Post by Murph on Dec 4, 2023 7:55:09 GMT -6
How Jacob and Job prevailed
Sabbath featured the weekly Torah reading “Va’yishlach” from Genesis 32-36 centered on the life of Jacob.
Immediately after Jacob wrestled with the Angel of the Lord and demanded to receive a divine blessing, he was christened “Yi-SRa-El” which means “One who prevails with God.”
“Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed.” (Genesis 32:28)
The root “prevail” is also related to “sar” – the word for a “prince” and a (governmental) minister. This richly loaded interaction between Jacob and the divine angelic representative seems almost blasphemous. It’s nothing like the stiff religious ceremony one might expect, and yet it marks a high-water point in God’s approval of human attitude and behavior.
www.israeltoday.co.il/read/how-jacob-and-job-prevailed/