(23) He got up that night and took his two wives and his two maidservants and his eleven children and crossed the Jabbok. (24) He took them across the river and sent across all that was his [his possessions].
Why do you think Jacob crosses the river alone, sending his family and his possessions away?
What might crossing a river symbolize in this story?
(25) Jacob was left by himself and a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn. (26) He saw that he had not prevailed [against] him, and he struck the hollow part of Jacob’s thigh [i.e. the hip socket] when he wrestled with him so that the socket of his hip was strained. (27) Then he said, “Let me go, for dawn is here.” But he replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
At first glance (or with prior knowledge), who do you think Jacob struggles with here?
רַבִּי חָמָא בְּרַבִּי חֲנִינָא אָמַר שָׂרוֹ שֶׁל עֵשָׂו הָיָה...
Rabbi Chama bar Chanina said, "He was the ministering angel of Esau.
Do you think that Jacob’s struggle is literal, metaphorical, or both? Why or why not?
If you were to ask for a blessing in this moment, like Jacob, what kind of content would you want the blessing to contain—what would the blessing be about?
(29) He said, “Your name will not be Jacob but Israel, for you have struggled with God and with other people and have succeeded.
Why do you think the man specifically says that Jacob has struggled with the divine and with people? What makes you agree or disagree that Jacob struggled with the divine and this claim?
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל
Yisrael
What do you notice about the name? Are there any familiar sounding or looking words within Jacob’s new name?
Why do you think the man gives Jacob this particular name?
(א) וַיִּשָּׂ֨א יַעֲקֹ֜ב עֵינָ֗יו וַיַּרְא֙ וְהִנֵּ֣ה עֵשָׂ֣ו בָּ֔א וְעִמּ֕וֹ אַרְבַּ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת אִ֑ישׁ וַיַּ֣חַץ אֶת־הַיְלָדִ֗ים עַל־לֵאָה֙ וְעַל־רָחֵ֔ל וְעַ֖ל שְׁתֵּ֥י הַשְּׁפָחֽוֹת׃ (ב) וַיָּ֧שֶׂם אֶת־הַשְּׁפָח֛וֹת וְאֶת־יַלְדֵיהֶ֖ן רִֽאשֹׁנָ֑ה וְאֶת־לֵאָ֤ה וִֽילָדֶ֙יהָ֙ אַחֲרֹנִ֔ים וְאֶת־רָחֵ֥ל וְאֶת־יוֹסֵ֖ף אַחֲרֹנִֽים׃ (ג) וְה֖וּא עָבַ֣ר לִפְנֵיהֶ֑ם וַיִּשְׁתַּ֤חוּ אַ֙רְצָה֙ שֶׁ֣בַע פְּעָמִ֔ים עַד־גִּשְׁתּ֖וֹ עַד־אָחִֽיו׃ (ד) וַיָּ֨רׇץ עֵשָׂ֤ו לִקְרָאתוֹ֙ וַֽיְחַבְּקֵ֔הוּ וַיִּפֹּ֥ל עַל־צַוָּארָ֖ו וַׄיִּׄשָּׁׄקֵ֑ׄהׄוּׄ וַיִּבְכּֽוּ׃
(1) Jacob lifted his eyes and saw Esau coming with four-hundred men. He divided his children, some to Leah, some to Rachel, and some to the two maidservants. (2) Putting the maidservants and their children first, then Leah and her children, and Rachel and Joseph last. (3) He passed before them and bowed to the earth seven times until he came near his brother. (4) Esau ran to meet him. He hugged him, fell on his neck.
What might the exchange between Jacob and Esau tell the reader about the nature of forgiveness?
Questions for Writing Reflection:
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- After diving deeper into these verses, what do you think is required of us to forgive those who have wronged us? What’s a part of the secret sauce, the recipe that gets us to where we can forgive other or ourselves?
- When we forgive someone, if we even do, is it always sincere? Does it have to be entirely sincere? Or can we forgive people and still be angry about their past behavior, therefore creating this kiss/bite dichotomy that we see in Genesis 33:4?