Yaakov and Eisav enter the world together…

Yaakov and Eisav enter the world together, yet their lives grow in opposite directions. Yaakov sees the spiritual as a way to serve Hashem. Eisav sees the physical as the goal itself. When they meet, Eisav says, “Yesh li Rav” — I have a lot, but “a lot” never satisfies. Yaakov says, “Yesh li Kol” — I have everything, because everything he has is part of his mission. That quiet difference becomes the story of Jewish history.

Before Yaakov meets Eisav, he meets and wrestles Eisav’s malach. Ramban says this isn’t a personal fight. It is prophecy — all of Jewish exile in one long, difficult night. Radak teaches that night symbolizes confusion and exile, while dawn symbolizes salvation. The Zohar calls exile “darkness” and Mashiach “light.” Darkness isn’t failure. It’s the place where clarity is born.

And then dawn arrives. The malach cannot continue fighting and is forced to bless Yaakov but not before injuring his hip. Yaakov’s name becomes Yisrael — one who struggles and prevails. Geula isn’t a surprise. It’s embedded in our name.

Rav Asher Weiss, quoting the Zohar, explains that Yaakov receives four blessings in his life. Two from his father Yitzchak – one as the bechor and one as he leaves to live with Lavan – one from the malach and the final one from Hashem. The bracha from Eisav’s malach is the one that Yaakov saved for our future redemption. The wrestling match isn’t a symbol, it is the ignition of redemption.

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Now we understand the meeting with Eisav differently

Yalkut Shimoni teaches that Yaakov took Olam HaBa while Eisav took Olam HaZeh. Their paths were set from the womb — Yaakov toward eternity, Eisav toward appetite. When Eisav asks, “Who are these to you?” he’s really asking, “Why are you using my world?” Yaakov answers by the way he lives. He needed wives for children, children to build a nation, money to do mitzvot. Olam HaBa is reached by elevating Olam HaZeh.

Yaakov also shows us how to live in the darkness before dawn: tefillah, hishtadlut, and mitzvot. He davens deeply, prepares wisely, and tells Eisav “im Lavan garti” — I lived with Lavan but kept the mitzvot. We act, no matter how hard, and Hashem brings the dawn.

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And this brings us back to us

We are Yaakov.
We limp through a long night of history, carrying wounds and challenges, yet we never fall. Every tefillah, every mitzvah, every moment of bitachon in the dark pushes the world closer to light.

Yaakov fought until dawn and was blessed with the geula we’re currently waiting for. Our generation is standing at that same edge. The first rays of light are about to break through. We are about to witness Yaakov’s bracha.

Let’s keep fighting.
Tefillah.
Mitzvot.
Bitachon.
Geula.