“And Jacob sent angels before him.” Rashi explains these were actual angels. Some say he derived this from the proximity of this sending to the verse and angels of God encountered him. Others say it is derived from the initials of Machanayim — from that army Jacob took angels. Rabbeinu Bachya explains that he derived it from the writing “and the angels returned” when we don’t find mention of them going — because before they went, they had already returned. One can explain that this is derived from the phrase before him [lefanav] which is only mentioned here. For it says And Moses sent messengers (Numbers 20:14), and it is written And Israel sent messengers (Numbers 21:21), but “before him” is not mentioned. Rather, here it speaks of actual angels whose way is to go before him, as it is written For My angel shall go before you (Exodus 23:23). This hints that they were before him constantly, even while they were with Esau, and they appeared in two distant places simultaneously — something only possible with actual angels. And if you wish to interpret and the angels returned as referring to their verbal response when they answered him we came to your brother then it necessarily follows from within the text itself that they were actual angels.

“Thus says your servant Jacob: I have sojourned with Laban and stayed until now.” Rashi explains garti [I have sojourned] [in two ways]: [First,] I did not become a prince or important person, but rather remained a stranger [ger]. Alternatively, garti [has the numerical value of] 613 — [indicating that] I kept the 613 commandments. These two interpretations contradict each other, because if he was telling him “I did not become a prince,” then he was approaching him with submission. But if he was telling him “I kept the 613 commandments,” this implies the opposite — that he was sending a message that he was not afraid of him, because he had kept the 613 commandments and therefore was not included in [Isaac’s blessing to Esau] when you shall break free, you shall break his yoke from your neck. Furthermore, it is difficult to understand why he called him my Lord and referred to himself as servant, along with the other acts of submission he showed him. Additionally, it is puzzling why the verse would express [the keeping of] 613 [commandments] through the language of garti [sojourned].

**Therefore my heart says that these two interpretations both show the truth simultaneously,**not like Rashi’s explanation of “another interpretation,” which implies that each interpretation stands on its own. This is the explanation of the matter: Jacob sent [a message] to say “I have dwelled with Laban” — I did not become an important official but rather a stranger/sojourner, telling him that the blessings had not been fulfilled in him. He did not come to contradict his father or Heaven forbid make his blessings worthless, but rather said this: When my father blessed me, he thought I was Esau and blessed me with this understanding, and the deception I carried out did not benefit me, for the deceitful one will not roast his prey — referring to what he fed his father to obtain the blessings. For no person can touch what is prepared for another, and all the blessings follow my father’s intention, and in his mind they were meant to take effect on Esau’s head and so it shall be. The proof of this is that I am a stranger in the land, not an important official. And if you would say the blessings will eventually be fulfilled in me, and the reason I haven’t become important until now is because I haven’t fulfilled the Torah — for this was the condition at the time of receiving the blessings, contingent on fulfilling the 613 commandments, as it is said And it shall be when you break free and cast off his yoke etc. To this he said garti [I dwelled] — behold I kept the 613 commandments and nevertheless did not become important, rather certainly my actions did not help, for deception does not benefit the deceiver, and the blessings will take effect on the head of whom Isaac intended at the time of giving the blessings. Therefore he said garti, which includes both meanings — the concept of being a stranger/sojourner, and the concept of 613 [commandments], telling you that even though I kept the 613 commandments, nevertheless I am a stranger in the land. For if not this, why did he say garti [I dwelled]? He should have said “avadeti [I served],” for in truth he was a servant to Laban which demonstrates even more the opposite of the blessing be master over your brothers. Rather, it was to understand from the word garti the letters of “taryag” (613). And if I were not afraid of my colleagues, I would erase “another interpretation” from Rashi’s commentary, for in truth both interpretations need each other.

And I have oxen and donkeys. Rashi explains that a person refers to many oxen as a single ox. Since Jacob said Thus says your servant Jacob, calling himself a servant, he was saying to Esau that the blessing Be master over your brothers belongs to you [Esau], and I am your servant. And what a servant acquires belongs to his master, so what benefit is there to the owner if the servant has nothing in his possession? And how will a poor servant find favor in his master’s eyes? Therefore, Jacob said I have everything — oxen and donkeys — because through this I will find favor in your eyes, and what’s mine is yours. This is why he said I have sent to tell my Lord, to find favor in your eyes, for a wealthy servant finds more favor in his master’s eyes than a poor servant. This is why he referred to many oxen as a single ox, to say that what I have is not mine, and many oxen are like one ox because I am under others’ authority, therefore everything is considered in my eyes as minimal.

Another explanation: He came to minimize himself and say that just as the blessing Be master over your brothers was not fulfilled in me, so too all the other blessings were not fulfilled in me. For my father told me [I would receive] from the dew of heaven and the fat of the earth, but this [wealth] is neither from heaven nor from earth — this is Rashi’s language. However, this is difficult — if so, where did the animals come from? From the air? Or were they created ex nihilo? Rather, this is its explanation: My father said And may God give you from the dew of heaven and the fat of the earth. The “and” [vav] of and may give indicates that I am first obligated to act naturally, doing everything within my power to work and bear the burden through my own efforts for all my needs. And this small amount that I can achieve through my own strength and might — God will send His blessing into it with abundant increase and abundance, until this small amount before me will break forth abundantly. This is the blessing from the dew of heaven — like this dew which does not depend on man nor wait for humans. Similarly, the additional blessing of abundance does not depend on the work of one’s hands. Likewise, the earth will add from its finest and fatness an increase of abundance. Therefore it says and may give with a vav, because in addition to what I achieve through my toil, God will add to me from His blessing an abundance of satisfaction and fullness of God’s blessing. As it is written (Sifrei Re’eh 158), “One might think even if he sits idle? Therefore Scripture states in all the work of your hands which you do. And so I did — I was not sitting idle but rather worked and toiled greatly, and sleep fled from my eyes these 20 years, until this handful of rest that I have was achieved from handfuls of toil and vexation of spirit. And this small amount, like a small man’s palm, is all in exchange for my work and this is mine. But I have not seen any additional blessing here. If the blessings were fulfilled in me, that God would add to me from the dew of heaven and fat of the earth as He said, then by rights I should have oxen and donkeys and servants and maidservants twice as many, a thousand times over. And according to the proportion of the blessings, all that you see that I have is considered as nothing more than one ox and one donkey, and I don’t see in my handiwork any multiplication of abundance and blessing, only what the nature of toil requires. For I have dwelled with Laban, and not for nothing did I dwell with him, but rather for the hard work which I toiled, and everything was in payment for my work. But there is no additional blessing here, for in proportion to the blessings, this is nothing but one ox.

And if you were to say the blessings have indeed been fulfilled in you, and that the reason you only have this small amount is because you only labored for a short time — a year or two — and according to the natural return for such effort, you shouldn’t have even this much wealth, except that God’s blessing rests upon your handiwork. To this he [Jacob] responds, I have sojourned with Laban, and furthermore, until now — from the day I left you until now it has been 20 years in his house. And with all the effort over such a long period, my hand has not found great wealth, but only this small amount which I have, which is what one might naturally obtain through much toil and effort. If so, this cannot be [the fulfillment of the blessing of] the dew of heaven and the fat of the earth.

And if you will say [one might object], “I never worked for all this except for a short time, and it increased greatly due to the blessings.” And what you took as proof from the statement “until now” is not proof, for who can say that you toiled and worked all those days? Perhaps you worked only some of the days, and afterwards you lived there without serving because living there was pleasing in your eyes, as sometimes it is difficult for a person to separate from good people with whom he dwells and is accustomed to. Therefore, he [Jacob] specified saying I have sojourned with Laban — this Laban, the deceiver and scoundrel, you know the man and his deeds — and woe to me that I had to dwell such a long time with a man of evil deeds. And why did I delay until now? This is only because necessity brought me to this point, for with all my toil over this long time, my hand has only attained this small amount which is before me.

And if you will ask why I delayed for such a long time, [one might think] it was because “a place finds favor in the eyes of its inhabitants” and I was a permanent resident there, therefore the separation was difficult for me. To this he responds I have sojourned [garti] — I was merely a temporary dweller there and not a permanent resident, and I was wandering in fields and forests. Therefore, neither the charm of the place upon its inhabitants applies here, nor the charm of its owner, for Laban is his name and villainy is with him. Nevertheless, I stayed there for such a long time. Even so, I have acquired ox and donkey — for in comparison to the blessings [I was supposed to receive], everything amounts to just one ox, and there is no blessing here except what naturally results from toil. Thus, none of the blessings were fulfilled in me — neither the blessing of be a master [since I am merely a sojourner], nor the blessing of abundant prosperity that comes from the dew of heaven and the fat of the earth, for all this came through toil and not from the abundant blessing that comes from heaven’s dew and earth’s richness. Therefore it says he took from what came to his hand as a gift for Esau — showing him as if everything he had was not from heaven and earth, but rather from what came to his hand, meaning what came to him through his strength and the labor of his hands, and did not come through additional divine blessing. He hinted at this to Esau when he instructed his messengers to respond to the question to whom do you belong with to your servant Jacob. Why would they say to your servant Jacob? After all, the earth and its fullness belong to God — they should have said that these servants were given to Jacob by God! Rather, [they said this] so that Esau would not understand that the servants came to him through additional divine blessing, but rather through Jacob’s own toil. Nevertheless, God forbid to say that Jacob attributed his capability to his own strength and might. Rather, out of fear he spoke falsely, and when confessing before the Holy One, blessed be He, he said exactly the opposite, as will be explained shortly in the verse I have become small [katonti].

“We came to your brother, to Esau.” The messengers said to him [Jacob], “You told him Thus says your servant Jacob, as if acknowledging the blessings, saying ‘you are the mighty Lord and I am your servant.’ However, Esau did not accept this and said he is not a servant but rather a brother. This is what they meant when they said we came to your brother — according to Esau’s own words that he said ‘he is my brother’ and not ‘my servant.’ Through this, he revealed to us that his heart is not at peace with you. And not only is he not at peace with you, but he is also coming towards you — and this can only mean to wage war against you. The proof of this is that 400 men are with him, which can only be for the purpose of war. Another explanation of we came to your brother is that he shows signs of brotherhood and love, however, we see the opposite of this as well, for he is coming out to meet you. Therefore we are perplexed by the matter. For this reason Jacob said Save me, please, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau — for he presents himself as a brother, but in truth he is Esau in his wickedness and the deceptive hunter. As it says God is with me among my helpers (Psalms 118:7) — referring to those who present themselves as helpers and lovers, while hatred is concealed in their hearts.

“And Jacob was very afraid and distressed.” Regarding this fear, all the commentators went out to gather [explanations] but did not find a satisfactory reason for why and about what he was afraid, since the Holy One, blessed be He, had promised him twice to protect him — the first time in the vision of the ladder where it was said I will protect you wherever you go, and the second time when he was in Laban’s house where it was said Return to your native land and I will be with you. And what they explained — that he was afraid that sin might cause [the promise to be nullified] — the mind refuses to accept this opinion, because it was just eight days ago that he was told in Laban’s house Return to your native land, and could it possibly enter one’s mind to say that in the meantime he became corrupted and committed such a great sin that would cause this destiny to be nullified? And the Abarbanel struggled greatly with this question.

What seems most correct to me in resolving this uncertainty is based on what our Sages said (Sotah 41b): Rabbi Elazar said, “Whoever flatters his fellow will ultimately fall into his hands.” Similarly here, Jacob sensed within himself that he had sinned by flattering the wicked one when he said Thus says your servant Jacob. Our Sages also criticized Jacob for this, as it concludes (in Genesis Rabbah 75:2), “Esau was going his way… and Jacob made the sacred profane by calling Esau ‘my Lord’ out of flattery, as he flattered the wicked one.” Therefore, he was afraid because Jacob knew that this is the natural consequence — that whoever flatters the wicked will ultimately fall into his hands. This is why it says Jacob was afraid. And although Jacob undoubtedly had so many merits that would outweigh this sin, nevertheless, he was distressed that some of his merits would be deducted in order to save him from his brother Esau. This is why it says and he was distressed.

Some say that Jacob was afraid [means he feared] that Esau would kill him, and he was distressed because he was distressed about the [possible] death of his father Isaac. For Esau had said Let the days of mourning for my father draw near, then I will kill my brother (Genesis 27:41). Therefore, [Jacob] thought that since Esau was coming out to meet him, his father must certainly have died already. This is the conclusion drawn in the book Toldot Isaac. And it seems to me that this explains what was said above (Genesis 31:42) and the Fear of Isaac, while here it says the God of my father Isaac. After all, the Holy One, Blessed be He, does not associate His name with the righteous during their lifetime (Tanchuma Toldot 7). So why does it say here the God of my father Isaac? Rather, it is because at this point he believed that his father Isaac was dead, since Esau was coming out to meet him to kill him. According to this explanation, we do not need Rashi’s interpretation here, where he explained that “I come with two promises…”

And there are those who say that the name “Elohim,” which indicates the attribute of strict justice, he [Jacob] specifically mentioned in reference to his forefathers, because the merit of the forefathers would be sufficient for him to withstand even the attribute of strict justice. However, his own merit was small, such that on his own merits he could only stand before the attribute of mercy. Therefore it says “Hashem who said to me,” [using the name indicating mercy], because in the face of strict justice I cannot stand as I don’t have enough merits, for I have been diminished by all the kindnesses — meaning I have received reward far greater than my deeds deserve, for God’s kindnesses have exceeded all His works. Thus all of His works [our deeds] are small compared to His kindnesses, as it is written For His kindness has overwhelmed us (Psalms 117:2).

“I have become small from all the kindnesses.” It appears that Jacob mentioned two promises before the Holy One, Blessed be He, as Rashi explained. Jacob said, “Just as You fulfilled one promise for me, so too fulfill the second one for me.” For the first promise was regarding protection, as it is written I will guard you wherever you go and I will return you to this land. Since he was already promised protection and that He would return him to his native land, why then did he need to be promised a second time in Laban’s house, Return to your native land and I will be with you? Rather, certainly this [second] promise was not spoken about protection from all evil in the sense of “turn away from evil” — meaning to remove harm from him. Instead, this promise was about “do good,” namely to bestow benefit upon him. That is why here, in place of “I will be with you,” it states and I will do good with you — which is an explanation of “I will be with you.”

And regarding the matter of bestowing good: It [the text] should have said “and I will do good to you,” but instead it uses with you [imkha], to teach that in matters of receiving goodness, the owner must be with Him in his work. For a person needs to act within the natural way of things, doing all that is within their power to do, and then the Holy One, Blessed be He, will complete it through him and add an abundance of blessing to it. This is explained above in the verse and I have acquired ox and donkey. This is what is meant by I will do good with you. This is the second promise that He promised to send blessing to his storehouses, and regarding this promise he [Jacob] spoke in a way that suggested it had already been fulfilled, saying I have become small from all the kindnesses, for Jacob was small and his strength was weak to attribute all his found wealth and possessions to his own power and might. Rather, certainly it was God’s kindness all day long — He was the one who made him this fortune.

And the proof of this is that with my staff alone I crossed this Jordan. I was completely empty-handed, having nothing but my staff. And now I have become two camps. By saying and now, it indicates that it was as if he accumulated all this wealth just now, in the blink of an eye. For he worked 14 years for [Laban’s] two daughters and six years for his flocks, and when Laban said to him Name your wages and I will give them, in a short time he amassed great wealth and possessions, which naturally would have been impossible to acquire such enormous wealth in such a brief period, if not for the hand of God doing this. Even though Jacob sent the exact opposite message to Esau, as explained above in the verse I have acquired ox and donkey, he denied [the truth] out of fear, uttering falsehood by telling him that he had labored with his flocks for the full 20 years, but the truth is not so. For heaven forbid to say that Jacob would claim that his own strength and might made him this wealth. This is what is meant by and now I have become two camps — in the blink of an eye. For if he had already possessed flocks and cattle when he crossed the Jordan, I would say that his wealth increased through natural means. But now that he admitted that he crossed the Jordan with only his staff, when then did all this glory come into being from nothing? Surely this was from God. Therefore, he requested: Just as You fulfilled this second promise, so too fulfill the first promise that You made to me regarding protection. Save me, please, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him. The word him [oto] is superfluous, but it alludes to that sin he committed by flattering the wicked and treating the sacred as mundane, and him refers to the sin. Some say that he was not afraid for himself since he was already promised protection, rather he feared lest [Esau] come and strike mothers with children, for they were not promised protection.

And I will make your offspring like the sand of the sea. This promise was given to Abraham during the Binding of Isaac [Akeidah], and there both the stars and the sand were mentioned. Apparently, the stars represent both multiplication and elevation, whereas the sand only represents multiplication alone. If so, why didn’t Jacob mention in his prayer here the comparison to stars, which are eternal? This would have been more relevant to what he was praying for — that they should endure and not be destroyed by Esau. I say that we find that Israel is compared to three things: dust, sand, and stars. In times of peace and prosperity, they are compared to stars — “exalted and lifted up very high,” and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever and ever. This is also how Rashi explains the verse And behold, you are today as numerous as the stars of heaven (Deuteronomy 1:10). In times of lowliness, when they are like dust to be trampled upon, it is said your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread out… This was a promise about their time in Egypt, when they would be like dust that everyone plows over, as it is written The plowers plowed upon my back (Psalms 129:3). At that time, they would rise from their low state and spread westward and eastward, from one extreme to the other, as explained above in Parashat Vayetzei (28:14). And in the intermediate time between these two states — namely, when they have no rest from enemies who pursue them and stand ready to destroy them, but the Holy One, Blessed be He saves them from their hands — they are compared to this sand. Just as all the waves of the sea threaten to flood the world, but when they reach the sand they break and cannot pass beyond it, so too the nations who rise against Israel, as it is written All Your breakers and Your waves have gone over me (Psalms 42:8), cannot destroy Israel. For this reason, Israel is compared to sand. Therefore, Jacob mentioned in his prayer the promise of sand, to save him from the pursuer Esau, so that Esau would not prevail over him — just as the waves cannot prevail over the sand, so too Esau would not prevail over him.

“And he took from what had come into his hand, etc.” As I explained above, this was stated according to what he outwardly showed to Esau — that all this came neither from heaven nor from earth, but rather from what had come into his hand through his own toil, strength, and might. However, in truth, Jacob acknowledged that it was God who gave him the power to accumulate wealth, and this small amount that came into his hand through his labor would increase abundantly through God’s blessing which brings riches. And it troubled Jacob to give from God’s blessing to this wicked person, for this additional abundance flows from a holy source, and this wicked one is not worthy to make use of it. However, since mixed within this was also that small portion that came into his hand through natural means and as compensation for his labor, Jacob reasoned that it was permissible to take from that portion and send it as a gift to the wicked one. Therefore it says from what had come into his hand.

And there are those who say, from that which came to his hand specifically [refers to] the animals that were in his possession and under his control — these he sent as a gift, but not the shepherds, because they had converted [to Judaism] and were freed, and were not under Jacob’s control. Therefore it says When Esau asks you ‘To whom do you belong and to whom are these before you?’ because perhaps he will think that I am sending him the animals together with the shepherds as a gift. And [thus Jacob instructed] you shall say ‘to your servant [Jacob]’ — this is the answer to the question of to whom do you belong, meaning [to tell Esau that] the shepherds are not for you, only the gift [of animals] is sent to my Lord.

And you shall say: ‘Moreover, behold your servant Jacob is behind us.’ There is a significant question here: Since he [Jacob] said to the second and third groups thus shall you speak, which implies that everything the first group spoke, you too shall speak, if so, why was it necessary to specify separately and detail and you shall say: Moreover, behold your servant Jacob is behind us? For this was already told to the first group to say so, and when he said to the second and third groups thus shall you speak, this certainly included what the first group said, and this [phrase] was included as well. So why did he repeat to the second group and you shall say: Moreover, behold etc.?

An answer to the matter. For Jacob said [that] when Esau my brother meets you and asks you three questions — “Who are you?”, “Where are you going?”, and “Who are these [animals] before you?” — you shall answer him first question first: To “Who are you?” you shall say To your servant, to Jacob. And “Where are you going?” — to bring the gift, for it is a gift being sent. And “Who are these before you?” — to whom it is being sent — to my Lord, to Esau. And in addition to these three questions, even if he doesn’t ask you where Jacob is, nevertheless you should tell him on your own Here, he is behind us, so that he won’t be displeased about my honoring him through messengers and emissaries while I’m not going myself to greet him. And when Jacob said to the second and third [group] Thus shall you speak, it’s obvious that they needed to answer his three questions. This is because if one of these three [answers] is not given, the entire mission of that group is nullified. For if it doesn’t come from Jacob, or doesn’t go to Esau, or comes and goes but this gift isn’t for Esau — then how will he appease him through this group? However, the statement and here, he is behind us is not an answer to his questions, and the acceptance of the gift doesn’t depend on this so much, because whether he comes or doesn’t come, ultimately the gift is being sent. This is nothing but an additional statement beyond his questions. One might have thought that since the first group already informed that Jacob would come after us, there’s no need for the second group to also say that he is behind us, as this information would be redundant. Therefore, Jacob needed to specify that the second group should also say and here, he is behind us The reason for this is that he was afraid the first group would appear as liars in his eyes, because when they say and here, he is behind us, he would understand from their words that Jacob would come immediately with the next group. When he sees that Jacob isn’t coming with the second group, he would say that the first group was deceitful in saying and here, he is behind us. Therefore, he commanded that the second group should also say and here, he is behind us, and for the same reason, he commanded the third group to say the same.

And Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn. Regarding the matter of the wrestling with Jacob, there are many opinions, indeed the length of one page is too short to record all the commentators’ views. I said, “Surely interpretations belong to God,” I will also answer my portion and say: Since most commentators agreed that this angel was Samael, the guardian angel of Esau, who is called “Samael Esau,” for all his desire and focus is to blind [same’a] people’s eyes and strike them with blindness, making them blind with the intellectual eye, until the seer cannot see the visions of truth, to come and see the face of God, and to enter into the counsel of God given to those who fear Him in the secrets of the Torah. For he is Satan, he is the Angel of Death, he is the Evil Inclination (as stated in Bava Batra 16). And a hint to this matter is that Samael is the partner of “anavim” [grapes] in the alphabet’s secondary letters [the letters that follow the letters that spell out Samael can spell anavim], for just as wine that comes from grapes, when it intoxicates a person, makes them blind by closing their eyes, as it is said His eyes shall be red with wine (Genesis 49:12). And typically, a drunk person walks like a blind person, so too this Samael, his partner, all his schemes are to blind people’s eyes until they cannot see the sun. Thus, grapes blind the physical eye, and his partner Samael blinds the intellectual eye, so that one cannot see divine visions, and this is Samael — a compound word.

Furthermore, what you need to know is that the evil inclination is compared to a fly (Berakhot 61), as I explained above in Parshat Bereishit regarding the verse sin crouches at the door (Genesis 4:7). For typically, a fly does not settle on the intact flesh of a person, as it lacks the strength in its mouth to create a new opening in healthy flesh. Therefore, the fly settles between the lips where it finds a slightly open entrance — there it will settle to widen the wound’s opening. Similarly, the evil inclination does not engage with the completely righteous person who has not at all breached their boundaries nor opened any entrance for sin and impurity. With the person who is perfect in all their deeds, it has no connection or business, as it cannot overcome them at all. However, when a person themselves opens even a small entrance and breaches their boundaries even with a minor transgression, then immediately the evil inclination engages with them saying “surely you are my flesh and bone,” and then it will escalate from minor transgressions to severe ones, striving to widen the breach until violence rises beyond remedy, breaking down their fence leaving them trampled (Isaiah 5:5). Similarly, this angel Samael, the guardian angel of Esau, upon seeing Jacob’s dealings with Esau which depend on Torah observance as it is written and it shall be when you break free…. Now, as long as no iniquity was seen in Jacob at all, it did not engage with him to completely blind his intellectual eyes. But when it saw that Jacob slightly breached his boundaries with this departure — for God had blessed him and given him everything including great wealth, possessions, and honor — and Jacob stepped slightly beyond the boundary of contentment, and Jacob remained alone [some say “for his jug”], in a dangerous place, for night is the time when all harmful forces gather, and he remained alone at night for small jars, forsaking lofty and elevated matters, and for something insignificant held in contempt he remained alone in a dangerous place. Then Samael said “Aha! I have found my iniquity!” Since Jacob began with corruption and made himself somewhat blind to his situation — for who is as blind as those who love money, about whom it is said the eyes of man are never satisfied (Proverbs 27:20). Then Samael said “Now is the time to draw near and embrace him, and I will add impurity to fill his eyes with dust and dirt so that he will be completely blind, even with his intellectual eye.” This is what is meant by and Jacob remained alone — when he crossed the boundary of contentment and remained alone/for his jug, he was truly alone because his reasoning was negated by that of all others. For who would be foolish enough to endanger themselves for such an insignificant matter? This can only be a deluded heart that has turned from the path of the upright to so cherish money which causes one to forget God above, as it is written and when your silver and gold multiply… your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord (Deuteronomy 8:13).

Immediately, “And a man wrestled with him.” Samael engaged with him to cause him to completely forget God. The word vaye’avek [wrestled] is similar to “vayechabek” [embraced], as the letters Alef, Chet, Heh, and Ayin are interchangeable. It was written as vaye’avek with an Alef to derive from it the meaning of “dust” [avak], because he wanted to blind his intellectual eye like dust that rises and blinds human eyes. Similarly, it arose in his mind to blind his intellectual eye in order to bring him to deny God above. This is what our Sages meant when they said (Chullin 91) that the dust rose up to the Throne of Glory, as this refers to the blinding of Zedekiah’s eyes, which touches upon the fundamental belief in the blessed Creator and the existence of His glorious throne.

And regarding what they said that he was touching the Throne of Glory, they learned this from what was said until the break of dawn — meaning until but not including [dawn itself]. For the break of dawn prevented him from being able to bring [Jacob] to a denial of God, because through the break of dawn he truly recognized that the world has a Creator and Guide, as explained in the Akeidah [by Rabbi Isaac Arama] in Parshat Genesis on the verse And you shall know today and take to your heart that the Lord is God (Deuteronomy 4:39) — that through knowledge of the daily orbital movement, namely the sun, the learned person can understand that the Lord is God. Similarly, Abraham only recognized his Creator through the movements of the sun and its initial rising at dawn, as it is written Who inspired [the one] from the east with righteousness (Isaiah 41:2) — and this verse is interpreted as referring to Abraham. This is the precious pearl that hung from Abraham’s neck — that he would publicize to all the existence of God, blessed be He, and upon his death he attached this knowledge to the sun’s orbit. And the Rabbi explained that this is what they meant when they said (Yoma 20b) “If not for the sun’s orbit announcing the existence of God, blessed be He, the sound of Rome’s crowds denying His existence would be heard.” Therefore it says until the break of dawn but not including [dawn itself], because through knowledge of the sun’s movement Jacob knew that the Lord is God. And for this reason, the judgment of the wicked is [carried out] in the mornings, as evidenced by Sodom, and as it is written Every morning I will destroy all the wicked of the land (Psalms 101:8), because they did not take instruction from the break of dawn and did not know God.

And when Samael saw that he could not completely blind his intellectual eye, he then attempted another strategy to at least partially blind his intellectual eye so that he would not be able to see into the secrets of the Torah and the hidden matters which are symbolized by the thigh, as it is written the curves of your thighs (Song of Songs 7:2). Just as the thigh is hidden, so too are the words of Torah hidden (Sukkah 49b). This is what is meant by and he touched the socket of his hip. I do not wish to remove this verse from its literal meaning, for certainly he actually touched his hip, but I am providing a reason for why he specifically touched the socket of his hip — it was to hint that through becoming a lover of money, one will undoubtedly become blind in the eyes of his intellect. And even though Jacob’s strength was such that he did not come to complete heresy, nevertheless the matter affected his hip socket, because through this he would not be able to see into the secrets of the Torah and wisdom. And Jacob’s hip socket was dislocated — to teach that these two possessions, Torah and money, are in conflict with each other, and dislocated means that one is pushed aside for the other, as it is written It is good for me that I was afflicted, so that I might learn Your statutes (Psalms 119:71).

And he said, “Let me go, for dawn has broken.” [This means:] “For I can no longer bring you to deny God, now that you have set your mind and attention to the rising of the dawn.” As it is said [in the next verse], And he [Jacob] said, I will not let you go unless you bless me — meaning that you [the angel] should acknowledge to me that you cannot overcome me in matters of perceiving and contemplating the existence of the blessed God. [This was] so that the evil angel would be compelled to answer “Amen” against his will, and the prosecutor would become the defender, just as Satan does on Yom Kippur.

“And he said, ‘Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but rather Israel.’” The term Israelcomes from the root “yashar El,” because “yashar” is related to seeing/vision, as in the phrase I shall see him, but not near (Numbers 24:17). Through this, he [the angel] acknowledged that Jacob sees the face of God, and he [the angel] did not succeed in blinding him to the reality of the blessed God. And in saying for you have striven with God, he uprooted the name Jacob from him, because “Jacob” [Yaakov] indicates the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9), while “Israel” denotes straightness, as it is written regarding the future: And the crooked shall be made straight (Isaiah 40:4). This is not merely straightness as it appears in the eyes of people, but rather straightness as it appears in the eyes of both God and man. Therefore, he said for you have striven with God and with men, because through the virtue of your actions you will be a prince and leader with both God and men, and you will prevail. This is the meaning of “Israel” — “yashar El” — straightness that is apparent even in the eyes of the blessed God.

And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, for I have seen God face to face. This is the matter which I spoke about — that Samael wanted to blind the eyes of his intellect with the dust of evil speech, to the point where he would deny God’s existence and not see the face of God. And when my soul was saved through the rising of dawn, then I saw God face to face, to grasp His blessed existence through the shining of the sun at dawn’s rise, contrary to the view of Samael who blinds and defiles and mixes the holy with the mundane. This is what is meant by and the sun rose for him — namely to heal him. Yet afterward it says and he was limping on his hip — these verses seem to contradict each other. Rather, the meaning is that through the rising of the sun came healing for the blow that Samael wanted to strike him with, which was to blind his intellectual eyes and bring him to deny God. Therefore it says for him — for his benefit — as the sun of righteousness shone upon him with healing in its wings, and because of its rising his eyes shall see the King in His beauty. Nevertheless, Samael’s actions succeeded in making him limp on his hip and closing the gates of understanding before him, preventing him from entering into the secret counsel of God reserved for those who fear Him, so long as his eye was on his money and he was consumed by the uncontrolled desire for worldly possessions.

“Therefore, the children of Israel shall not eat the sciatic nerve/tendon [gid], etc.” Our Sages found that deep matters whose comprehension is difficult are compared to tendons [giddin], as Rashi explained in Parshat Yitro on the verse and tell [v’tagged] the children of Israel (Exodus 19:3). Comprehension is referred to in the language of eating, as we find regarding the four who entered the Pardes (Chagigah 14b), where concerning hidden investigation beyond mortal understanding, the verse If you have found honey, eat only what you need (Proverbs 25:16) is cited. This commandment hints for generations to prevent Israel from investigating hidden matters, as stated (Chagigah 13a) “You have no business with hidden things,” because there is concern that they might damage their intellect and come to heresy, as not many will be wise enough to understand all the secrets in their proper context, due to their intellect passing through a murky valley, for the vanities of this world and its desires confuse human understanding. The prohibition of eating the tendon hints for generations, to be a reminder before their eyes that God withheld from them the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, that they should not feed their intellect matters as hard as tendons. For it touched Jacob’s hip socket, and if this stumbling occurred temporarily to the perfect Jacob when he deviated slightly from the balanced path, what shall the common people do, whose main pursuits are in worldly vanities and desires? Therefore, they should not engage in hidden matters except for the unique individuals of the generation like Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and those similar to him, who rejected and despised worldly vanities like Jacob. For if this happened to Jacob only temporarily, when he remained alone by himself for his jug, undoubtedly after the wrestling incident with Samael occurred, he recognized his error and turned from that path. Proof of this is that it says Jacob arrived whole/complete, which our Sages interpreted (Shabbat 33a) as “complete in his Torah.” This explanation is precious in value, and the wise will listen and increase in learning.