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Literary Devices – Bereshit 32

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Bereshit 25:23בראשית כ״ה:כ״ג

Hashem said to her, "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from your insides will be divided. One people will overpower the other, and the older will serve the younger."

וַיֹּאמֶר י״י לָהּ שְׁנֵי [גוֹיִם] (גיים) בְּבִטְנֵךְ וּשְׁנֵי לְאֻמִּים מִמֵּעַיִךְ יִפָּרֵדוּ וּלְאֹם מִלְאֹם יֶאֱמָץ וְרַב יַעֲבֹד צָעִיר.

Bereshit 25:25בראשית כ״ה:כ״ה

The first emerged ruddy, all of him hairy, like a cloak, so they called him Esav.

וַיֵּצֵא הָרִאשׁוֹן אַדְמוֹנִי כֻּלּוֹ כְּאַדֶּרֶת שֵׂעָר וַיִּקְרְאוּ שְׁמוֹ עֵשָׂו.

Bereshit 25:27בראשית כ״ה:כ״ז

The boys grew up. Esav was a man skilled in hunting, a man of the field, while Yaakov was a man of integrity, a dweller in tents.

וַיִּגְדְּלוּ הַנְּעָרִים וַיְהִי עֵשָׂו אִישׁ יֹדֵעַ צַיִד אִישׁ שָׂדֶה וְיַעֲקֹב אִישׁ תָּם יֹשֵׁב אֹהָלִים.

Bereshit 27:11בראשית כ״ז:י״א

Yaakov said to his mother, Rivka, "Behold, my brother Esav is a hairy man while I am a man of smooth skin.

וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב אֶל רִבְקָה אִמּוֹ הֵן עֵשָׂו אָחִי אִישׁ שָׂעִר וְאָנֹכִי אִישׁ חָלָק.

Bereshit 27:29בראשית כ״ז:כ״ט

May peoples serve you and nations bow down to you. Be master over your brothers and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. Those who curse you will be cursed, and those who bless who will be blessed."

יַעַבְדוּךָ עַמִּים [וְיִשְׁתַּחֲווּ] (וישתחו) לְךָ לְאֻמִּים הֱוֵה גְבִיר לְאַחֶיךָ וְיִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לְךָ בְּנֵי אִמֶּךָ אֹרְרֶיךָ אָרוּר וּמְבָרְכֶיךָ בָּרוּךְ.

Bereshit 32:3-11בראשית ל״ב:ג׳-י״א

(3) When he saw them, Yaakov said, "This is the camp of God", and he named the place Machanayim. (4) Yaakov sent messengers before him to his brother Esav, to the land of Se'ir, the field of Edom. (5) He commanded them saying, "Thus you should say to my master, to Esav: 'Thus said your servant, Yaakov: I have sojourned with Lavan and have been delayed until now. (6) I have oxen, donkeys, sheep, servants, and maidservants and I have sent to tell my master, to find favor in your eyes.'" (7) The messengers returned to Yaakov, saying, "We came to your brother, to Esav, and he, too, is coming to meet you and there are four hundred men with him." (8) Yaakov was very afraid and he was distressed. He split the people who were with him, and the sheep, cattle, and camels, into two camps. (9) He said, "If Esav comes upon one camp and strikes it, the remaining camp will escape." (10) Yaakov said, "The God of my father Avraham, and the God of my father Yitzchak, Hashem who said to me 'Return to your land and to your family and I will deal well with you', (11) I am too small for all the kindnesses and faithfulness that you have done for your servant, for with my staff I crossed the Jordan, and now I have become two camps.

(ג) וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב כַּאֲשֶׁר רָאָם מַחֲנֵה אֱלֹהִים זֶה וַיִּקְרָא שֵׁם הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא מַחֲנָיִם. (ד) וַיִּשְׁלַח יַעֲקֹב מַלְאָכִים לְפָנָיו אֶל עֵשָׂו אָחִיו אַרְצָה שֵׂעִיר שְׂדֵה אֱדוֹם. (ה) וַיְצַו אֹתָם לֵאמֹר כֹּה תֹאמְרוּן לַאדֹנִי לְעֵשָׂו כֹּה אָמַר עַבְדְּךָ יַעֲקֹב עִם לָבָן גַּרְתִּי וָאֵחַר עַד עָתָּה. (ו) וַיְהִי לִי שׁוֹר וַחֲמוֹר צֹאן וְעֶבֶד וְשִׁפְחָה וָאֶשְׁלְחָה לְהַגִּיד לַאדֹנִי לִמְצֹא חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ. (ז) וַיָּשֻׁבוּ הַמַּלְאָכִים אֶל יַעֲקֹב לֵאמֹר בָּאנוּ אֶל אָחִיךָ אֶל עֵשָׂו וְגַם הֹלֵךְ לִקְרָאתְךָ וְאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת אִישׁ עִמּוֹ. (ח) וַיִּירָא יַעֲקֹב מְאֹד וַיֵּצֶר לוֹ וַיַּחַץ אֶת הָעָם אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ וְאֶת הַצֹּאן וְאֶת הַבָּקָר וְהַגְּמַלִּים לִשְׁנֵי מַחֲנוֹת. (ט) וַיֹּאמֶר אִם יָבוֹא עֵשָׂו אֶל הַמַּחֲנֶה הָאַחַת וְהִכָּהוּ וְהָיָה הַמַּחֲנֶה הַנִּשְׁאָר לִפְלֵיטָה. (י) וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב אֱלֹהֵי אָבִי אַבְרָהָם וֵאלֹהֵי אָבִי יִצְחָק י״י הָאֹמֵר אֵלַי שׁוּב לְאַרְצְךָ וּלְמוֹלַדְתְּךָ וְאֵיטִיבָה עִמָּךְ. (יא) קָטֹנְתִּי מִכֹּל הַחֲסָדִים וּמִכׇּל הָאֱמֶת אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתָ אֶת עַבְדֶּךָ כִּי בְמַקְלִי עָבַרְתִּי אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן הַזֶּה וְעַתָּה הָיִיתִי לִשְׁנֵי מַחֲנוֹת.

Bereshit 32:25בראשית ל״ב:כ״ה

Yaakov was left alone and a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn.

וַיִּוָּתֵר יַעֲקֹב לְבַדּוֹ וַיֵּאָבֵק אִישׁ עִמּוֹ עַד עֲלוֹת הַשָּׁחַר.

Bereshit 33:4בראשית ל״ג:ד׳

Esav ran to meet him and embraced him. He flung himself on his neck, and kissed him, and they wept.

וַיָּרׇץ עֵשָׂו לִקְרָאתוֹ וַיְחַבְּקֵהוּ וַיִּפֹּל עַל צַוָּארָו וַיִּשָּׁקֵהוּ וַיִּבְכּוּ.

Rashi Bereshit 32:29רש״י בראשית ל״ב:כ״ט

לא יעקב [THY NAME SHALL] NO MORE BE CALLED JACOB [BUT ISRAEL] (literally, "not Jacob – supplanting – shall any more be said to thee") – It shall no longer be said that the blessings came to you through supplanting and subtlety but through noble conduct (שררה) and in an open manner. Because later on the Holy One, blessed be He, will reveal Himself to you at Bethel and will change your name. There He will bless you, and I shall be there and admit your right to them (the blessings). It is to this that the passage refers (Hosea 12:5), "And he strove with an angel and prevailed; he wept and made supplication unto him" – it means the angel wept and made supplication unto him (Jacob). What was the subject of his supplication? This is stated in the next verse: "At Bethel He will meet us and there He will speak with us – implying the request. "Wait until he will speak with us there, and then I will admit your right to the blessings." Jacob, however, would not agree to this, and against his own wish he had to admit his right to the blessings. That is what is meant when it states (v. 30) "And he declared him blessed there", that he begged him to wait and he did not agree to do so (cp. Genesis Rabbah 78:2). ועם אנשים AND WITH MEN – Esau and Laban. ותוכל AND HAST PREVAILED – over them.

לא יעקב יאמר עוד שמך – לא יאמרו עליך עוד שהברכות בעקיבה וברמייה, כי אם בשררה ובגילוי פנים, סופך שהקב״ה נגלה עליך בבית אל ומחליף את שמך ושם הוא מברכך, ואני שם אהיה ואודה לך עליהן, וזהו שכתוב: וישר אל מלאך ויוכל בכה (הושע י״ב:ה׳) – המלאך, ויתחנן לו (הושע י״ב:ה׳). ומה נתחנן לו? בית אל ימצאנו ושם ידבר עמנו (הושע י״ב:ה׳) – המתן לי עד שתדבר עמנו שם. ולא רצה יעקב, ועל כורחו הודה לו עליה, וזהו: ויברך אותו שם (בראשית ל״ב:ל׳) – שהיה מתחנן לו להמתין ולא רצה. ועם אנשים – עם עשו ועם לבן. ותוכל – להם.

Radak Bereshit 32:29רד״ק בראשית ל״ב:כ״ט

וכי שרית עם אלוקים, with the angel. He wrestled with you and could not overpower you to the extent of felling you. ועם אנשים. With Lavan and Esau who intended to harm you and were unable to do so. He meant that exactly what had happened to Yaakov in his encounter with Lavan who had pursued him with hostile intent, would happen in his forthcoming encounter with Esau and his soldiers.

כי שרית עם אלהים – עם מלאך, שנאבקת עמי ולא יכלתי לך להפילך. ועם אנשים – עם לבן ועם עשו, שהיה בלבם להרע לך ולא יכלו לך, כי כמו שקרה לך עם לבן כן יקרה לך עם עשו ואלופיו כי עם הכל יכלת ותוכל. ובבראשית רבה: ועם אנשים – עם עשו ואלופיו.