Commentaire sur La Genèse 32:25

ויותר יעקב AND JACOB WAS LEFT ALONE — He had forgotten some small jars and he returned for them (Chullin 91a).

ויותר יעקב לבדו, after he had transferred all his belongings to the other side of the river, so that the only one still to be brought across was he himself. The reason that he wanted to cross only after everyone else had already crossed was that he intended to flee in a different direction so as to avoid a face to face encounter with Esau.

ויותר יעקב לבדו, he was the last one to leave from the camp as he was busy directing all his family and servants and chattels to cross the fording so that nothing would be left behind.

ויאבק איש עמו, he wrestled with him so intensely that a cloud of dust enveloped them while they were struggling.

ויותר יעקב לבדו. “Yaakov remained alone.” According to Rashi, Yaakov had gone back in order to retrieve small and inexpensive utensils. Nachmanides explains the plain meaning of the statement to be that Yaakov had accompanied his family and folk and livestock across the river. After having done so, he commanded his servants to ferry the chattels across, while he supervised the work personally.

ויותר יעקב לבדו, “when Yaakov had remained alone, etc.” Our sages in Bereshit Rabbah 77,3 state that these words should be read as if Yaakov returned for his jug (read לכדו instead of לבדו). This teaches that Yaakov went back across the river to retrieve small vessels which had been overlooked. This teaches that the righteous are very meticulous even with relatively low-cost items seeing that when you acquire things by making certain none of them has been tainted by being stolen or otherwise illegally acquired, one does treasure what one has more than do other people who do not mind to acquire things less honestly. This is Rashi’s approach to our verse. Another approach: the vessels were used to drink out of and Yaakov was concerned that the younger children should have a chance to drink from them on the journey. [According to this interpretation, the correct translation of the words פכים קטנים, would be “vessels that the little ones drink from,” rather than “small vessels.”] He endangered himself in order to have convenient drinking vessels for his small children.

He had forgotten some small jars and he returned for them. [Rashi knows this] because he had already brought over all the important utensils, as it is written, “He brought over all that he possessed.” It does not mean literally jars, as all unimportant utensils are called פכים. Much has been said on this in Gur Aryeh and R. Noson, but Rashi explained it this way in Chulin 91a. (Kitzur Mizrachi)

AND JACOB WAS LEFT ALONE. That is, for he had forgotten some small jars, and he returned for them. These are the words of Rashi. But in line with the plain meaning of Scripture, the verse, And he took them, and made them pass the brook,⁵²Verse 24 here. means that he made them [his family] pass together with him, and he made pass that which was his⁵²Verse 24 here. — [i.e., his camp and his belongings] — by commanding others to do it. He returned [to his camp after ferrying his family across], and he commanded that all others pass over the brook before him, and so he remained behind them.

Da er bereits alles Seine und all die Seinigen über den Fluß gebracht hatte, so erklärt sich das Allein-zurückbleiben nur, wie die Weisen lehren: נשתייר על פכים קטנים, dass, nachdem er bereits alles hinüber gebracht hatte, er noch einmal zurückkehrte, um nachzusehen, ob er nichts vergessen. Und hieran knüpfen sie das bedeutsame Wort: ומכאן לצדיקים שחביב עליהם ממונם יותר מגופן וכל כך למה לפי שאין פושטין ידיהם בגזל (Chulin 91 a.): dass der Gerechte auch in dem kleinsten Werte rechtlich erworbenen Vermögens ein Heiligtum erblickt, das er weder vergeuden, noch nutzlos umkommen lassen dürfe, für dessen Verwendung er Rechenschaft zu geben habe. Eine Million hat für ihn den Wert einer Stecknadel, wenn es gilt, sie für gottgefällige Zwecke zu verausgaben, eine Stecknadel den Wert einer Million, wenn sie nutz- und zwecklos umkommen soll. Das geringste erworbene Gut ist dem, der nicht פושט ירו בגזל, der nichts gewaltsam, sondern nur das sein eigen nennt, was seinem redlichen Bemühen zu erwerben ge lungen, ein Denkmal der ihm fürsorgenden Allmacht und Güte, das Kleinste ein Produkt redlichen Schweißes und göttlichen Segens, und darum von unnennbarem Werte.

ויותר יעקב לבדו, “Yaakov remained behind all alone;” according to Rashi, Yaakov remained behind on the far bank of the Yabbok, to check if any insignificant item had been overlooked when they took all their belongings across. (Talmud, tractate Chulin, folio 91.) The letter ב in the word לבדו is supposed to be exchanged for the letter כ so that the word is to be read as לכדו. (small cans.) An alternate interpretation: it refers to בית הבד, a container in which small quantities of olive oil would be stored and which could be hidden easily.

ויאבק איש עמו, “a man began to wrestle with him.” The “man,” was an angel who had assumed the form of a human being. The angel, Esau’s protective power, had come to prevent Yaakov from escaping from Esau. He realised soon that G-d’s assurances to Yaakov were strong enough to protect him against being harmed by Esau. (Rash’bam)

ויאבק איש AND A MAN WRESTLED — Menachem (ben Seruk) explains: “a man covered himself with dust”, taking the verb as connected in sense with אבק “dust”. It would mean that they were raising the dust with their feet through their movements. I, however, am of opinion that is means “he fastened himself on”, and that it is an Aramaic word, as (Sanhedrin 63b) “after they have joined (אביקו) it", and (Menachot 42a) “and he twined (the “Fringes”) with loops”. It denotes “intertwining”, for such is the manner of two people who make strong efforts to throw each other — one clasps the other and twines himself round him with his arms. Our Rabbis of blessed memory explained that he was Esau’s guardian angel (Genesis Rabbah 77:3).

ויאבק, an angel engaged him in a physical fight, his purpose being to prevent Yaakov from fleeing. Only in this way could G’d’s promise to Yaakov that Esau would not harm him be fulfilled.

ויאבק איש עמו, this was the work of an angel at the instigation of G’d (that is why he is called איש). The description is parallel to Kings II 13,17 It is immaterial whether the instrument of the salvation is a merely symbolic one such as the arrows described in the Book of Kings which Elisha instructed King Yoash to shoot in the direction of the far away Kingdom of Aram. Salvation occurs at the end of a period of ups and downs, and though Yaakov/Israel suffered many reverses in his struggle with Esau, (in the historical global struggle between the two philosophies) in the end Yaakov triumphs. [freely translated as the author is ambiguous to my mind. Ed.] The blessing given by the angel here to Yaakov at the end of the struggle, at daybreak, symbolises the synopsis of Jewish history.

איש, the same type of איש as in Joshua 5,13, i.e. an angel. This was the angel Gavriel, described as איש par excellence in Daniel 9,21. The reason why these angels are called איש is because they appear to the people with whom they converse in human guise. The types of angels who speak with man are referred to as איש, as they appear either in a vision or while the person to whom they appear is fully awake. G’d had sent this angel to Yaakov to strengthen his courage, not to fear Esau. If Yaakov could prevail over an angel, surely he had no reason to be afraid of an encounter with someone like Esau! The fact that the struggle lasted until daybreak was an allusion to Yaakov that after a period of night, i.e. problems, adversity, there would come a period of light, peace and prosperity coupled with security..

ויאבק איש עמו, “a man wrestled with him, etc..” The word ויאבק descries an activity similar to ויחבק, “he embraced him,” presumably in a kind of bear hug. The letter א frequently substitutes for the letter ח.

ויאבק איש עמו, “a man wrestled with him.” According to the plain meaning of the text, the meaning of ויאבק is the same as ויחבק seeing that the letters אהע"ח are frequently interchangeable. Our sages in Sotah 21 use the word אבוקה and חבוקה interchangeably. An אבוקה, torch, is so called as it is composed of pieces of wood which “embrace” each other, i.e. חבוקה.

Our Sages have explained that this was Eisov’s guardian angel. Rashi proves this on, “If I have found favor in your eyes... like seeing the face of a Godly being” (33:10). Maharshal writes: You might ask: What caused Rashi make the forced explanation that ויאבק is of Aramaic origin, instead of saying like Menachem did? The answer is: It is because our Sages say that this was Eisov’s guardian angel. [And it says in Chulin 91a that according to the view that they kicked up dust,] they raised dust until the Throne of Glory. But Eisov’s guardian angel, [could not reach such a lofty level].

‘VAYEI’AVEIK’ A MAN WITH HIM, A man covered himself with dust. So Menachem ben Saruk explained it, being derived from the word avak (dust); by their movements, they were raising dust with their feet. I, however, am of the opinion that it means “and he attached himself to,” and that it is an Aramaic word, as in, “After they have joined (aviku) it;”⁵³Sanhedrin 63b. “And they twined the Fringes with loops.”⁵⁴Menachoth 42a. This is all the language of Rashi.
In the language of the Sages, avikah is often used to convey the sense of chavikah (loop), as in: “There are avkso (loops) in the punishing scourge;”⁵⁵Makkoth 23a., “A couch is called dargesh when it is set up and taken apart by means of loops, through which the cords are fastened.”⁵⁶Nedarim 56b. Similarly the word avukah (a torch) is so called in the language of the Sages because it is made up of small pieces of wood which are tied and bound together. This is because the letter cheth is difficult to pronounce in their language and so they used the easier aleph. Many times the cheth disappears completely as in tuteich⁵⁷Chullin 7 b: metutei (from beneath her feet). (underneath) in place of techuteich; mesuta⁵⁸Kiddushin 33a. (a bath) in place of maschuta; asita⁵⁹Shabbath 77b. (a mortar) in place of chasita. And it is possible that the word vayei’aveik is actually vayeichaveik, as vayechabkeihu (and he embraced him),⁶⁰Genesis 33:4. for perhaps it is the way of the Hebrew language to interchange the aleph and cheth. Thus we find: And in the fourth chariot grizzled ‘amutzim’ horses,⁶¹Zechariah 6:3. which is the same as chamitzim, derived from the expression, ‘chamutz’ (crimsoned) garments.⁶²Isaiah 63:1. Commentators⁶³R’dak in his Book of Roots, under the root erez. have said that ‘va’aruzim’ for thy merchandise⁶⁴Ezekiel 27:24. is like vecharuzim, derived from the expression, thy neck ‘bacharuzim’ (with beads).⁶⁵Song of Songs 1:10. So too did they say concerning the word vate’altzeihu⁶⁶Judges 16:16. that it is like vatechaltzeihu (and she pressed him), this being an inverted form of vatilchatzeihu, [the root of which is lachatz (oppression)]. Perhaps this is the opinion of Onkelos who said, in translation of the word vayei’aveik, ve’ishtadeil, and so also he translated the expression, And if a man ‘yephateh’⁶⁷Exodus 22:15. “as if yeshadeil,” if he embraces and kisses which is the manner of seduction. It may be that Onkelos found no word comparable to vayei’aveik, and so he considered it a matter of cunning, for all effort implies cunning and a clarification of circumstances. In Bereshith Rabbah⁶⁸77:3. the Sages said: “Who became filled with dust? The man that was with him.” This agrees with the words of Menachem [ben Saruk, who said that vayei’aveik means “he covered himself with dust] “, and this is the correct interpretation.

Es hatte Jakob die Winzigkeit des Beistandes, den er von den Seinigen zu erwarten hatte, gegen die diesem gegenüber riesige Macht Esaus gemessen, und das Resultat dieser Erwägung hatte ihm einen Angstruf zu Gott entlockt, auf welchen ihm noch erst die Antwort werden sollte. Diesen Angstruf "הצילני נא" bezeichnen die Andeutungen der Propheten, als das dritte Merkzeichen der Geula, als der Geula, die sich in der vollendeten, preisgebenden Machtlosigkeit des Galuth bewährt. Das Erlebnis, das ihm die so bedeutungsvolle Antwort bringen sollte, traf ihn entsprechend in einem solchen Momente, wo er auch noch des winzigen Beistandes, dessen er gewärtig sein konnte, beraubt, völlig allein sich befand, und nur auf das seiner Persönlichkeit Inwohnende angewiesen war.

עד עלות השחר, “until dawn.”

עם הֵאָבֵק kommt nur bei diesem Ereignis vor. אבק: Staub. Man übersetzt auch עפר: Staub, allein עפר ist nicht das, was wir Staub nennen, sondern der Humus, die fruchtbare lockere Erdhülle; verwandt mit עֵבר, Außenseite, עור Haut. So wie עור, die Haut am Körper das Organ ist, wodurch die Außenwelt auf den Körper einwirkt — (עור wach werden ist der Zustand, in welchem die, im Schlaf in sich zurückgezogene Seele wieder gleichsam in die Haut tritt) — so ist עפר derjenige Teil des Erdkörpers, in welchem sich durch kosmische Reize von außen irdisches Leben entwickelt. אבק aber ist ganz eigentlich das, was wir "Staub" nennen, also: solche Teile irdischer Masse, die, losgelöst, fast alle Schwere verloren haben, und bei leichtester Veranlassung emporwirbeln. Verwandt ist אפק, das aus seinem Halt Herausstürzende, von פוק: herausgehen mit individ. אי, oder auch der Raum, aus welchem es hervorstürzt. So auch בוק und בקק leer werden, בקבוק: ein Gefäß, aus welchem Flüssigkeit herausstürzt. So scheint denn auch der Wurzel אבק die Bedeutung: etwas rasch seinem Standpunkte ent- rücken, inne zu wohnen. Analogie dafür bietet: ויתאבכו גאות עשן (Jes. 9, 17) sie wirbeln majestätisch empor, aber es ist die Majestät des Rauches! — הֵאָבֵק עם wäre demnach: das gegenseitige Bestreben, dem andern seinen Stand auf der Erde zu entziehen, ihn zum אבק zu machen. Verwandt damit חבק, das Bestreben, jemanden fest an sich zu ziehen, umarmen.

Der von diesen beiden Kämpfern "emporwirbelnde Staub" — lautet ein Ausspruch der Weisen — war ein Staub, der zum Weltenthron Gottes emporstieg — מלמד שהעלו אבק רנליהם עד כסא הכבוד — (Chulin 912.); denn dieser Kampf ist ein Prototyp des Kampfes, der die ganze Geschichte hindurch dauert, ja, er ist der eigentliche Inhalt der Weltgeschichte.

שחר, von שחר isuchen, die Zeit, wo man schon suchen kann, aber noch suchen muss; die beginnende Dämmerung, die dem בקר, der Zeit des deutlichen Erkennens und Unterscheidens, vorangeht.

So lange es Nacht auf Erden, so lange das Bewusstsein der Menschen getrübt ist, und die Dinge, unkenntlich verschlungen, nicht in ihrer Wahrheit und Klarheit erkannt werden, so lange — also spricht sich die Bedeutung dieses nächtlichen Erlebnisses als Antwort auf Jakobs Angstruf aus — so lange wird er freilich auf Kampf und Gegensatz zu rechnen haben. Und es ist der mit Reichsapfel, Zepter und Schwert gerüstete Genins Esaus, שרו של עשו, nach dem Worte der Weisen — hat ja auch Jakob ausdrücklich in ihm ein höheres Wesen erkannt (Raw Hirsch on Genesis 32: 31) und diese Erkenntnis im Namen des Ortes verewigt — mit dem Jakob zu ringen haben wird, bis die Nacht von der Erde weicht. ויאבק איש עמו, nicht Jakob, der Gegner ist der Angreifende, Jakob ringt nur im Verteidigungskampf.