Parshat Vayishlach: Genesis 32:4 – 36:43 By: Rabbi Denise L. Eger
In this week’s portion Jacob returns to the land promised to him and his ancestors. He is fulfilling the prophecy and promise that God made to him at Bethel when he fled his father’s house that one day Jacob would return. In Parshat Vayishlach Jacob is transformed yet again. Even as last week portion recounted Jacob’s transformation into a faithful participant of the eternal covenant of the descendants of Abraham, and into a devoted husband, and from servant to Laban to the wealthy head of his own household, this week’s portion continues with this theme of transformations.
As Jacob returns to the land promised to his father, Isaac and grandfather, Abraham, he is worried that his brother, Esau will take revenge for the way he stole his blessing and acquired the birthright for a cup of lentil stew so long ago. Jacob prays to God for Divine protection and safety for his family and for himself.
The night before the meeting with his brother Esau, Jacob struggles and wrestles with none other than an angel of God. He tosses and turns and in his struggle with this being (perhaps his own inner being), he is wounded in the leg. He asks the angel for a blessing and this divine being blesses him with a new name—Israel. With this new name, Jacob is transformed yet again by his struggle perhaps with right and wrong, a struggle perhaps with his past while trying to imagine and envision his future. Wounded a bit, Jacob, now Israel, does his most important spiritual and emotional growth work during the night. He is willing to place his faith in a Higher Power we call God. He knows that he is but human and that the angel is a messenger from the Holy One of Blessing.
Jacob does encounter his brother Esau the next day after crossing the river Jabbok. Jacob is embraced and reconciled with his brother. A healing occurs in their relationship even as Jacob was wounded.
Jacob/Israel’s transformation continues by the call of God who tells him to once again to visit Bethel, the place of Jacob’s ladder dream and Divine encounter. The promise of the covenant is repeated to Jacob yet again in that spot. And Jacob’s name becomes fully Israel affirming the blessing by the angel. God speaks directly to Jacob/Israel as God has always done. And Jacob/Israel affirms this blessing and restatement of the covenantal promise by dedicating a new altar at this holy site. He accepts his share of the to be loyal to the covenant.
How do we acknowledge and allow our own transformations from child to adulthood? How do we accept and come to know that God is with us? How do we encounter and struggle with the idea of God and holiness and come through with our faith intact? Even in Jacob/Israel’s woundedness there is a new wholeness, a new groundedness that embraces Jacob/Israel. He accepts a new kind of mantle of maturity and faith in himself and in God. If we could only learn how in our own struggles, fears and woundedness to turn those not into moments of bitterness or cynicism but into opportunities for emotional growth and spiritual development then we might find the peace we seek. We too might be able to strive like Jacob/Israel who was able to reconcile with his past (his brother Esau) even while establishing a new home and a new ground of being.
Jacob/Israel learned to listen with a whole heart to his inner voice and the voice of God calling to him from his dreams. He tried to overcome his fears through listening to those blessings. May we learn to listen as well.
Posted by Jimmy at December 8, 2008 03:27 PM
