| And Ya’akov (Jacob) sent messengers ahead of him to Eisav (Esau) his brother, to the land of Seir, in Edom. | Vayishlach Ya’akov malachim lefanav el Eisav akhiv artza Seir, s’de Edom. | וַיִּשְׁלַח יַעֲקֹב מַלְאָכִים לְפָנָיו אֶל־עֵשָׂו אָחִיו אַרְצָה שֵׂעִיר שְׂדֵה אֱדוֹם׃ |
Jacob Wrestling with an Angel: Theme and Variations
INSTRUCTIONS TO BE ADDED SHORTLY (BLI NEDER)
Jacob holding Angel in a headlock:
Jacob pinning angel:
The Brothers Embrace, and make Peace
Torah Thoughts
This week Ya’akov / Jacob becomes Yisrael/Israel, after whom we are named.
It is important to note that the actual text does not say “angel” but “man.” Some think this may have been Eisav. But the fact that Ya’akov’s name is changed to Yisrael, or “one who wrestles with G-d,” indicates that the one with whom Ya’akov wrestled was divinely sent.
Note, too, that the wings are not really a Jewish depiction, though they are possible.. If y’all write to me and ask me to remove them in large enough numbers, I will do so. But the wings made the snacks more interesting looking and emphasized that it may have been an angel, to Western eyes.
That being said, it is also important to understand the Jewish idea of angels. They are essentially automatons, created by G-d for a specific task, only to disappear thereafter (like my keys). Other than the Archangels, they are not eternal, and are not human souls, but their own sort of being.