November 22, 2007

Vayishlach,  Genesis 32:4−36:43

Of the three Biblical patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob)—only Jacob is a twin. He and his twin brother, Esau, were often at odds with each other for parental love and affection. Eventually, Jacob tricks his twin brother out of both the birthright and their father’s death bed blessing, and Jacob skips town because he fears that his brother might hurt, or even kill him.

Jacob ends up at the home of his Uncle Laban, where once again he ends up in a unique experience involving doubles. After falling in love with Rachel and being promised her hand by Laban, Jacob finds himself being the victim of deception this time. He expects Rachel to be under the bridal veil, but soon he discovers that he has instead married Leah, her sister.

After seven more years, Jacob is married to both Rachel and Leah. Again, he is the only one of the patriarchs to do something involving the number two: he alone practices the common Near Eastern practice of polygamy. Jacob seems to be a man who lives in the shadow of doubles, and this duplication might well symbolize the duplicity that haunts him. Even as a young boy, his life was characterized by deception and trickery. As an adult, he is either the victim of similar betrayal or again the perpetrator.

Consequently, Jacob finds himself running away again—this time from his father in law. He knows that if he returns home, he might meet back up with his estranged brother Esau; Jacob is prepared to do so—if more than a little frightened. Eventually, the reunion is scheduled. On the night before the brothers are to meet, the text tell us that Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until the rise of dawn" (Genesis 32:25).
Generally, when we read this story, we focus on the strange man who wrestled all night with Jacob. But let’s look for a minute at the introduction to this tale: Jacob is left alone.

For the first time in his entire life, there is nobody else with Jacob. We first “meet” the third patriarch when he is still in utero; Rebecca is having a severely harsh pregnancy, asks God why she is experiencing such pain. She is told that “two nations are struggling in her womb,” and that is the context in which Jacob is introduced. He never seems to stop struggling with someone.

And now he finds himself alone. In a fascinating analysis of this passage, Rabbi Jan Kaztew suggests that when the mysterious night visitor arrives, Jacob is alone, facing an opponent he cannot deceive ─ himself:

He looks at himself and confronts an ish, a "human being," with whom he is unfamiliar and from whom he is alienated. Jacob is blessed with an opportunity to change his identity by coming to terms with a part of himself that he has suppressed. The Mishnah records a memorable aphorism attributed to Hillel: "In a place where there are no worthy persons, you be an ish [a worthy person]" (Pirkei Avot 2:5). The ish awakens inside Jacob when he is alone. Jewish ethics are three-dimensional. There is the relationship bein adam lamakom, "between ourselves and God," the relationship bein adam l’chevro, "between a person and another person," and bein adam l’atzmo , "between a person and him- or herself." Jacob’s wrestling may be intrapersonal, and from it he emerges a changed human being*

Jacob is given a new name after he wrestles with this man/angel. But when he is given the name Israel—one who struggles with God---the old name, Jacob, is not taken away. Both names and both identities reveal a life-long struggle, which is one that all of us as Children of Israel must also face. Sometimes we are self-centered and duplicitous. Other times we are selfless and  sincere.  We often find ourselves  struggling with these two aspects of ourselves. It isn’t easy, but they can be reconciled within us. That is the purpose, and the benefit, of spiritual growth.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Count your blessings!