Test/2/en
Test
Overview
In interpreting this mysterious episode, commentators struggle to make sense of its mixed results for Yaakov and to determine what connection this nocturnal battle had to the following daytime encounter with Esav. Many rationalist exegetes starting with R. Shemuel b. Chofni see the outcome in a positive light, with the angel coming to bolster Yaakov's confidence before his reunion with Esav. Ramban adopts a more mystical position, claiming that the event foreshadows the course of Jewish history. He also views the outcome as more complex; there will be great national misfortunes before our ultimate triumph. Rashbam has a more negative perspective on the event, claiming that Yaakov is being punished for not trusting that Hashem will protect him from Esav. Finally, Rashi and others suggest that it is Esav's guardian angel who tries unsuccessfully to harm Yaakov, with Yaakov emerging the victor.
<approaches>
<category>Reassurance
Hashem designed the encounter to give Yaakov confidence that, just as he was able to emerge victorious in this struggle, he and/or his descendants would triumph over future adversity.
<opinion>Yaakov Himself
Yaakov's success in this confrontation assured him that there was no reason to fear Esav.
<mekorot> R. Shemuel b. Chofni Gaon, Ibn Ezra, Radak, R. Avraham b. HaRambam, Ralbag, Shadal </mekorot> <point>Biblical parallels – R. Shemuel b. Chofni notes the parallel case in Shofetim 6:11 in which an angel appears to Gidon to instill in him confidence in his own strength.</point> <point>"אִישׁ" – angel or human? All of these commentators maintain that it was an angel who struggled with Yaakov.<fn>R. Shemuel b. Chofni and Radak point to verses in Yehoshua 5:13 and Daniel 9:21 and 10:5 where "אִישׁ" seems to refer to an angel.</fn></point>
<point>Reality or prophecy?
- R. Shemuel b. Chofni, Ibn Ezra, and Shadal indicate that the angel appeared to Yaakov in flesh and blood form.
- Radak, R. Avraham b. HaRambam, and Ralbag all explore the option that the entire incident was only a prophetic vision.<fn>All of these commentators are influenced by the Rambam who maintains that all visions of an angel described in Tanakh (including this story) occurred in a dream or prophecy. For more, see Prophecy and About Rambam. According to the Rambam, the character who struggled with Yaakov is one of the angels whom Yaakov sees at the opening of Chapter 32 ("וְיַעֲקֹב הָלַךְ לְדַרְכּוֹ וַיִּפְגְּעוּ בוֹ מַלְאֲכֵי אֱלֹהִים"), and the structure is one of a כלל ופרט (general heading followed by specifics). See also Ba'alei HaTosafot.
Ramban and others reject the Rambam's position, noting that if the episode was only a vision, why would Yaakov have become lame. To this challenge, R. Avraham Maimonides, Ritva, and Ralbag respond that a person's thoughts and imagination even during regular sleep (let alone, a prophetic state) can affect one's physical condition ("לפי שהאברים מתפעלים על ידי כח הדמיון"). Ralbag also offers the almost diametrically opposite possibility, that a person's physical state affects his dreams. Thus, he suggests that Yaakov's thigh was sore from transporting his entire family across the river, and this caused his prophetic dream of an angel striking his thigh.
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<point>"וַיֵּאָבֵק" – Shadal contends that the verb אבק<fn>Our verses of Bereshit 32:25-26 are the only Biblical occurrences of the verb אבק.</fn> is related to the root "חבק"<fn>Shadal notes that the Samaritan text reads "ויחבק". Cf. R. Avraham Maimonides who relates the verb to the word "אבק" (dust).</fn> and means to embrace. His understanding is that this was a friendly, athletic, wrestling match, and not a fight to the death.</point> <point>"וַיַּרְא כִּי לֹא יָכֹל לוֹ" – Shadal explains that the angel feigned not being able to overcome Yaakov.</point> <point>"וַיִּגַּע בְּכַף יְרֵכוֹ" – This approach must grapple with why the angel injured Yaakov if his goal was to give Yaakov confidence. R. Shemuel b. Chofni proposes that "וַיִּגַּע" implies an affectionate touch,<fn>He points to the "וַיִּגַּע" in Yeshayahu 6:6-7 as a prooftext.</fn> rather than a violent blow.<fn>It is unclear, though, why an affectionate touch should have disabled Yaakov.</fn> Radak, though, claims that the injury was a punishment for Yaakov's lack of faith in Hashem<fn>Cf. Rashbam below.</fn> and his excessive humbling of himself before Esav.</point> <point>"כִּי עָלָה הַשָּׁחַר" – Radak suggests that the angel tells Yaakov that now that it is daylight there is no cause for further fear and his protection is no longer needed. Alternatively, now that the angel has fortified Yaakov's spirit, it is time for him to leave so that Yaakov can prepare for Esav's arrival.<fn>This approach is adopted by Akeidat Yitzchak and Abarbanel ("ואתה צריך ללכת לדרכך כי עשו יבא במהרה על כן להנאתך ולטובתך איעצך שתשלחני").</fn></point> <point>"רָאִיתִי אֱלֹהִים... וַתִּנָּצֵל נַפְשִׁי" – R. Shemuel b. Chofni reads this as Yaakov's expression of relief that he did not die from seeing an angel.<fn>R. Shemuel b. Chofni points to the parallel concerns of Gidon (Shofetim 6:22-23) and Manoach (Shofetim 13:22).</fn> However, it is possible that "רָאִיתִי" here means to encounter, and Yaakov is expressing that he survived the confrontation with the angel.<fn>Cf. R. Yosef Bekhor Shor below.</fn></point> <point>Crux of the position – This approach connects the episode to its immediate context. Yaakov is about to meet Esav, and thus Hashem sends an angel or a prophetic vision to bolster Yaakov's confidence.</point> </opinion> <opinion>Future Generations
Yaakov's skirmish with and victory over the angel represented the future struggles of Israel and their ultimate salvation from their enemies.
<mekorot> Josephus,<fn>Josephus reads the encounter as a message of encouragement for both Yaakov himself in the present and for his future descendants.</fn> Bereshit Rabbah, Lekach Tov, Ramban, Abarbanel, Seforno<fn>Seforno also sees a dual symbolism in the struggle, reading in it a message of encouragement for both Yaakov and his future nation.</fn> </mekorot> <point>Reality or prophecy? This approach views the encounter as a real, physical, struggle.<fn>Ramban brings proof that it was not simply a dream from the fact that Yaakov emerged with a physical limp. He further points out that had it been merely a vision, Yaakov would not have felt that his life had been in danger for seeing God ("כִּי רָאִיתִי אֱלֹהִים פָּנִים אֶל פָּנִים וַתִּנָּצֵל נַפְשִׁי"), as he had previously had prophetic dreams without any similar reaction of fear.</fn> According to Ramban, though, these real life events had prophetic significance and determined the course of Jewish history.<fn>Ramban here is consistent with his general approach of viewing the Patriarchal actions as creating the blueprints for future history. For more, see מעשה אבות סימן לבנים and About Ramban.</fn></point> <point>Biblical parallels – Seforno compares our story to Elisha's command to Yoash to shoot arrows as a symbol of Israel's future triumphs over Aram.<fn>See Melakhim II 13:17, and see Ramban Bereshit 12:6 who cites this verse in his development of the concept of מעשה אבות סימן לבנים. Seforno is following in the footsteps of Ramban – see above.</fn> In both cases, a Divinely mandated action serves as a template for future victories over an enemy.</point> <point>"אִישׁ" – angel or human? All of these commentators assert that Yaakov struggled with an angel. R. Chama in Bereshit Rabbah and Lekach Tov identify him as the guardian angel of Esav or Edom ("שרו של עשו" or "שרו של אדום").<fn>This identification may be based on Yaakov's equation in Bereshit 33:10 between seeing Esav and seeing the angel, "כִּי עַל כֵּן רָאִיתִי פָנֶיךָ כִּרְאֹת פְּנֵי אֱלֹהִים".</fn> As this position reads the struggle as anticipating the future struggles of the Jewish people, the identification of the angel with Edom, commonly understood to signify Rome, is a natural one.</point> <point>"וַיֵּאָבֵק" – R. Berakhiah in Bereshit Rabbah and Lekach Tov suggest that the word stems from the root אבק and relates to the dust that rises during the struggle.<fn>He proposes that it is the "אִישׁ" who is covered with dust, perhaps proof that Yaakov was winning the struggle.</fn> Ramban raises the possibility that it is related instead to the root חבק.<fn>See Bavli Chulin 91a.</fn></point> <point>"וַיַּרְא כִּי לֹא יָכֹל לוֹ" – According to both Bereshit Rabbah and Seforno, the angel was not able to overcome Yaakov due to Yaakov's merits (or those of his ancestors). Ramban, though, simply suggests that the angel was given Divine orders not to subdue Yaakov but only to injure his thigh.</point> <point>"וַיִּגַּע בְּכַף יְרֵכוֹ" – Bereshit Rabbah, Lekach Tov and Ramban read the injury to Yaakov's thigh as metaphorically representing the suffering of his future descendants ("יֹצְאֵי יְרֵכוֹ") during periods in which enemies attempted to force them to forsake their faith.<fn>Lekach Tov also proposes a second symbolic interpretation of the thigh, suggesting that it refers to decrees against circumcision. Seforno, who reads the encounter as containing a message also for Yaakov in the present, suggests that the injured thigh might represent Yaakov's personal loss. Though he will emerge victorious over Esav, he will incur a monetary loss, "היקום אשר ברגליהם" (the animals he gave Esav as a tribute).</fn> According to them, the encounter's message is not totally reassuring. Though the nation will ultimately prevail over its adversaries, they will first endure a period of hardship and struggle.<fn>See Nechama Leibowitz, Iyyunim BeSefer Bereshit (Jerusalem, 1992): 258, who notes that Ramban emphasizes the physical loss of the many who will die sanctifying Hashem's name, while Lekach Tov, in contrast, highlights the spiritual loss of those who will convert to other faiths and assimilate.</fn></point> <point>"כִּי עָלָה הַשָּׁחַר" – This approach reads the timing of the entire encounter as having metaphoric value. Night represents darkness and hardship, while dawn breaking represents the coming of light and the future salvation.<fn>R. Huna in the name of R. Acha in Bereshit Rabbah and Seforno read the phrase "וַיִּזְרַח לוֹ הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ" similarly. The fact that the sun shined and healed Yaakov is representative of similar healing in the future.</fn></point> <point>Crux of the position – This approach expands the significance of this story in particular, and Sefer Bereshit as a whole, viewing them and their details as having eternal ramifications for the people of Israel.</point> </opinion> </category> <category>Corrective Punishment
Hashem orchestrated the confrontation and instructed the angel to injure Yaakov as a punishment for one of various possible misdeeds.
<opinion>Present Actions
Hashem sent an angel to punish Yaakov for doubting His promise to protect him and to prevent Yaakov from running away.
<mekorot> Rashbam<fn>Ibn Ezra rejects a position similar to that of Rashbam, questioning why Yaakov would notify Esav of his impending arrival if he intended to flee. However, the position cited by maintains that Yaakov planned to flee and abandon his wives and children, while from Rashbam it appears that Yaakov attempted to flee with his family (and that Yaakov was trying to ford the Yabbok after them).</fn> </mekorot> <point>"וַיִּוָּתֵר יַעֲקֹב לְבַדּוֹ" – Rashbam suggests that Yaakov was attempting to run away from Esav, as he did not sufficiently trust that Hashem would protect him. Yaakov, thus, had his family cross the river to escape under the cover of darkness. However, before he himself managed to cross, he found himself attacked by the angel.<fn>It is not clear, though, how Yaakov could have thought that he and his family would be able to elude Esav and his army for any extended period of time.</fn></point> <point>Biblical parallels – Rashbam brings parallels for both a nighttime escape across a river and for a person getting punished for going or not going some place against God's wishes:
- During Avshalom's uprising, David crossed a river in the middle of the night in order to escape.<fn>See Shemuel II 17:22. Rashbam notes that David's route took him through the same region through which Yaakov had traveled.</fn>
- Rashbam points to Moshe,<fn>Moshe procrastinates in going to Egypt to confront Paroh and save the nation and finds himself attacked by Hashem at the lodging place (Shemot 4:24). Zipporah saves him by touching the foreskin to Moshe's leg ("וַתַּגַּע לְרַגְלָיו"), language similar to that used here. According to R. Yehuda b. Bizna in Bavli Nedarim 31b, Moshe was actually attacked specifically at the site of his circumcision, perhaps the meaning of "ירך" here. For elaboration see Mystery at the Malon.</fn> Bilam,<fn>Bilam attempts to curse rather than bless the nation and as a result is confronted by a sword-brandishing angel. He emerges lame. See Bemidbar 22:25 and 23:3 and Why Was Hashem Angry at Bilam.</fn> and Yonah<fn>See Yonah 1–2.</fn> as examples of others who tried to avoid fulfilling the mission assigned to them by Hashem, and who were similarly punished.<fn>Ibn Ezra rejects both Rashbam's theory and his analogy to other stories.</fn> Each is put into a potentially fatal situation, and Bilam also becomes lame.<fn>The choice to injure the leg specifically might be related to the fact that in each case it is the leg which disobeyed Hashem in not going where it was meant to.</fn>
</point>
<point>Second camp as decoy – According to this approach, it is possible that Yaakov had prepared for his family's escape by previously dividing his people into two camps (Bereshit 32:8). The first camp with the servants and hired hands stayed put awaiting Esav, and this afforded the second camp consisting of Yaakov's wives and children an opportunity to escape from danger.<fn>The encounter with the angel, though, foiled the implementation of this plan by detaining Yaakov, and Yaakov's family was then forced to reunite with the other camp. The advantage of this option is that it accounts for why Yaakov split his camp in two in 32:8, while there is no indication of this division in two when Esav arrived. See Yaakov's Dividing of his Camp for elaboration.</fn></point> <point>Esav's intentions – Rashbam maintains that Esav was coming with peaceful intentions and that the 400 men accompanying him were serving as an honor guard rather than a fighting army. This is consistent with Rashbam's understanding that Hashem wanted to prevent Yaakov from fleeing and avoiding a reconciliation with Esav.<fn>Were Rashbam to have adopted Rashi's position that Esav was coming with a clear intent to do battle, it would have been more difficult for Rashbam to argue that Yaakov should have been punished for attempting to flee.</fn></point> <point>"אִישׁ" – angel or human? Rashbam understands the "אִישׁ" to be an angel sent by Hashem.</point> <point>Reality or prophecy? According to Rashbam, the encounter was real and not part of a dream.</point> <point>"וַיֵּאָבֵק" – Rashbam views the angel's wrestling as both punitive and preventative. The angel fought, in part, simply to delay Yaakov and prevent him from escaping and avoiding the reunion with Esav.<fn>Hashem wanted to ensure that Yaakov would have to encounter Esav and his men. When the meeting passed peacefully, he would then recognize that God had indeed protected him, and kept His original promise to bring Yaakov home safely.</fn></point> <point>"וַיִּגַּע בְּכַף יְרֵכוֹ" – The angel wounded Yaakov's thigh in order to punish him for doubting Hashem's power and for attempting to run away.<fn>See the discussion above for parallel occasions in which a person's leg was wounded for disobeying Hashem's orders.</fn></point> <point>"כִּי עָלָה הַשָּׁחַר" – According to Rashbam, the angel needed to end the struggle by dawn so that Yaakov would be free to encounter Esav.</point> <point>The blessing – For Rashbam's position, it is unclear why Yaakov should deserve a blessing after having acted against Hashem's wishes.<fn>Possibly for this reason, Rashbam interprets "כִּי אִם בֵּרַכְתָּנִי", as Yaakov merely requesting that he not suffer any permanent damage from the encounter.</fn></point> <point>"כִּי שָׂרִיתָ עִם אֱלֹהִים וְעִם אֲנָשִׁים וַתּוּכָל" – These words, which suggest that Yaakov ultimately won the fight, present a difficulty for Rashbam. If the angel's actions are a punishment for Yaakov, how could Yaakov emerge victorious?<fn>See Nechama Leibowitz, Iyyunim BeSefer Bereshit (Jerusalem, 1992): 256, who rejects Rashbam's approach for this reason.</fn> Rashbam could perhaps answer that once Yaakov's thigh was wounded, his sin was atoned for, and he could then win the duel.<fn>In the parallel cases brought by Rashbam, the punished parties are ultimately saved as well. According to Rashbam, Hashem wants to teach the offenders a lesson, but then have them continue their mission.</fn></point> <point>"רָאִיתִי אֱלֹהִים... וַתִּנָּצֵל נַפְשִׁי" – According to this approach, Yaakov realizes that, because of his sin, he had a close call with death.<fn>Cf. "וַיִּפְגְּשֵׁהוּ ה' וַיְבַקֵּשׁ הֲמִיתוֹ" by Moshe in Shemot 4:24.</fn></point> <point>Crux of the position – Rashbam attempts to elucidate a number of enigmatic Biblical episodes by finding their common denominator of punishment for going against God's wishes. However, this does not fit well with the general motif of Divine protection and blessing which pervades the story.</point> </opinion> <opinion>Past Actions
Hashem sent an angel to injure Yaakov as a punishment for prior transgressions.
<mekorot> Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan), Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, R. Ephraim, Akeidat Yitzchak, Keli Yekar </mekorot>
<point>What sin?
- Did not tithe – Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan) and Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer criticize Yaakov for not fulfilling his vow at Beit El to give a tenth of his possessions to God.<fn>They have Yaakov atoning for this by tithing his children and giving Levi to Hashem. The position is somewhat perplexing, not only because of the human tithing, but also because Yaakov has not yet returned in peace, and thus has of yet no reason to fulfill his oath. It is possible that the explanation is motivated, in part, from a desire to have the tribe of Levi chosen before the story of Shekhem.</fn>
- Married four wives – R. Ephraim blames Yaakov for marrying four sisters.<fn>R. Ephraim assumes like the Midrash that Bilhah and Zilpah were sisters of Rachel and Leah. For an in depth analysis regarding whether the Avot kept the commandments before the revelation at Sinai, see Avot and Mitzvot.</fn>
- Materialism – Akeidat Yitzchak and the Keli Yekar suggest that Yaakov crossed the river alone to retrieve several small jars which he had forgotten.<fn>This is based on Bavli Chulin. The Bavli, though, views Yaakov's guarding of his property in a positive light, as an attempt by Yaakov to ensure that he does not come to steal.</fn> They fault him for his over attachment to his possessions and his materialistic bent.
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<point>"אִישׁ" – angel or human? All of these commentators maintain that it was an angel who struggled with Yaakov. According to the Keli Yekar, the "אִישׁ" is the guardian angel of Esav, also known as Samael.</point> <point>Reality or prophecy? These commentators explain that this was happening in real life.</point> <point>"וַיִּגַּע בְּכַף יְרֵכוֹ" – R. Ephraim suggests that the thigh specifically was injured since Yaakov's sin of marrying too many women directly related to that limb.<fn>Cf. the Akeidat Yitzchak who says that the thigh represents the punishment of future generations. The Keli Yekar suggests that the thigh represents that which is hidden, and thus, when Samael saw that he was not successful in swaying Yaakov away from Hashem he tried to at least ensure that he not be able to learn the hidden secrets of Torah.</fn></point> <point>"שַׁלְּחֵנִי כִּי עָלָה הַשָּׁחַר" – According to Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan), the angel had to end the struggle since it was time to go back to heaven to sing Hashem's praises. Akeidat Yitzchak, on the other hand, explains that the angel wanted to give Yaakov time to prepare for his meeting with Esav.</point> <point>Crux of the position – This approach is unique in that it does not posit any fundamental connection between this story and the surrounding story of the reunion with Esav. As our episode makes no mention of Esav, it is viewed as an independent unit.</point> </opinion> </category> <category>Attack
Esav's advocate or guardian angel assaulted Yaakov in an effort to reclaim the birthright and blessings.
<mekorot> Rashi, R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, Ba'alei HaTosafot, Ma'asei Hashem, R. D"Z Hoffmann </mekorot> <point>"אִישׁ" – angel or human? These commentators maintain that the "אִישׁ" who struggled with Yaakov was an angel. Rashi and Ma'asei Hashem identify him with the guardian angel of Esav. However, this position could also suggest that the "אִישׁ" was a human representative of Esav, coming to attack Yaakov on his behalf.<fn>Such a position would avoid the theological problem posed by a rogue angel attacking Yaakov against God's will that he not be harmed.</fn></point> <point>Reality or prophecy? This approach asserts that the struggle was a physical one and not part of a prophetic dream.</point> <point>"וַיֵּאָבֵק" – Rashi and R. Yosef Bekhor Shor both raise two possibilities as to the word's etymology, suggesting that it is either related to the root אבק meaning dust or to the Aramaic אבק/חבק which means to tie or twist, referring to the tangled, wrestling arms and legs of the fighters.<fn>According to both explanations, the confrontation is a hostile one.</fn></point> <point>"וַיִּגַּע בְּכַף יְרֵכוֹ" – R. Yosef Bekhor Shor understands the angel's actions simply, as an attempt to overpower Yaakov and catch him off balance. In contrast, a Tosafist manuscript relates it to the angel's desire to seek revenge for the sale of the birthright, by causing a defect in Yaakov, and rendering him unfit to offer sacrifices.<fn>The Tosafist position understands the birthright as a religious status, the priestly privilege of serving God and bringing sacrifices. See Sale of the Birthright for elaboration. According to this, there is no special significance to the thigh itself, as any blemish would have sufficed. Cf. Ma'asei Hashem who suggests that Yaakov guarded the bill of sale by his thigh and the angel was attempting to steal it back.</fn></point> <point>"וַיַּרְא כִּי לֹא יָכֹל לוֹ" – R. Yosef Bekhor Shor and R. D"Z Hoffmann emphasize that it was only due to Hashem's mercy and help that Yaakov was able to overcome the angel. If one posits, on the other hand, that the adversary was human, it is understandable how Yaakov might have overpowered him.</point> <point>"כִּי אִם בֵּרַכְתָּנִי" – Rashi asserts that Yaakov was telling the angel that he would not let him free until he affirmed that the blessings of Yitzchak rightfully belonged to Yaakov.</point> <point>Change of name – According to Rashi, the change of name represents an admission that the blessings did not belong to Yaakov due to his trickery (עקבה) but rather because he rightfully deserved them.</point> <point>"לָמָּה זֶּה תִּשְׁאַל לִשְׁמִי" – R. Yosef Bekhor Shor suggests that the angel refused to reveal his name since, generally, a defeated party does not want to publicize his identity.<fn>He also brings alternative possibilities: that angels don't share their names, that they don't have names, or that they don't want people to know their names so that they won't swear by them.</fn></point> <point>"רָאִיתִי אֱלֹהִים... וַתִּנָּצֵל נַפְשִׁי" – R. Yosef Bekhor Shor explains that Yaakov's words refer not to being saved from seeing an angel,<fn>Yaakov would not have found such salvation surprising as he had previously encountered angels without negative repercussions.</fn> but from fighting with one.<fn>From Rashi's comment on 33:10 it seems that he might understand that Yaakov was relieved that he didn't die from merely seeing the angel.</fn> He points out that the root ראה can also be used to refer to combat.<fn>As proof, he brings a parallel from Melakhim II 14:8 where the root ראה is similarly used in a context of war .</fn></point> <point>"שַׁלְּחֵנִי כִּי עָלָה הַשָּׁחַר" – According to Rashi, the angel needed to depart at dawn to return to heaven to sing Hashem's praises. R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, in contrast, explains that demonic powers lose their strength to harm in daylight.</point> <point>"רָאִיתִי פָנֶיךָ כִּרְאֹת פְּנֵי אֱלֹהִים" – Rashi reads this as Yaakov comparing his encounter with Esav to his meeting Esav's angel. Yaakov is cautioning Esav not to attack lest he be defeated like his guardian angel.</point> <point>Crux of the position – This approach views the episode as closing the larger circle of the Yaakov and Esav stories by affirming Yaakov's birthright, as well as insuring that Esav will not be able to harm Yaakov in their immediately following meeting.</point> </category> </approaches> </page> </aht-xml>
