Wrestling all night / Name Change/ The Limp

Genesis 32:27-33

Blessing of the angel. Name change.

damage to his thigh... 

Don't eat the part of the thigh muscle of an animal.

Jacobs opponent only can fight at night. Connection to enlightenment 

Not let you go..asks for a blessing.  

Rashi .He asks the angel.. Confirm the blessings that Isaac gave him...the one that he stole from his brother.

to assure that he earned the blessing in his own right.

Angel asks the same question that Isaac had asked him...this time he answers in truth.

This is way to come out of his previous deception with integrity.

When the angel asks his name...kimkee. Related to the question God asks Adam   To engage him in conversation.

His name and identity is changed...name is Israel...

Nahum Sarna... Names tied to character... Jacob= crooked... 

Rashi..the name doesn't suit him..no longer heel or crooked..now designates that he has earned his position openly...

Israel. Means he has striven with Devine beings and with people and have prevailed.

Kimkee. Devine being is the angel...human Laban and Esau 

Real meaning not wrestling with God... Actually means that God has prevailed. Gods dominion.

Other name relates to yisuan= Jews.  The one with integrity.

Not the deceiver but now the person of conscious. The straight one.

Earliest archeological mention of Israel.  1200BCE

9th century BCE notes that Israel is gone...

Name= you have prevailed. Actually in fit ire tense.

Name is changed but we continue to refer to him a Jacob..

Unexplained...but the two names are interchangeable...

Even with the name change Jacob actually continues to aspire to the name Israel.

fighter for God...fight to bring Gods presence to the world.

Analogy to a key to the palace..add a string to the key so it doesn't get lost.

V30

Who has he been wrestling with?

Why ask? Or must not ask.

Don't know the names of the angels in Genesis.

Name of angel is unknowable ...until much later.

Jacob was trying to escape the name from his youth...

Reason slaves in Egypt held their identity by not changing their names.

Angels don't have names.  Angels only have a single purpose. Name changes each time.

Sforno says he is asking what his character is.  What is he to learn from this?

Nachmanades..the angels name would not serve him any purpose...God is in charge of him.

Kimkee.  Devine being gave Jacob the blessing.  

Or. He said goodby.  

47:10 Joseph  blesses and says farewell. Good bye= God be with you.

Change names was more common in ancient times.  Signifies a change in status...still a practice for Popes...

V21. Name the place...Pene El. face of God... Double meaning..combat or intimacy.

Immediately after in 37. Name changes. Yu'd to van.  

Penu=turn to God.

The sun rose on him...for his benefit to heal his lameness. 

He has been hurt.  

Low point of his life at sunset...now high point at sunrise.

The limp...

Significant...sciatic nerve,

R. Alter...physical damage to reflect his spiritual scars from his experiences.

Leaps into future tense and not eat the sciatic nerve near the hip

Nerves are carefully cut out of the meat in Kosher process... Difficult to do.

Zohar..symbol of our own wrestling with the dark side...the thigh is the root if sexual desire.

Reference to lust.  Makes people forget.. Even great men.  Avoid temptation.