Jacob: Deceiver or Overcomer?

Jacob Wrestles with An Angel Genesis 32:24-28. English text below

"Jacob is a liar and a thief". "Judaism is a religion of deceit, not to be trusted."

Martin Luther himself, who veered into virulent antisemitism wrote that "Jews are a rabble to be burned" in his work "On the Jews and Their Lies" in 1543 mis-translated Jacob as "deceiver" as a foundation for his antisemitic views and suggested violence against Jews. ("Jacob" actually means "he followed", since he was the second of two twins delivered) Jacob as deceiver was a central trope for millennia of antisemites: I believe this Torah portion proves exactly the opposite and makes any thoughtful reader re-examine that idea.

The life of being Abraham’s grandson was a lonely one.   He always seems to be a man alone:

• Fleeing his home alone, "with only his staff".
• Alone in the wilderness sleeping with a rock and seeing a ladder to heaven, angels ascending and descending.
• Alone in trying to break free from His father in law's exploiting him
• and now, everything is gone, all his possessions, wives, children are sent on ahead, in the first recorded selfless act, to save them from the armies he thinks are intent on killing him ...

ויותר יעקב לבדו

"Then Jacob was left alone..."

An Epidemic of Loneliness:  

Today in the US

• Around 50% of American adults report feeling lonely.
• 73% of Gen Z report feeling lonely sometimes or always.
• Health risks: Loneliness is linked to a range of negative health outcomes, including: Increased risk of premature death, Cardiovascular disease, Stroke, Dementia, Anxiety and depression. 
• HOWEVER research shows that weekly attendees of religious congregations show the lowest loneliness rates compared to non-attendees. 

Strangely though, in this chapter, Jacob was not actually alone. We already know that Angels were hovering about:   in the first verse of this chapter

“Now as Jacob went on his way, the angels of God met him. Genesis 32:1 

 (Jacob Wrestling with the Angel) by Alexandre-Louis Leloir, 1865.

And a "man" wrestles with Jacob in his lonely place, facing the loss of everything he had accomplished in life. This is a different sort of visitation. This is no orndinery man. I'd offer that this is "the son of man", the Messiah himself.    This otherworldly "man" renames Jacob. Not only that, He forces us to re-examine everything we thought we knew about Jacob.    The "man" renames Jacob to be YI-SAR-EL.   

Y’ (future and past tense in one: "you have been"…) 

SAR “...a prince, an overcomer over...” 

EL  “...God”  

The "man" even explains WHY Jacob is renamed:

שמך יהיה ישראל כי שרית עם אלהים ועם אנשים

“your name will be Yisrael (“He PRINCED / ruled with God") because you PRINCED over God and man....

Jacob was an Overcomer, Not a Deceiver

The nation and people of Israel are born RIGHT HERE.   But there is more….

For millennia, Jacob has been cited as a core reason for Antisemitism. Now, an ANGEL praises him, inaugurates him as the father of this new nation of priests because YOU PREVAILED AND RULED OVER GOD AND MAN. 

Congratulated for overcoming MEN?

Oh my! Now we need to re-read Jacob's whole life story in the light of a supernatural visitor re-defining Jacob's life: Jacob was NOT a deceiver nor was Rebekah.  God tells us he is an OVERCOMER, A PRINCE in making God’s promise, God’s plan, come to pass.

The supernatural "man" now celebrates his tenacity in overcoming God and men in pursuit excellence in continuing the work of establishing a kingdom of priests, a blessing for the whole earth 

So many angels are in Jacobs story and here, The Messiah himself praises  Jacob for carrying out His plan.    Look with new eyes, Jacob was an overcomer.   

ויותר יעקב לבדו ויאבק איש עמו עד עלות השחר

Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn.

וירא כי לא יכל לו ויגע בכף־ירכו ותקע כף־ירך יעקב בהאבקו עמו

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.

ויאמר שלחני כי עלה השחר ויאמר לא אשלחך כי אם־ברכתני

Then he said, “Let me go, for dawn is breaking.” But he answered, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.”

ויאמר אליו מה־שמך ויאמר יעקב

Said the other, “What is your name?” He replied, “Jacob.”

ויאמר לא יעקב יאמר עוד שמך כי אם ישראל כי־שרית עם־אלהים ועם־אנשים ותוכל

Said he, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with beings divine and human, and have prevailed. ”