysterious wrestling partner only as an ish (man); nevertheless, it becomes obvious that he was much more than just a man; He was divine. Jacob recognized this and, therefore, called the place Peniel (פְּנִיאֵל), which means face of God, because He had seen God face to face (panim el panim). The prophet Hosea in the Haftarah (prophetic reading) also saw that Jacob wrestled with Divinity: “In the womb he took his brother by the heel, and in his manhood he strove with God. He strove with the angel and prevailed.” (Hosea 12:3–4) This intense encounter left Jacob with a permanent limp from a dislocated hip. “And the sun rose upon him as he passed over Peniel, and he limped upon his thigh.” (Genesis 32:31)
Posted on: Fri, 05 Dec 2014 12:12:07 +0000
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