Midrasch zu Bereschit 32:25

R. Isaac stated; Our master, Moses, stood beside the flames and dropped bundles of wool into them, thus causing the flames to sink into the earth, as is said: And the fire abated (ibid., v. 15). This also teaches us that the righteous are superior to the ministering angels. Furthermore, Jacob seized the mighty angel and vanquished him, as it is said: And there wrestled a man with him, etc. (Gen. 32:25). And when it was necessary, he sent two camps of angels as his emissaries to Esau, as is stated: And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau.

“Remember, Lord, what befell us; look, and see our disgrace” (Lamentations 5:1).
“Remember, Lord, what befell us.” Rabbi Yitzḥak began: “The greyhound, or the goat” (Proverbs 30:31). The way of the world is that if a person raises two greyhounds in his house, one large and one small, he restrains the large one before the small one in order to spare his property.¹He ensures that the large one does not kill the small one. Rabbi Berekhya said: Israel said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, You wrote for us in the Torah: “Remember what Amalek did to you” (Deuteronomy 25:17). He did to us, but did not do to You? Did he not destroy Your Temple?’²The Romans, who destroyed the Second Temple, are identified as descendants of Edom, who descended from Esau. Amalek also descended from Esau, and therefore the Romans were viewed as descendants or relatives of Amalek. The Rabbis say: Israel said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘We are Yours and the nations of the world are Yours; why do You not have mercy upon Your nation?’ “And the king, against whom no one rises” (Proverbs 30:31). Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Israel said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘We are subject to forgetfulness but You are not subject to forgetfulness. There is no forgetfulness before You; therefore, “remember….”’
“Remember, Lord, the day of Jerusalem for the sons of Edom, who said: Tear her down, tear her down [aru aru], to her foundation” (Psalms 137:7). Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: Destroy, destroy. Rabbi Levi said: Empty, empty.³These sages are offering interpretations of the phrase aru aru. The one who said: Destroy, destroy, that is what is written: “The broad walls of Babylon will be destroyed [arer titarar]” (Jeremiah 51:58). According to the one who said: Empty empty, that is what is written: “To her foundation,” they reached even her foundations.⁴And they cleared them away.
“Look, and see our disgrace.” Rabbi Yudan said: Looking is from near and seeing is from afar. Looking is from near, as it is stated: “He looked and, behold, there was beside his head a cake baked on coals” (I Kings 19:6). Seeing is from afar, as it is stated: “He saw the place from afar” (Genesis 22:4). Rabbi Pinḥas said: Looking is from afar, as it is stated: “Look from Heaven and see” (Psalms 80:15). Seeing is from near, as it is stated: “He saw that he could not overcome him and he touched his hip socket” (Genesis 32:26).

Rabbi Berekhya said in the name of Rabbi Ḥelbo: It is written: “A man wrestled with him” (Genesis 32:25). We do not know who was dominated by whom; whether the angel was dominated by Jacob or Jacob was dominated by the angel, except from what is written: “He said: Release me, as dawn has broken” (Genesis 32:27). The angel said to Jacob: ‘Release me, as the time for my lauding has arrived.’ Thus, the angel was dominated by Jacob.
In what guise did he appear to him? Rabbi Ḥama bar Ḥanina said: He appeared to him in the guise of Esau’s guardian angel. That is what is written: “For I have therefore seen your face like seeing the face of an angel” (Genesis 33:10). [Jacob] said to [Esau]: ‘Your face is like that of your angel.’ This is analogous to a king who had a tamed lion and a wild dog. What did the king do? He brought the lion and incited it against his son. He would say: If the dog comes upon my son, my son will say: If I overcame the lion will I not be able to overcome the dog? So too, when the nations of the world come upon Israel, the Holy One blessed be He says to then: ‘Your guardian angel was not able to withstand their ancestor, will you be able to overcome them?’
Rabbi Huna said: He appeared to him as a herdsman; this one had flocks and that one had flocks, this one had camels and that one had camels. He said to him:⁵⁰The angel said to Jacob. ‘Cross mine and I will cross yours.’⁵¹Help me cross the stream with my livestock, and I will help you cross with your livestock. Some suggest that the text should read: Cross yours and I will cross mine. This is consistent with the version of the text in Bereshit Rabba 77:3 and with the continuation of the midrash here (Etz Yosef). After Jacob our patriarch crossed his, he said: ‘Let us return and see, perhaps we forgot something.’ Once he returned, “a man wrestled with him.”⁵²The angel, appearing as a herdsman, fought with Jacob under the pretense that after crossing his own livestock, Jacob had come to take some of his livestock. Rabbi Ḥiyya the Great and Rabbi Shimon ben Rabbi were engaged in commerce and were dealing silk fabric. They entered Tyre and engaged in their labor. When they exited the city gates, they said: ‘Let us return and see, perhaps we forgot something.’ They returned and found a bundle of silk fabric. They said: This matter is from Jacob our grandfather, as it is written: “A man wrestled with him.”⁵³This event occurred after Jacob had returned to see if he forgot anything. They derived from Jacob’s behavior that checking if one forgot anything is a good habit.
The Rabbis say: He appeared to him as an arch robber; this one had flocks and that one had flocks, this one had camels and that one had camels. He said to him: Cross mine and I will cross yours. The angel crossed Jacob’s flocks in the blink of an eye. Our patriarch Jacob was crossing the flocks of the angel, and he was returning and finding other flocks all that night. What did Jacob our patriarch do? Rabbi Pinḥas said: At that moment, Jacob wrapped a soft woolen scarf around his neck. He said to him: ‘Sorcerer, sorcerer, you are a wizard, but wizardry is not effective at night.’ Rabbi Huna said: At that moment the angel said: ‘Shall I not inform him with whom he is dealing?’ What did he do? He placed a finger on a rock and it began bursting into flames. [Jacob] said to him: ‘With this you are seeking to frighten me? I am constituted entirely from it,’ as it is stated: “The house of Jacob will be fire” (Obadiah 1:18).
Rabbi Ḥanina bar Yitzḥak said: The Holy One blessed be He said to Esau’s guardian angel: ‘Are you standing against him? He is coming against you with five amulets in his hand: His merit, the merit of his father, the merit of his mother, the merit of his grandfather, and the merit of his grandmother. Assess yourself relative to him, as you are unable to stand even against his own merit.’ Immediately, “he saw that he could not overcome him” (Genesis 32:26). Rabbi Levi said: He saw in the Divine Presence that he could not overcome him. [This is analogous] to an arch robber who was struggling with the son of a king. He lifted his eyes and saw that his father the king was standing over him, and he submitted to him. So too, when the angel saw the Divine Presence standing over Jacob, he submitted before him. That is what is written: “He saw that he could not overcome him.” Rabbi Levi said: He saw in the Divine Presence that he could not overcome him.
“He touched the socket of his thigh” (Genesis 32:26), the righteous men and the righteous women and the prophets and the prophetesses who were destined to emerge from him and his sons. What is that? It is the generation of persecution.⁵⁴The generation that lived after the destruction of the Temple, when the Romans persecuted the residents of the Land of Israel. “The socket of Jacob’s thigh was dislocated [vateka]” (Genesis 32:26), Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Berekhya, Rabbi Eliezer says: He smoothed it.⁵⁵The bone that protrudes from the thigh no longer protruded. Rabbi Berekhya said in the name of Rav Asi:⁵⁶The Hebrew text says Ravasa, which is short for Rav Asi. He fractured it like [one splits] a fish.⁵⁷Lengthwise. Rabbi Naḥman bar Yaakov said: He dislocated it, just as you say: “My soul was alienated [vateka] from her” (Ezekiel 23:18).

(Gen. 32:25 [24]:) SO JACOB WAS LEFT ALONE. What is written above of the matter (in vs. 8 [7])? THEN JACOB WAS VERY FRIGHTENED. WHEN THE HOLY ONE SAW HOW JACOB WAS DEPRESSED, < according to what > R. Berekhyah said, he sent four companies of angels to make war with Esau all night.²⁴Tanh., Gen. 8:3; Gen. R. 78:11. < When > the first company came, < one of the angels > said to them (to Esau's people): To whom do you belong? They said to them: We are children of Isaac, and < the angels > assaulted²⁵The translation “assault,” here and in the next sentence, reads maphgi‘in for maphgishin (“bring together”). him (Esau). He said to them:²⁶Perhaps to another company of angels. We are children of Abraham's children; they began assaulting him. When < Esau's people > said: We are brothers of Jacob, they began to leave them alone. Out of respect for Jacob we shall leave you alone. Thus (in Gen. 32:25 [24]): SO JACOB WAS LEFT ALONE. Now Jacob did not know how many miracles the Holy One had done for him. He did nothing; but, when he came in the morning, his brother Esau said to him (in Gen. 33:8): WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY ALL THIS HOST (MHNH) WHICH I HAVE MET? "Which I have seen" is not written here, but WHICH I HAVE MET. Now Jacob did not know that the Holy One had sent angels to him. Rather he was of the opinion that < Esau > had been occupied with the same gift (MNHH) that he had sent to him. He therefore had said to him < that it was meant > (as stated in ibid., cont.): TO FIND FAVOR IN THE EYES OF MY LORD (Esau). Then, when the Holy One saw that he was afraid, he sent Michael to him to engage in strife with him. What did the angel do with him? He appeared to him in the likeness of a shepherd.²⁷Gen. R. 77:2. It is so stated (in Gen. 32:25-27 [24-26]): AND SOMEONE WRESTLED WITH HIM < UNTIL THE RISING OF THE DAWN >. WHEN HE SAW THAT HE HAD NOT PREVAILED AGAINST HIM, < HE WRENCHED HIS THIGH AT ITS SOCKET >…. THEN HE SAID: SEND ME AWAY < BECAUSE THE DAWN IS RISING >….

(Gen. 32, 25) And Jacob was left alone. R. Elazar said: "This means that he was left alone on account of little pitchers [which he desired to take along]. Infer from this that the righteous consider their wealth even dearer than their own bodies — and why so? Because they do not put their hands unto robbery [hence they earn with hard labor]. (Ib.) And there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. "Infer from this," said R. Isaac, "that a scholar must not go out at night alone." R. Abba b. Cahana said: "From here (Ib. b) we infer the above (Ruth 3, 2) Behold, he winnoweth Barley tonight in the threshingfloor." R. Abahu said: "From here (Gen. 22, 3) And Abraham rose early in the morning, etc. "The Rabbis say: "From here (Ib. 37, 13) Go now, see whether it is well with thy brethren, and well with the flock." Rab said: "From here (Ib. 32, 32) And the sun rose upon him."

What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He sent an angel to him to deliver him, and to save him from the hand of Esau; and he appeared unto him like a man, as it is said, "And there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day" (Gen. 32:24). As soon as the dawn appeared, the angel said to him: Let me go, for the time has arrived when I must stand to sing and to chant praises before the Holy One, blessed be He. But Jacob did not wish to let him go. What did the angel do? He began to sing and to chant praises from the earth, || and when the angels (on high) heard the voice of the angel who was singing and praising from the earth, they said: Because of the honour of the righteous (one) do we hear the voice of the angel who is singing and praising from the earth; and concerning him the verse says, "From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, glory to the righteous" (Isa. 24:16).

"Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him" (Genesis 32:25). "O Jeshurun, there is none like God, Riding through the heavens to help you" (Deutronomy 33:26), Rabbi Berakhyah quoted Rabbi Yehudah, son of Rabbi Simon: "There is none like God," and who is like God? Jeshurun, the most pleasant and praiseworthy among you. You find that all that the Holy Blessed One will do in the coming future, [God] preemptively did through the righteous in this world. The Holy Blessed One revives the dead, and Elijah revives the dead. The Holy Blessed One stops the rain, and Elijah stops the rain. The Holy Blessed One blesses the destitute, and Elijah blesses the destitute. The Holy Blessed One revives the dead, and Elisha revives the dead. The Holy Blessed One remembers the barren, and Elisha remembers the barren. The Holy Blessed One blesses the destitute, and Elisha blesses the destitute. The Holy Blessed One sweetens what is bitter, and Elisha sweetens what is bitter. The Holy Blessed One sweetens the bitterest of the bitter, and Elisha sweetens the bitterest of the bitter. Rabbi Berakhyah quoted Rabbi Simon: "There is none like God," and who is like God? Grandfather Israel. Just as, regarding the Holy Blessed One, it is written, "None but the LORD shall be Exalted in that day" (Isaiah 2:17), even for Jacob [it is written], "Jacob was left alone."

Rabbi Chunya said, "He appeared to him in the image of a shepherd. This one had a flock and this one had a flock. This one had camels, and this one had camels. He said to him, "Take across what is yours, and after that, I will take across what is mine." Jacob, our father, took across what was his, and said, "Let us return and let us see, lest we forgot something." After he returned, "a man wrestled with him" (Genesis 32:25)."

Rabbi Chama bar Chanina said, "He was the ministering angel of Esav. And that is [what he meant] when he said to him, 'For this have I seen your face as I saw the face of God and you have accepted me' (Genesis 33:10). There is a parable about an athlete that got up and wrestled with the son of the king. He lifted his eyes and he saw that the king was standing behind him and [so] he fell to the ground in front of [the son]. This is what [is meant by that which] is written, 'and he saw that he could not overcome him.'" Rabbi Levi said, "'And he saw' the Divine Presence 'and he could not overcome him.'" Said Rabbi Berachia, "We do not know who won, whether it was the angel or whether it was Yakov. And from that which it is written, 'and a man wrestled (vayitabek, the root of which contains the letters that spell dust) with him,' prove who was covered in dust - the man that was with him.' Said Rabbi Chananya bar Yitschak, "The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, 'He is coming against you and he has five charms in his hand: his merit, the merit of his father, the merit of his mother, the merit of his grandfather, and the merit of his grandmother - measure yourself [and see] if you can stand even against his merit.' Immediately, 'And he saw and he could not overcome him.' There is a parable of a king that had a wild dog and a tamed lion. And the king took his son and endeared him to the lion, [such that] if the dog would take him on, the king would say to him, 'The lion was not able to stand in front of him and you want to take him on?' So [too], if the nations of the world will come to take on Israel, the Holy One, blessed be He, will say to them, 'Your ministering angel was not able to stand in front of him and you want to take on his children?'" "And he touched the hollow of his thigh" - he touched the righteous men and women, the prophets and prophetesses, which were to arise from him in the future. And which is this? The generation of persecution (shemad). "And he touched the hollow of Yakov's thigh" - Rabbi Berachia and Rabbi Eliezer [disagreed about this]: Rabbi Eliezer said, "He pressed it down." Rabbi Berachia said in the name of Rabbi Assi, "He split it like a fish." Rabbi Nachman bar Yakov said, "He separated it from its place, as it is written (Ezekiel 23:18), 'and my soul was separated etc... like my soul was separated' [in which the context shows that the verb for touching also means separating]." Said Rabbi Chanina bar Yitschak, "That whole night both of them were striking each other, the shield of this one across from the shield of that one. Once the sun rose, 'And he said, send me away from here as the sun has risen.'