Parashat Vayishlach

Shabbat Table Talk

Parashat Vayishlach – Erev Shabbat 01 December 2017

Week of 26 November – 02 December

Torah portion: Gen.32:3-36:43 Haftarah: Hos.11:7-12, Ob.1:1-21

It is probably because of the proximity of Christmas, but one thing stood out for me in this week’s parashah: angels. I could also blame Rashi’s commentary on this parashah: his opening comment is on the meaning of the word “maleachim” and Rashi writes it should be translated as “angels” rather than “messengers” as English translations do. And Rashi has a point, because just two verses earlier the same word in these English translations (NIV, for example) is translated as “angels”: when Jacob started his way homewards, “angels of God met him” (Gen.32:1).

Most likely it was Jacob’s story itself that made me think of angels. Can you think of some of the most popular stories in the Hebrew Bible that involve angels? Two coming to my mind are connected with Jacob. One is Jacob’s dream when he fled from Esau on his way to Laban: he saw a ladder between heaven and the earth and angels ascending and descending on it. (Gen.28:10-19) Today’s parashah reminds us of this dream. At the end of the parashah Jacob takes his family to Beth El and builds an altar to the God who had appeared to him there (Gen.35:1ff).

The second famous story involving Jacob and an angel is in today’s story that describes Jacob preparing to face Esau after all those years. The night before they met, Jacob was wrestling with an angel. Or was it an angel? Traditionally it is understood that way, but the Hebrew word here is “ish” which can be translated as either “a man” or “somebody”. Jacob called the place “Peniel” or “the face of God”. Did he think it was God himself? There could be another interpretation of “Peniel”. Jacob was preparing for a meeting with Esau and “four hundred men”. He had cheated Esau more than once and had clearly deserved the worst treatment. In the Jewish tradition Esau or Edom is always described as an archenemy to Israel as today’s haftarah testifies. But in today’s story Esau received Jacob with peace. When Jacob found that out, he commented that seeing Esau for him is like seeing God’s face, “pneh-elohim”. (Gen.33:10) Those are exactly the two words that form the name “Peniel”. Forgiveness and peace where revenge and war are expected could be the best way to experience God and his presence in the most intense way. Some call it angels, some call it God himself.

Angels in Jacob’s life do not resemble the little cuddly cherubs of Christmas paintings. They take around messages, they fight and hurt, and they do not have wings. But they do have an important role: they help Jacob to reconnect with people and with God and see God’s presence in the most unexpected places.

For Reflection and Discussion: Reflect on God’s presence in reconciliation in the Bible, in the world history and in your lives or lives of your community!

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This week’s teaching commentary was prepared by

Rota Stone, Latvia, Bat Kol Alumna, 2002 & 2003

Email: rotina@runbox.com

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