Torah Study Blog

In last week’s Torah portion, we learned that Jacob left his home. Although our scholar-in-residence, David Sperling, pointed out two different reasons why Jacob might have left (because he was in fear for his life, or because he wanted to find a wife) we will go with the more common version that Jacob was in fear for his life. Jacob had tricked his older brother, Esau, twice, and Esau vowed to kill Jacob.

Jacob traveled to the land of his uncle, Laban, and found refuge there. Jacob fell immediately in love with his cousin Rachel and asked to marry her. Laban offered that Jacob could marry Rachel if Jacob worked for seven years to earn Rachel. Jacob agreed – but the trickster was tricked! Jacob’s uncle, Laban, substituted his older daughter, Leah, at the marriage ceremony. Jacob was distraught, because he loved Rachel. So, Laban bargained that he could marry Rachel, too, as long as Jacob promised to work an additional seven years.

After having worked for Laban for 14 years, and having several children with his two wives and their handmaids, Jacob asked to leave the household of Laban to go and make his own household. Laban agreed
that, after six more years of work, Jacob could leave with all the speckled or spotted flock to take with him. Jacob worked a magical system where the study livestock were all born speckled or spotted and, after a total of 20 years working for his uncle, Jacob was now a wealthy man and he took his family and the livestock on his way to his new home.

Jacob and his large group traveled towards Jacob’s homeland, where Jacob was distressed by what kind of greeting his brother Esau would give him. Did Esau still want to kill Jacob? Or had the animosity subsided over the 20 years of separation? That is where this week’s Torah portion picks up...

Jacob sent a messenger to Esau to announce his arrival back in town. Jacob’s messenger returned and informed Jacob that Esau would come to meet Jacob – with 400 hundred men in tow! Hoping to appease any anger, Jacob sent a large gift to Esau of several hundred head of livestock. In

addition to appeasing any anger, Jacob is also alerting Esau that Jacob has become quite wealthy. Maybe Esau would benefit by going easy on Jacob. Or maybe Esau would surmise that Jacob had God’s favor, also making Esau consider going easy on Jacob.

The night before Jacob was to meet with Esau, Jacob was near a stream and, we are told, that a man came to wrestle with Jacob. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that this is not just a regular man. This is a messenger of God, or an angel. Jacob and the angel wrestled all night and, when the dawn began to break, the angel asked to be released. But Jacob, seizing an opportunity, refused to release the angel until the angel blessed Jacob. The angel blessed Jacob and gave him a new name, Israel, which can be translated to, “God is just.”

Throughout the course of his life, Jacob wrestled with his brother, with his uncle, and, in this story, with the divine.

The motif of a struggle involving, or near, water is ancient. In the case of Jacob, it is a struggle by a stream. In other stories it may be a crossing over the water, which can be a dangerous proposition. While water is necessary for survival, is also represents danger because people can, and do, die in water. There is an ancient belief that spirits live in the water, and they can also be dangerous. By giving this dangerous element a human form - by personifying it - storytellers give readers a way to face the danger and, at least psychologically, a way to combat it.

Danger also comes from the dark. Traditional Judaism offers a prayer called the Hashkiveinu which is a petition to God to be able to go to sleep in peace and wake up in peace. The Reform movement has removed some of the language that does not gel with modern thinking, but the traditional version of the Hashkiveinu petitions God “to remove the Satan from in front of us and behind us,” and to guard us.

These stories and prayers come from human experience. The writers understood the dangers that can come from water or from darkness. We are seeking some form of protection from the very real, frightening elements.

You can find our podcast on iTunes, Spotify or Amazon under “TINW Torah Study” or “Jennifer Jaech.” Subscribe and rate us!

misquotes or misunderstandings in what Rabbi Jaech taught us are the responsibility of Tara Keiter