Why יעקב, Yaakov? Out of all of our אבות, our forefathers, why was he chosen to be designated with the additional name of ישראל, Israel, and, as a result, be the father of the 12 שפטים, tribes, that made up the future of the Jewish people as we see in the aftermath of יעקב’s wrestling match with the angel:
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר לֹ֤א יַעֲקֹב֙ יֵאָמֵ֥ר עוֹד֙ שִׁמְךָ֔ כִּ֖י אִם־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כִּֽי־שָׂרִ֧יתָ עִם־אֱלֹהִ֛ים וְעִם־אֲנָשִׁ֖ים וַתּוּכָֽל
And (the angel) said to Yaakov, “No longer will you be called by the name of Yaakov, rather, you will be called Israel, for you have struggled with beings divine and human and survived - Bereishit 32:29
Even more so, the תורה, Torah, does not describe יעקב as righteous like נח, Noach, not as a pioneer leaving his homeland like אברהם, Avraham, nor did he offer himself as a sacrifice like יצחק, Isaac. And yet, we are defined as the descendants of יעקב, of ישראל, for all time.
Why יעקב?
The life of יעקב is fraught with moment after moment where he attempts to escape one danger only to find himself in another. First, he ran from his brother, עשו, Esav, to find himself in the grasp of his uncle לבן, Lavan. Just as he escapes the house of לבן, he finds himself facing the impending first encounter with עשו. As he is preparing for that moment, he is face to face with an emissary of עשו (whether his messenger or actual angel is unclear) where they wrestle, he is hurt and comes out to immediately face his brother. This storyline follows יעקב through the next few chapters as tightly as our shadows follow us. Yet nothing has prepared him for these moments.
In last week’s פרשה, Parsha, we see his surprise when he is alone, surrounded by darkness and the unknown:
וַֽיַּחֲלֹ֗ם וְהִנֵּ֤ה סֻלָּם֙ מֻצָּ֣ב אַ֔רְצָה וְרֹאשׁ֖וֹ מַגִּ֣יעַ הַשָּׁמָ֑יְמָה וְהִנֵּה֙ מַלְאֲכֵ֣י אֱלֹהִ֔ים עֹלִ֥ים וְיֹרְדִ֖ים בּֽוֹ׃
And (Yaakov) dreamed and behold a ladder was situated on the ground with its top reaching the heavens and the angels of Hashem were travel up and down - Bereishit 28:12
In this week’s פרשה, we see it again as he is confronted by his wrestling partner:
וַיִּוָּתֵ֥ר יַעֲקֹ֖ב לְבַדּ֑וֹ וַיֵּאָבֵ֥ק אִישׁ֙ עִמּ֔וֹ עַ֖ד עֲל֥וֹת הַשָּֽׁחַר
And Yaakov was left alone and he wrestled with a man until dawn - Bereishit 32:25
In both of these moments we find יעקב alone, unaware of marvels or danger that exist around him. יעקב is the person, as Rabbi Jonathan Sacks zt”l explains, that has his deepest spiritual experience alone, at night, alone, and in the face of danger. He is the person who meets Hashem when he leasts expects it, when his focus is elsewhere, when he is in a state of fear and possibly despair. It is only through the journey that he finds his meaningful connection with Hashem. And, as such, יעקב becomes the father of the nation that had their closest encounters with Hashem in the wastelands of the desert. A place where they stood alone, often unaware of what was transpiring around them
It is true that we have other paradigmatic Jewish teachers and leaders. Yet יעקב was the one that instilled in us the knowledge that precisely when we feel most alone, in despair and with no hope in sight Hashem is still with us, holding our hands and providing us the courage to hope, to dream and carry on.
In Houston, Texas this analogy may be hard to appreciate. For over 35 years, winter for me in the North East was wet, frigid and dreary. It was that way during my years of learning in ישראל and it continued to be so thereafter. Our natural world has such a distinct impact on our psyche and there have been studies that have shown the higher rates of depression, melancholy and general malaise that takes place during these months. (As I said, 80 degrees in Houston, Texas is hard to beat.) During this time, we feel alone, withdrawn and without hope. We are not alone. There is always hope.
What יעקב teaches us as Jewish people and in our relationship with Hashem, he does even more for us as teachers. Our students strive to learn, grow and excel in all areas of their lives. It isn’t as simple as that. Our students will struggle, feel lost and, at times, unaware of what is going on around them. It is our role as educators to provide them with that sense that while moments may be difficult, they are never alone. Their darkest moments are brightened by our presence, holding them up to hope and dream again.