Kabbalah su Genesi 32:78

"And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying: 'We came to your brother Esau, and he is also coming to meet you, and four hundred men with him'" (Beresheet 32:7). He asks, After saying, "We came to your brother," do we not know they referred to Esau, as he had no other brothers? He answers, "We came to your brother" means that he did not repent and walk the path of righteousness, as may be thought, but remained the evil Esau as before. "and he is also coming to meet you..." does not mean, as you may say, by himself, but rather he has "four hundred men with him."

This is God’s camp (Gen. 32:3).²This preface, which is a pastiche of citations from the Bible and rabbinic literature, is exceedingly difficult to translate lucidly. The generation of those who seek Him (Ps. 24:6) will rejoice in His deeds (Ps. 149:2) like a dance of two companies (Song of Songs 7:1). Our eyes have seen and were astonished [at these teachings] arising out of the earth (I Sam. 28:13) to plant the heavens (Isa. 51:16). Like the coming out of the sun at noontime, a bright light is upon them (Isa. 9:1). The opening of their words gives light (Ps. 119:130) and shines on a divine vision to those who are sanctified in the treasure-house of the secrets of Torah which is arrayed and guarded from the lions’ dens, from the mountains of leopards (Song 4:8) [and] overlaid with sapphires (Song 5:14).

[Sec. 17] 39. [The beginner] must also know that the [sefirah] Neẓaḥ, during the six days of creation, derived sustenance from the side of Gevurah,⁴In the “normative” sefirotic order, Neẓaḥ is found on the “side” of Gedulah (Ḥesed), while Hod is on the side of Gevurah. and Hod from [the side of] Ḥesed, in the mystery of the mingling of the Qualities. Since because of [Adam’s] sin the [sefirotic] connections have been confused,⁵This is an expression of the idea that sin on the earthly plane causes “disruption” in the order of the sefirot on high. none of the men of valor were able to repair this defect until the righteous one, Jacob our father, [took] Judgment upon himself, saying, If Esau comes below and his [angelic] “minister” above⁶Cf. Rashi on Gen. 32:25. to arouse Judgment on the one camp (Gen. 32:9), [namely,] the female Hod. ([She is called] the captain of the hosts, [since] camp and hosts are the same. Thus the fact that Hod’s strength was weak like a woman[’s] is not difficult [to comprehend].) Now [we understand] and strikes it [in the sense that “Esau”] weakened the strength of the [sefirotic] stature in general. This is hinted at by [the additional letter] vav in the name [of Jacob in the verse] truth unto Jacob (Mic. 7:20). Thus he destroyed his mercy. And the remaining camp, which is Neẓaḥ, strengthens itself as a remnant to grasp on to the quality of Ḥesed. Thus it was that the minister of Esau touched the thigh of Jacob and immediately the order of nourishment was changed and Hod returned, influenced from the side of Gevurah⁷The “touching” apparently restored the sefirotic state of “confusion.” Cf. n. 4 above. in the mystery of My comeliness was turned in me into corruption (Dan. 10:8). Neẓaḥ was [thus] weakened until King David, peace upon him, came and repaired it with his melodies⁸The psalms. so that it might derive nourishment from the side of Ḥesed. This is the mystery of [the verse] in Your right hand is bliss forevermore (neẓaḥ) (Ps. 16:11).

Rabbi Shimon wept as he said: Even I have feared the Holy One, blessed be He, from what I have heard. He raised his hands to his head and said, You had the privilege of seeing Rav Hamnuna Saba, the shining light of the Torah, face to face, while I have not. He then fell face downward and saw him uprooting mountains and lighting candles in the temple of King Messiah. He said to him, Rabbi in that world you shall both be neighbors of the heads of the Yeshivot (Academies), before the Holy One, blessed be He. From that day, he called Rabbi Elazar his son, and Rabbi Abba פְּנִי''אֵל. As it is written: "For I have seen Elohim face to face (Heb. פָּנִים)" (Gen. 32:31).

Because Jacob saw through the Holy Spirit the oppression of the last exile, in the end of days, it is said of him, "Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed" (Beresheet 32:8). As a result, he divided the holy nation in exile into three parts, as it is written: "And he put the handmaids and their children foremost" (Beresheet 33:2). At first in the exile of Edom, "and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph last of all." Because he saw their eventual poverty and suffering, (he prayed for them): "So that I come back to my father's house in peace" (Beresheet 28:21). (He prayed): "And will give me bread to eat, and clothing to wear" (Ibid.)

Therefore, it is written, "The burden of Dumah. One calls to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?" (Isaiah 21:11), for the dominion of Esau, who is called 'Se'ir', is during the night. Therefore the angel weakened when morning came, and then "he said, Let me go, for the day breaks."

Another explanation of "And he said" has the same meaning as "and He said, If you will diligently hearken to the voice of Hashem your Elohim" (Shemot 15:26). Here too "And he said" (means) "Your name shall be called no more 'Jacob', but Israel." Then was Jacob crowned by his grade, by which he will include all the Patriarchs. It is written, "And he blessed him there" (Beresheet 32:30). It means that he acknowledged all the blessings with which his father blessed him.

But Jacob was strong on all sides, on the side of Isaac and the side of Abraham. (Samael) came to the right and saw Abraham, strong with the vigor of day, namely, the right side, which is Chesed. He came to the left, and saw Isaac, powerful with the strength of rigorous judgment. He came to the body and saw Jacob strong on these two sides. They surrounded him, one from here and one from there. Then "when he saw that he did not prevail against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh" (Beresheet 32:26), a place outside the body, the one pillar of the body. Then "and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was put out of joint, as he wrestled with him...".

Once day broke and night departed, Jacob was strengthened, and the power of Samael diminished. Then he said, "Let me go" (Ibid. 27), for it was his time to say the morning hymns and he had to leave. He confirmed his blessings and added a blessing of his own, as it is written, "And he blessed him there" (Ibid. 30).