Parasha: Vayishlach
Jacob the Wrestler
Vayishlach - ืืืฉืื : "And he sent"
Torah : Genesis 32:4-36:43
Haftarah : Hosea 11:7-12:12
Gospel : Matthew 17,18
Thought for the Week:
One might go through life without even suspecting God's existence if it wasn't for the fact that occasionally He leaps upon us in the darkness.
Commentary:
In this week's Torah portion, Jacob is assaulted by an unknown assailant in the darkness of night. Jacob wrestles him down and refuses to let go of his mysterious assailant, even demanding a blessing of him. The assailant asks him, "What is your name?" As Jacob holds on to the man with all his strength, he answers, "Yaakov" meaning "Heel-grabber." The name is a reference to his talent for not letting go. It is a wrestling name.
Then the man said, "Your name shall no longer be Yaakov, but Yisrael (ישראל); for you have striven w...
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