Vayishlach Dvar Torah

As humans we are all confronted by fears and insecurities. Am I going to fail the test? Break up with my boyfriend? Lose the soccer game? Be teased or bullied because of my appearance or beliefs? Fear is a natural part of life, but it is how we deal with our fears and learn from our mistakes and insecurities that enable us to grow as people and overcome our inhibitions. It takes a lot of courage and strength to approach a situation and open yourself up to failure. This week’s Parsha teaches us that if we take the necessary precautions and arm ourselves with strong values, a supportive community, and an open mind we can overcome any obstacles that may obscure our way.

In this week’s Parsha Yaakov returns to confront his brother after twenty years in Charan. He is unsure of what to expect. Will his brother be ready to reconcile their differences and move on? Or has he been harboring his anger for years and eager to seek revenge?  To assess the situation he sent two angels ahead to Esav. They returned and informed him that Esav was approaching with 400 men. Yaakov was terrified and decided to take action. First he split his camp in two so that if Esav attacked one group the other would be safe. Then he turned to God calling out for his protection from his brother and safe entrance into the land of Israel. Lastly, he sent a gift of many animals as a tribute to Esav.

With all his preparations complete there was nothing Yaakov could do but wait. Late at night, all alone, he was approached by a man and wrestled with him until dawn (Genesis 32:35) Who was this man? An angel? Yaakov’s inner inhibitions? An image of his brother? Whoever it was, Yaakov emerged a changed man. As dawn was approaching the man blessed him, changing his name from Yaakov to Yisrael, the one who wrestled with God. The Yaakov of the night before was gone. Yes, his problem did not go away, he must still face his brother, but his struggle with his fears left him with the courage and the strength to confront his fear.

Just like Yaakov, we all face challenges that are scary and overwhelming in our lives. No matter what we do to prepare for them, there will be times when we will struggle. We will feel alone with our troubles and the night may seem never ending, but if we persevere and never give up hope we will defeat our fears and emerge from the struggle a changed person. If you or anyone you know are going through something tough in your life I encourage you to look towards Yaakov as a role model of someone who struggled with fear and confrontation but found the strength to overcome his struggle and proceed with courage even when the situation seemed bleak.

Shabbat Shalom!

Shoshana Edelman