This week the Torah speaks of the patriarch Jacob and his quest to become worthy of the “blessing” that he had stolen from his brother Esau.  Some twenty-two years have passed since they saw each other, and after fleeing from home for fear that Esau would try to kill him, Jacob is now determined to return home and make peace with his brother.

On the night before the meeting, we’re told that Jacob wrestled throughout the night with a mysterious “man.”  We’re not told of the identity of this man, and we might well conclude that Jacob is wrestling with the man he had been, and now seeks to be.  In other words, Jacob wrestled with himself throughout the night in his quest to be a worthy patriarch of the Jewish people.

I believe that Jacob’s story is the story of every person who would strive to become something more than what we are at this time.  He knows that there is a better “Jacob” than the one he has been, and he struggles throughout the night to discover and embrace that vision of himself.

And so for each of us does Jacob’s story speak a message of our striving to be that “better self” that is within us.  We need strength and courage as we face this necessary struggle for self-respect and worthiness in our own eyes.  God grant us the strength to persist in our quest for blessing and worthiness in our own eyes.

I wish you Shabbat Shalom and look forward to seeing you at our family Shabbat service this evening.

Rabbi Emeritus David Greenberg