Morashah & Meursah

And Yaakov was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn.

Rabbi Chama bar Chanina said, "He was the ministering angel of Esav. And that is [what he meant] when he said to him, 'For this have I seen your face as I saw the face of God and you have accepted me' ... Said Rabbi Chanina bar Yitschak, "That whole night both of them were striking each other, the shield of this one across from the shield of that one. Once the sun rose, 'And he said, send me away from here as the sun has risen.'

When he saw that he could not prevail against him, he touched the socket of Yaakov's hip and it became dislocated as he wrestled with him.

ויגע he informed him that in the future, i.e. כף ירכו, many of his offspring would become guilty of sins against G-d...

...The whole matter represents an allusion to our future history, that there would come a time when the descendants of Esav would overcome Yaakov almost to the point of total destruction. This happened during the days of the Sages of the Mishnah in the generation of Rabbi Yehudah ben Bava and his colleagues, in accordance with their statement: "Said Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba: If a man will say to me, Give your life for the sanctification of the name of the Holy One blessed be He, I give it, so long as he will slay me forthwith, but a generation of persecution (shemad - forced apostasy), I cannot bear. "

What did they do in a generation of persecution? They would bring iron balls, make them white hot in the flame and place them under the armpits and drive their souls from them. There were other generations who did such things to us and worse than this.

But we endured all and it passed us by, as is intimated in the text: "And Yaacov came to Shalem (meaning whole or perfect, so that they text may be read homiletically: "And Yaakov came through unscathed")

The Torah Moshe commanded us is a legacy for the Congregation of Yaakov.

The Torah that Moshe commanded us is a legacy for the Congregation of Yaakov: We have taken hold of it, and we will not forsake it!

...she (the Torah) is an inheritance for the Congregation of Yaakov, received by us and our children in trust, to pass to future generations.

...Don't read it as morashah but as yerushah. A yerushah belongs entirely to the recipient to do with as he wishes; a morashah is a heritage and must be transmitted intact to subsequent generations. Thus, the Torah is an eternal inheritance for Yisrael. A parable is given of a prince who is captured as a child and taken to lands across the sea. Even if many years passed, he would not be ashamed to come back and lay rightful claim to his throne, since he can legitimately say, "I am returning to the inheritance of my forefathers!" So too, is a talmid chacham who departs from Torah and becomes involved in other matters. Even if many years pass, he should never be ashamed to return, since he can legitimately say, "I am returning to the inheritance of my forefathers!"

Another interpretation: don't read it as morashah but me-ursah (engaged). Just as during the engagement period the bride continues to live in her father's home, only joining her husband after the marriage, so too, until the Torah was given, Bnei Yisrael were in a state of "betrothal" to Hashem, and Hashem commanded Moshe to come up to Har Sinai to Him. But after the chuppah of Matan Torah, then Hashem told Bnei Yisrael, "Make for Me a sanctuary, and I will dwell within them."

Another explanation of morashah/me'ursah is that Torah is the fiancee of Bnei Yisrael, and it states in Hoshea, "And I will espouse you forever: I will espouse you with righteousness and justice, And with goodness and mercy."

In Bereishis 2:18 we read, "And the L-rd G-d said, 'It is not good that man is alone...'" And this is what is indicated by the verse, "And Yaakov was left alone," that at that time, Samael was able to triumph over him, And he touched him in the socket of his hip."

And he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Yaakov, but Yisrael, for you have struggled with beings -- divine and human -- and you have prevailed.”