מדרש על בראשית 8:3

(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 >….