This week's parasha features Jacob wrestling with the angel of God.
32:23] He arose that night and took his two wives, his two concubines, and his eleven children, and crossed over the Jabbok [river]. 24] Once he had taken them and brought them over the stream, he brought over all his possessions. 25] Jacob was left alone. A man wrestled with him until the break of dawn. 26] When he saw that he could not overcome him, he struck at his hip socket, and wrenched Jacob’s hip socket in his wrestling with him. 27] He said, “Send me off, for dawn is breaking!”But he replied, “I will not send you off until you bless me!”28] He asked him, “What is your name?”and he replied, “Jacob.”29] He said, “No longer shall Jacob be your name, but rather, Israel, for you have striven with God and with people and have prevailed.”30] Again Jacob implored, “Tell me your name!” And he replied, “Why do you ask for my name?”and he blessed him there. 31] So Jacob called that place Peni-el [“Face of God”], “for I have seen God face-to-face and my life has been spared.”32] The sun arose above him as he crossed Penu-el; he was limping on his hip. 33] Therefore Israelites, to this day, do not eat the thigh tendon that sits on the hip socket, for he struck Jacob’s hip socket on the thigh tendon.
33:1] Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming, 400 men with him! He split up the children of Leah, Rachel, and the two concubines. 2] He put the concubines and their children first, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last. 3] He crossed in front of them and bowed low to the earth seven times as he approached his brother. 4] Esau ran out to greet him and embraced him, falling upon his neck, kissing him, and weeping.
1. Jacob wrestles all night with a mysterious messenger. What keeps you up at night? What are the big issues with which you are wrestling that seem like a struggle in your life?
2. For Jacob, NAMING or IDENTIFYING his adversary seems very important, and yet the opponent refuses to give a name. Do you find that identifying or naming your struggles is difficult? Is it necessary in order to overcome them first to identify them?
3. Jacob emerges with blessing, but also with an injury. How do the big issues with which you are wrestling seem to be either/both hurting and/or blessing you?
A few responsa to question 2:
ReplyDelete1) My wife and I once went to a comedy club with another couple who insisted on sitting near the stage. The caustic but funny Judy Gold asked my wife her name early in the act and my wife Debbie refused. This kept the comic from using Debbie as the object of her ridicule for the duration of the act.
2) In Stephen Sondheim's "Company" there is a brilliant song called "Barcelona" that distills the dating scene into a tragi-comic reduction. On "the morning after," Bobby the bachelor cannot remember if the girl with whom he has awoken is named April or June. This entangles him further.
3) I had a customer who was a Holocaust survivor. This man became very successful in business and was a generous philanthropist. Sadly though, he could not remember names. He turned this lemon into lemonade by greeting men with "Hiya, handsome!". Thus, he exonerated himself and flattered even the least attractive.
In summary, not knowing a name can represent a) armor, b) danger, or c) opportunity.
Shabbat shalom.