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And Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until the break of day. When he saw that he could not prevail against him, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob's hip was dislocated as he wrestled. And he (the angel) said, "Let me go, for the break of day is breaking," but he (Jacob) said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." (Genesis 32:25-27)

 

https://www.yoramraanan.com/blog/2025/6/29/eternal-struggle?srsltid=AfmBOop7NnqSlxiLqjGacwxxti83yoBxQ3uQ_CU-7wbyXCGfs8jZ7ICh

 

This painting captures the divine battle between the forces of light and darkness as Jacob encounters the angel who embodies the spirit of Esau. Their confrontation is framed on one side by a golden angel with wings and on the other by a dark figure with a sword. There are also figures representing different time periods in the nocturnal encounter. In the center, the darkness of the night is illuminated by rays of sunlight, indicating that the man "wrestled with him until the break of day." Rashi explains that the man who wrestled with Jacob until dawn was Esau's guardian angel. The Hebrew word for wrestling, yaavak, comes from the word avak, dust. We sense the movement in the paint, capturing the opposing forces of light and darkness, as the dust of their confrontation billows heavenward. The energetic feeling of their struggle is tempered by a sense of calm as Jacob emerges victorious, conquering the heavenly creature who gives him the name Israel, meaning "he who triumphs over the Divine."

Jacob Wrestles with Esau's angel