Timeless Torah

The narrative seems quite simple. The angel of evil waited until Jacob was alone, defenseless and vulnerable, whereupon he ambushed him. The Sages of the Midrash however, perceive a deeper implication in our Patriarch’s isolation. “Rabbi Berachia said concerning The Holy One, Blessed be He, ‘G-d alone shall be exalted, so too, Jacob remained alone.‘” Man by nature is a gregarious animal. He craves company. Even if he be shy or anti-social, his mind and heart are involved with thoughts and feelings about others. Jacob was different. Place him in a crowd he still rose above the mundane concerns of petty man. Furthermore, the path that he was embarking on was a road that would forever separate him and his descendants from the family of man. It was this unique characteristic, a life dedicated to the pursuit of the Divine that frightened the power of evil. This struggle between these two ancient figures would reverberate with cosmic ramifications. Throughout the unfolding continuum of time, the effects of their mighty battle would determine history until the Day of Judgment. This too is implied in the Biblical tale. When the creature of the night saw that he could not overcome Jacob, and all that he could accomplish was to dislocate the upper joint of the thigh (definitely a low blow, if there ever was one), he pleaded, “Let me leave! Dawn is breaking.” Once again, our Rabbis inform us, in a figurative sense, this reflects Israel’s destiny in exile. The angel, representative of the forces of darkness, will wrestle with the Children of Jacob, trying to dissuade them from their mission of remaining unique and alone. It will argue for integration, assimilation, the brotherhood of mankind, and all that sounds noble - until the break of dawn. That day of course, will be the dawning of Israel’s salvation, when the long night of exile will finally end. A fascinating piece of Talmud on this passage sheds further light on this plea of the angel who explained “I must go this dawn because since the beginning of time, it was never my turn to sing G-d’s praises until today.” Why would the angel of evil be singing on the day that he failed? Every force in the universe, not only G-d, but even that which at first glance, opposes us, is in truth waiting for the day when like Jacob, we will not be afraid to resemble our Creator. For then we will understand that our willingness to stand alone is not to be equated with being lonely.