February 4 Blog

These chapters, as the rest of Genesis, are quite confusing due to excessive amount of metaphorical content and hidden lessons and messages. Similarly, the conflict faced by Jacob is most likely some inner reflection of human nature and the conflictive struggle between our divine existence made in the likeliness of God and our ability to choose alternatively our ungodly side. Once again, there is a pattern in the sense that the resolution of Jacob’s struggle is both a win and a lose that is then followed up by a change made by God. The physical fighting is said to be won by Jacob, who rose victorious but wounded. His opponent then accepts defeat by giving up and giving his blessing to Jacob. Contrary to his physical achievements, Jacob seems to bend the knee on a more personal struggle. When asked by his opponent what his name is to receive the blessing, Jacob does not lie. In this way, Jacob owns up to his own responsibilities and to his own mistakes and crimes. By owning his errors, Jacob repairs his relationship with God and is given a new name as a form of rebirth. To symbolize this personal growth and to forever remind Jacob of this moment, God left Jacob with a limp for him to remember that he will always need the help of others.

Finally, it is hard to tell who the mysterious challenger is since he is never quite said. Important to mention is that there is a resemblance to be observed between the struggle with the unknown figure and Jacob’s struggles with his brother. Alike Cain, Jacob fought against Esau because of his envy, because he wanted to take his birth right and seek for glory. In such a way, this second fight is also a reflection of Jacob’s struggle with both Esau and God, who I believe to be his main opponents.