In this week’s Torah portion,
Vayishlach, (Gen. 32:4–36:43) Jacob, returning to Canaan after his twenty years
in Haran, has an encounter with an unnamed divine being with whom he wrestles
until daybreak, and over whom he finally prevails. He reconciles with his brother Esau, a
meeting he anticipated with both dread and longing. Still later in the parashah, Jacob’s beloved
Rachel dies giving birth to his last son, Benjamin, and only six verses later,
we are told that Jacob went to his aged father Isaac at Hebron where, “Isaac
was one hundred and eighty years old when he breathed his last and died”, and
Jacob and Esau buried their father.
After wrestling with the divine being, Jacob demanded from
him a blessing, and received a new name, Israel, “for you have striven with
beings divine and human and prevailed”. I
believe that we could do far worse than to live life as our ancestor Jacob, who
became Israel,
lived it. Make mistakes and learn from
them. Love and do not be afraid to be
hurt by loving too well. Delve deeply
and with passion into your relationships with God and with the people around
you. As we share Israel’s name, may we
also share his legacy.
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