In the Torah portion of Vayishlach the dramatic story of Jacob wrestling with a “man” is described. This struggle occurs the night before Jacob is to meet once again his brother Esau after a long separation caused by Jacob being sent away to avoid the murderous wrath of his brother after “taking” Isaac’s blessing. After sending gifts to Esau to appease him, praying to God to protect him, and dividing his camp in two in preparation for possible confrontation, Jacob is left alone and fights with a “man” till dawn. The “man” gives Jacob a new name, Israel: “No longer will your name be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have contended with God and man and have prevailed” (Genesis 32:29). Jacob called the place Peniel – “For I have seen God face to face and my soul has been spared” (Genesis 32:31). (For a deeper analysis of the spiritual and psychological nature of the struggle Jacob faced that night see Orchard of Delights on this Torah portion).
The main point we would like to focus on here is a deeper understanding of Jacob being alone. Although human beings are social by nature, seeking out companionship, family, and community, ultimately each individual is born alone, lives alone – wrapped up in his or her own thoughts and emotions, and dies alone. Each human being is a self-contained entity, existentially alone as a result of humanity having been created “in the image of God” (Genesis 1:27), for the human soul as an essential part of God shares in the reality of Divine uniqueness and aloneness. In some sense, human beings ultimately realize their Divine origins by grappling with the ongoing reality of being alone. “God alone leads them, and there is no foreign god with Him” (Deuteronomy 32:12). When the punctuation of the first part of the verse is altered slightly, it can be read as follows: “God is alone, He leads them.” Thus, we see that a person’s existential sense of being alone is rooted in the very essence of God’s uniqueness, His being “alone.”
We can thus detect a profound paradox at work here. On one hand each person is a self-contained entity and yet on the other hand seeks companionship and the desire to relate and interact with the world. There is a deep Kabbalistic explanation for this paradox and it is hinted to in the numerical value of the word vayitar, “and he was left alone,” which is 622, the same as the word b’keter, “in the crown.”
Keter is the highest of the ten sefirot and as relates to the human psyche it represents the level of the superconscious root of the soul in Divinity. According to Kabbalah there are three “heads” or levels of consciousness in keter: emunah (faith); taanug (pleasure) and ratzon (will). Although faith is considered the highest level of the soul it actually serves as the mediator between pleasure and will. The pleasure we speak of here is of a spiritual nature and relates to the soul’s contentment and delight in its own self. This is reflected many times in a person’s simple need to be alone, without having to deal with other people or the world in general. On the other hand, the aspect of will in keter desires to interact with the world at large and specifically with other people. Since every person is different each person has to strike a proper balance between these two most basic needs of the soul. Creating the correct balance becomes the task of faith in the soul. Faith in this sense relates to a deep state of belief in one’s potential and how to fulfill one’s basic needs in life.
On that fateful night before meeting Esau once again Jacob had to come to terms with his own self-identity, his mission in life, and his fundamental belief system. Not only did he need to come to terms with his inner world but at the same time how to express his full potential in the outer material world. Finally, he needed to come to a better understanding of his role as the third of the Patriarchs, and ultimately, his relationship with God. While being left alone he simultaneously struggled with his own inner angels and demons, with the shadow of Esau that had stalked him for years and ultimately with God Himself. He called the place Peniel – “For I have seen God face to face and my soul has been spared” (Genesis 32:31). On that auspicious night Jacob’s state of aloneness merged with God’s “aloneness,” His essential uniqueness. This merger can be seen in the tradition brought by Rashi that the dust caused by the wrestling match between Jacob and the “man” ascended to God’s Throne of Glory.
Jacob reached the level of faith, bringing together his highest potential as an uncompromised individual and how it could be expressed in the world, and for the good of the world. As Jacob survived the encounter, he paved the way for all of Israel to defeat its inner and outer enemies for all generations while maintaining its distinctiveness as the Torah states: “And Israel shall dwell securely, alone….” (Deuteronomy 33:28). On this verse Rashi comments that all the Jews will tranquilly “sit under their own grape vines and fig trees” (Zechariah 3:10) and settle throughout the Land, as they will not need to live together to protect themselves.
This reality will only be fully realized in the Messianic era. At that time “dwelling securely alone” will be both ideal and natural. We are also taught that in the Messianic era there will be harmony, peace and cooperation between all peoples. That reality will also be natural. By maintaining faith in the ultimate coming of the Mashiach we lay the groundwork for unifying the superconscious levels of pleasure and will in each and every individual.
