Motivators – Parashat Vayishlach/0

Wrestling with Angels – Making Music

Introduction: Music as Motivation

After students have read the story in Bereshit 32 of Yaakov's encounter with the "אִישׁ", but before they have delved into commentary, let them listen to the song "ונשגב ה' לבדו" available here. Afterwards have them discuss (with a neighbor, as a class, or in journals) the following questions:

• What emotions did the song evoke? Why do they think the composer chose such a tune for this story? Does the tone of the tune match the tone of the event?
• Note which words in the song are part of the text of this chapter and which are from elsewhere. What might have led the composer to connect the two verses?
• Tell the class to keep the tune in the back of their heads as they learn various approaches of the מפרשים to the story and to guess which approach they think the composer had in mind when writing the song.

Text and Commentary

Look at a selection of commentaries on the story, showing how the struggle has alternately been read as:

• Encouragement to Yaakov in face of his upcoming encounter with Esav
• Foreshadowing of future struggles and victories of the Nation of Israel
• A punishment for Yaakov
• An attack on Yaakov by Esav's defenders

For a selection of sources and analysis of each of these approaches see Wrestling with Angels and Men.

Closing: Making Music

• Divide the class into groups and have them pick some of the verses in the story and either compose a new tune or attach the words to an already known song which they think captures the mood of the approach they liked best.
• Have each group presents their song and explain which reading of the story they are working off.  They should be able to explain why they chose their particular tune and how it fits their chosen reading of the story.
• Finally, go back to the original piece, "ונשגב ה' לבדו" and have the class vote which approach they think best matches that composition.