Vayishlach

(22) And so the gift went on ahead, while he remained in camp that night. (23) That same night he arose, and taking his two wives, his two maidservants, and his eleven children, he crossed the ford of the Jabbok. (24) After taking them across the stream, he sent across all his possessions. (25) Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn. (26) When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he wrenched Jacob’s hip at its socket, so that the socket of his hip was strained as he wrestled with him. (27) Then he said, “Let me go, for dawn is breaking.” But he answered, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.” (28) Said the other, “What is your name?” He replied, “Jacob.” (29) Said he, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with beings divine and human,^-d and have prevailed.” (30) Jacob asked, “Pray tell me your name.” But he said, “You must not ask my name!” And he took leave of him there. (31) So Jacob named the place Peniel, meaning, “I have seen a divine being face to face, yet my life has been preserved.” (32) The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping on his hip.

(22) So the present went over before him: and he himself lodged that night in the camp. (23) And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two womenservants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford of Yabboq. (24) And he took them, and sent them over the wadi, and sent over that which he had. (25) And Ya῾aqov was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. (26) And when he saw that he did not prevail against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Ya῾aqov’s thigh was put out of joint, as he wrestled with him. (27) And he said, Let me go, for the day breaks. And he said, I will not let thee go, unless thou bless me. (28) And he said to him, What is thy name? And he said, Ya῾aqov. (29) And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Ya῾aqov, but Yisra᾽el: for thou hast contended with God and with men, and hast prevailed. (30) And Ya῾aqov asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Why is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there. (31) And Ya῾aqov called the name of the place Peni᾽el: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. (32) And as he passed over Penu᾽el the sun rose upon him, and he limped upon his thigh.

ויותר יעקב לבדו, after he had transferred all his belongings to the other side of the river, so that the only one still to be brought across was he himself. The reason that he wanted to cross only after everyone else had already crossed was that he intended to flee in a different direction so as to avoid a face to face encounter with Esau.

לא אשלחך, this utterance by Yaakov confirms what the sages tell us that the righteous are greater than the ministering angels (Sanhedrin 92).

לא יעקב יאמר עוד שמך, a reference to the end of days when Israel will have survived the destruction of the gentile nations When that time comes no one ever will again use the name Yaakov for the Jewish people [and the stigma that used to be associated with that name. Ed.] The very word יעקב already contained within this message that the bearer of this name will triumph at the end. Once he has triumphed there is no more point in having a name which alludes to something which will be realised only in the future. The future will then have arrived!

למה זה תשאל WHEREFORE IS IT THAT THOU DOST ASK [AFTER MY NAME]? — We have no fixed names; our names change, all depending upon the service we are commanded to carry out as the errand with which we are charged (Genesis Rabbah 78:4).