Yaakov as a Fighter

Parshat Vayishlach 

by Rabbi Avi Billet 

The narratives of the forefathers depict Yitzchak as having a relatively unexciting life, while Avraham and Yaakov have many adventures. The Vilna Gaon noted that when Rivkah told Yaakov at the time she was instructing him to disguise himself to take the Brachos purportedly designated for Eisav, when she said עלי קללתך בני (Your curse is on me, my son), what she was hinting to was that the acronym עלי stands for all those who would be a source of suffering in Yaakov’s life, namely Eisav (ע), Lavan (ל), and Yosef (י). Eisav and Lavan will do what they do, while the suffering from Yosef will come on account of not knowing what has happened to him, when he is sold down to Egypt. 

While the parsha begins in the aftermath of Yaakov’s encounters with Lavan, it goes right into his encounters with Eisav’s clan. (The troubles with Yosef will begin in the next parsha, Vayeshev.) Before he meets Eisav directly, he has a struggle with a man in the nighttime. The man is often identified as an angel, though which angel is a debate, but most are of the view that it is Eisav’s guardian angel. 

While Yaakov did all he could to avoid a physical confrontation with Lavan, and may also be trying to avoid a physical confrontation with Eisav, it seems from this initial struggle and subsequent meeting with Eisav, who is the companied by 400 men, that Yaakov’s plans may not turn out the way he wishes. 

 We know from when he moved the stone off the well (29:10) that he is a man of great physical strength, and perhaps his working as a shepherd for 20 years is further attestation to his physical prowess. 

 And so, when he is a wrestling with the man/angel, it seems very clear through the course of the match that he (Yaakov) will be the victor (32:26). Rabbi Yaakov Medan argues that his adversary went for a move that is utilized by weak losers who have no alternative if they don’t want to submit in a fight that they have lost. 

 The text describes the adversary touching Yaakov בכף ירכו, a strike which can be identified through a number of Midrashim as what we would call a “low blow” or “below the belt.” 

 Bereshit Raba says he touched “the righteous who would come from him;” the Pesikta says “this refers to his circumcision - an indication that in difficult times the enemy would make decrees against circumcision;” Midrash Sechel Tov says “this refers to those who share the covenant with Yaakov, who come from his loins.” 

Rav Medan points to a passage in Tosefta Shabbos 15:9 which is critical of those who tried to undo their circumcision during the Roman period, particularly during the events of the Bar Kokhba rebellion. He then notes how Rome was considered by the Rabbis to be a continuation of the kingdom of Eisav. 

 In other words, this fight and struggle was a premonition for how Rome would be encouraging, one way or another, for Jewish males to undo their circumcision. This, Rav Medan argues, was the goal of the man Yaakov was fighting. 

 A very serious difference between Yaakov and Eisav is in the culture of the women that they married. Avraham established a rule for the family that we don’t marry Canaanite women. Yaakov followed the rule, Eisav did not - he married Canaanite women, effectively removing himself from the covenant forged with Avraham. Because of his personally inflicted ousting, however, his angel is now trying to undo Yaakov’s connection to the covenant as well. But Yaakov sidesteps, or pushes the angel’s touch to his thigh, thus handling an injury, albeit not the one the angel intended. 

 Thus, while not being able to harm or undo Yaakov’s “bris,” we can argue that his inability to undo is a way that Yaakov’s Bris Milah is re-affirmed. Yaakov won’t let the angel go until the angel blesses him. The blessing he is given is essentially a new name, which certainly follows the custom we have today of giving a name to a male at the time of his Bris. Later on, when God confirms this new name at Beit El, the blessing He will give Yaakov will essentially be the same blessing Avraham was given at the original Bris Milah (also given a new name at that event), thereby suggesting a roundabout connection between Yaakov’s fight which resulted in a new name, and that new name being given – twice – in the context of an action or statement related to the Covenant of Circumcision.

בראשית פרק לה (י) וַיֹּֽאמֶר־ל֥וֹ אֱלֹהִ֖ים שִׁמְךָ֣ יַעֲקֹ֑ב לֹֽא־יִקָּרֵא֩ שִׁמְךָ֨ ע֜וֹד יַעֲקֹ֗ב כִּ֤י אִם־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ יִהְיֶ֣ה שְׁמֶ֔ךָ וַיִּקְרָ֥א אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל: (יא) וַיֹּאמֶר֩ ל֨וֹ אֱלֹהִ֜ים אֲנִ֨י אֵ֤ל שַׁדַּי֙ פְּרֵ֣ה וּרְבֵ֔ה גּ֛וֹי וּקְהַ֥ל גּוֹיִ֖ם יִהְיֶ֣ה מִמֶּ֑ךָּ וּמְלָכִ֖ים מֵחֲלָצֶ֥יךָ יֵצֵֽאוּ: (יב) וְאֶת־הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָתַ֛תִּי לְאַבְרָהָ֥ם וּלְיִצְחָ֖ק לְךָ֣ אֶתְּנֶ֑נָּה וּֽלְזַרְעֲךָ֥ אַחֲרֶ֖יךָ אֶתֵּ֥ן אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ:

בראשית פרק יז (ה) וְלֹא־יִקָּרֵ֥א עוֹ֛ד אֶת־שִׁמְךָ֖ אַבְרָ֑ם וְהָיָ֤ה שִׁמְךָ֙ אַבְרָהָ֔ם כִּ֛י אַב־הֲמ֥וֹן גּוֹיִ֖ם נְתַתִּֽיךָ: (ו) וְהִפְרֵתִ֤י אֹֽתְךָ֙ בִּמְאֹ֣ד מְאֹ֔ד וּנְתַתִּ֖יךָ לְגוֹיִ֑ם וּמְלָכִ֖ים מִמְּךָ֥ יֵצֵֽאוּ: (ז) וַהֲקִמֹתִ֨י אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֜י בֵּינִ֣י וּבֵינֶ֗ךָ וּבֵ֨ין זַרְעֲךָ֧ אַחֲרֶ֛יךָ לְדֹרֹתָ֖ם לִבְרִ֣ית עוֹלָ֑ם לִהְי֤וֹת לְךָ֙ לֵֽאלֹהִ֔ים וּֽלְזַרְעֲךָ֖ אַחֲרֶֽיךָ: (ח) וְנָתַתִּ֣י לְ֠ךָ וּלְזַרְעֲךָ֨ אַחֲרֶ֜יךָ אֵ֣ת׀ אֶ֣רֶץ מְגֻרֶ֗יךָ אֵ֚ת כָּל־אֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן לַאֲחֻזַּ֖ת עוֹלָ֑ם וְהָיִ֥יתִי לָהֶ֖ם לֵאלֹהִֽים:

Rav Medan notes that the concept of placing the hand under the ירך (thigh? back? near the circumcision?) is utilized at least in two other places in the Torah – Avraham swearing in his servant to bring back an appropriate wife for Yitzchak, and Yaakov having Yosef swear that Yaakov will be buried in Eretz Canaan. 

 As there is no indication that he “let go” of Yaakov, that Yaakov is holding on to him and not letting him go may indicate that they were in a stalemate. The angel was cheating, but Yaakov was not letting him leave. The angel was unable to hurt Yaakov where he wanted to, and Yaakov had redirected the attack against himself to his thigh, and yet he held the angel in that position, forcing the angel’s blessing to be more of a promise because his hand was already on the ירך. 

 The name given is Yisrael – which is explained by the angel as meaning “For you have struggled with God and men and have overcome.” This blessing/promise is meant to affirm for Yaakov that he and his descendants will survive through the fights they will ultimately face – both with their relationship with God and their struggles with those bent on their destruction. 

 Yaakov set a precedent that he does not want to fight. But he also came to understand that confrontations are not always avoidable. We can debate, for example, who was right in the aftermath of the Shechem military confrontation – Yaakov, who wanted to sit back, or his sons, who took matters into their own hands and ended the threat against them. 

 The promise is that Yisrael will survive. Sometimes this comes at a very heavy and difficult price, but it remains the key for how and why we are still here after so many thousands of years.