Rashi on TanakhGenesis 32

And the angles of Elohim met him. Angels of Eretz Yisrael came to meet him in order to accompany him into the [Holy] Land.

Machanayim. [מַחֲנָיִם means] two camps—[the angels] from outside Eretz Yisrael that accompanied him to this point and those of Eretz Yisrael that came to meet him.

Yaakov sent messengers. Actual angels.

To the Land of Seir. [אַרְצָה שֵׂעִיר] is the same as לְאֶרֶץ שֵׂעִיר. Any word that requires the prefix ל', Scripture [instead] places a ה' at the end of it.

I lived as a stranger. I have not become an officer or anyone of importance, but merely a transient guest. It is not worthy of you to hate me on account of your father’s blessings. He blessed me “Be master over your brother,” for it has not been fulfilled in me. Another explanation: The gimatria [numerical value] of גַרְתִּי is 613 [תרי"ג]; as if to say, “I have resided with the wicked Lavan and yet have kept תַּרְיַ"ג [613] commandments and have not learned from his wicked deeds.”

I acquired oxen, donkeys. Father told me, “[May God give you] of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the land,” these [cattle and servants] are neither from the heavens nor from the earth.

Oxen, donkeys It is customary to refer to many oxen as ox, A person might say to another, “The rooster crowed during the night” and does not say, “The roosters crowed.”

I have sent to tell my master. To announce that I am coming to you.

To find favor in your eyes. That I am at peace with you and seek your love.

We came to your brother, to Eisov. [The one] that you said, “He is my brother” but he, nevertheless, acts towards you as the wicked Eisov; he is still harboring his hatred.

Frightened and distressed. וַיִּירָא [he feared] lest he be killed. וַיֵּצֶר לוֹ [he was distressed] that he might kill others.

To one camp and attacks it.. מַחֲנֶה is grammatically used as male and female. “If a camp should encamp [תַּחֲנֶה] against me,” is the feminine form. “This [הַזֶּה] camp,” is the male form. There are also other words that can be either masculine or feminine. [An example שֶׁמֶשׁ:] “The sun rose [יָצָא] upon the earth.” [Also in the verse:] “From one end of the sky is its rising [מוֹצָאוֹ],” which are masculine [יָצָא and מוֹצָאוֹ being masculine], [whereas:] “The sun shone [זָרְחָה] upon the waters,” which is feminine. The same [holds true concerning the word] רוּחַ: “Behold a great wind is coming [בָּאָה].” [בָּאָה] being the feminine form, [whereas:] “And it [the wind] touched [וַיִּגַּע] the four corners of the house,” [וַיִּגַּע] is in the masculine form. “And a great [גְּדוֹלָה] and a strong [וְחָזָק] wind takes apart mountains.” Here it is both masculine [וְחָזָק] and feminine [גְּדוֹלָה]. Similarly אֵש [is both masculine and feminine]. “A fire came forth [יָצְאָה] from God,” [יָצְאָה] is in the feminine form, [whereas:] “A flaming [לוֹהֵט] fire,” [לוֹהֵט] is in the masculine form.

The remaining camp will survive. Against his [Eisov’s] will because I will do battle with him. He [Yaakov] prepared himself for three things, for the giving of a gift, for prayer and for war: For the giving of a gift, [as it says:] “The present passed on ahead of him.” For prayer, [as it says:] “The God of my father Avraham.” For war, [as it says:] “The remaining camp will survive.”

And God of my father Yitzchok. Whereas elsewhere he says “the Fear of Yitzchok.” And, furthermore, why does he go on to repeat the Tetragrammaton [ה' הָאוֹמֵר אֵלַי]? It should have been written, “Who said to me ‘return.’” But, this is what Yaakov was saying to God: “You made two promises to me—one, when I left my father’s house from Beer Sheva when You said to me, ‘I am Adonoy, God of Avraham, your father, and God of Yitzchok,’ and, there You said to me, ‘I will guard you wherever you go,’ and, in Lavan’s house You said to me, ‘Return to the Land of your fathers, and to your birthplace, and I will be with you.’ And there You revealed Yourself to me only with the Proper Name [Tetragrammaton] as it is said, ‘And Adonoy said to Yaakov, “Return to the land of your fathers,’” etc. [It is based] upon these two promises [that] I came before You.”

I am unworthy because of all the kindness. [Meaning:] “My merits have diminished because of the kindnesses and truth that You have done with me. I am afraid for the following reason: Lest from the time you made me the promises I have become tainted by sin which will cause me to be delivered into Eisov’s hand.”

And of all the faithfulness. [Meaning:] “Making Your words come true—[i.e.,] that You have kept all the promises that You have promised me.”

For with my staff. “I had with me neither silver nor gold nor cattle—only my staff itself.” The Midrashic explanation is: He placed his staff into the Jordan [River] and the Jordan split [so that he could cross].

From the hand of my brother, from the hand of Eisov. [Meaning:] “From the hand of my brother who does not act towards me as a brother but as the wicked Eisov.”

I will do very good. [I.e.,] doing good on account of your own merits, and I will do good on account of your fathers’ merits.

And I will make your offspring like the sands of the sea. But, where did He tell him this? Did He not say to him only: “Your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth”? But, [the answer is] that He did say to him, “I will not forsake you until I have done that which I have spoken for you.” And to Avraham He had said, “I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of the sky and like the sand on the sea shore.”

Which comes into his hand. [Meaning: what was] in his possession. Similarly: “He took his entire land from his possession.” The Midrashic explanation of מִן הַבָּא בְיָדוֹ: [It refers to] precious stones and jewels which a person ties into a packet so that he can carry them in his hand. (An alternate explanation of מִן הַבָּא בְיָדוֹ: from that which is not sacred [i.e.,] that he had already tithed as it stated: I [Yaakov] will surely give a tenth to You,” afterwards did he take it as a gift.)

Two hundred female goats and twenty male goats. Two hundred she-goats require twenty he-goats. So, too, regarding all [the animals]. The [number of] males according to the need of the females. Bereishis Rabbah infers from here the frequency of fulfilling marital duties. Those of the leisure class—every day, laborers—twice a week, mule drivers—once a week, the camel drivers—once in thirty days, sailors—once in six months. I do not know how specifically the Midrash arrives at these exact [inferences]. But, what [does] seem right to me is that we infer from this that the time of fulfilling marital duties is not the same for every person but is according to the amount of labor that is upon him, for we find here that for each he-goat he gave ten she-goats, as well as for each ram. Because they are free of labor it is their way to mate often—to impregnate ten females. Once an animal has become pregnant it does not accept the male. [But,] bulls who are busy laboring he gave for each male only four females, and for the donkey, which travels long distances, two females per male, and for camels which travel longer distances one female per male.

Thirty nursing camels. And their young were with them. The Midrashic explanation of בְּנֵיהֶם is בְּנָאֵיהֶם —their builders, i.e., one male per female. Since it [the camel species] is discreet in mating Scripture does not state it explicitly.

Male donkeys. [עֲיָרִים are] male donkeys.

Each herd by itself. [I.e.,] each species separately.

Pass on ahead of me. A distance of one day or less and I will follow behind you.

And keep a space. One herd was ahead of the other as far as the eye can see. [Yaakov did this] so that the eye of the wicked man [Eisov] be satisfied, and to amaze him with the immensity of the gift.

To whom do you belong? [Meaning] of whom are you? [i.e.,] “Who has sent you?” [as] Onkelos translates it דְּמָאן אַתְּ —whose are you?.

And who is the owner of this that is before you? [Meaning:] and those before you, whose are they? [I.e.,] to whom is this gift being sent? The למ"ד [here] is used as a prefix in place of the word שֶׁל —of [possessive] as in: “Everything that you see לִי הוּא,” meaning “is mine” שֶׁלִי הוּא, [or] “לַה' [God’s] is the earth and its fullness,” [לה' being the same as] שֶׁל ה' [God’s].

You should [then] say, [they belong] to your servant, Yaakov. [Answer] his first [question] first and his last [question] last. That which you asked, “To whom do you belong?” [respond,] “I belong to your servant, Yaakov.” As Onkelos translates it—belonging to your servant, Yaakov. And that which you ask, “And who is the owner of this that is before you?” [respond,] “It is a present sent, etc.”

And see, he is also behind us. [Referring to] Yaakov.

I will appease him. [Meaning:] I will nullify [אֲכַפְּרָה] his anger [פָנָיו]. Similarly: “Your covenant with death will be nullified,” [or:] “You will not be able to nullify it.” It seems to me that whenever the term כַּפָּרָה [is used] in conjunction with iniquity and sin and anger they always signify wiping away and removing. [כַּפָּרָה] is rooted in Aramaic and is often found in the Talmud: “He wiped his hand,” “He wants to wipe his hands on this man.” In Scripture, too, the Temple vessels are called. כְּפוֹרֵי זָהָב —vessels of gold—so called because the priest would wipe his hands [from blood] on the edge of the vessel.

Ahead of him. עַל פָּנָיו has the same meaning as לְפָנָיו —before him. Similarly: “Robbery and violence are heard in her before me, constantly.” Similarly: “Those who anger Me before Me.” The Midrashic explanation of עַל פָּנָיו [is] he [Yaakov] was also angry that he had to resort to all this.

And his eleven children. But, where was Deenah? She had been placed in a box and locked in so that Eisov could not set eyes on her. Yaakov was thus punished for withholding her from his brother because she might have turned him to good, and she [consequently] fell into the hands of Shechem.

Yabbok. [יַבֹּק] is the name of the river.

All that he possessed. [Referring to] the cattle and movable property. [וַיַעֲבֵר —and brought over means] he acted as a bridge taking things from one side [of the river] and placing them on the other.

Yaakov remained. He had forgotten some small jars and he returned for them.

A man wrestled. Menachem explained it: a man became covered with dirt, [וַיִּתְעַפֵּר] meaning אָבָק —dust, because they were kicking up dirt with their feet as a result of their movement [while struggling]. To me, however, it seems that it stems from וַיִּתְקַשֵּׁר —he attached himself and it [וַיֵּאָבֵק] is of Aramaic origin [as in] “After they became [דַאֲבִיקוּ] attached in it,” [or] “He [וַאֲבֵיק] attached it with loops, [מֵיבַק] meaning a loop. For it is the way of two who struggle for one person to throw the other down, then he grasps him and entwines him in his arms. Our Sages have explained that this was Eisov’s guardian angel.

And he struck the socket of his hip. The upper thigh-bone that joins the hip-bone is called the כַּף [lit. ladle] because the flesh which is on it appears like a pot-ladle.

Dislocated. [I.e.,] it was dislocated from its joint. A similar usage: “Lest my soul become [תֵּקַע] disconnected from you,” [תֵּקַע] meaning removal, dislocation. In the Mishnah [this usage can be found:]. לְקַעֲקֵעַ בֵּיצָתָן “To rip up their roots.”

For the dawn is breaking. And I must sing [God’s] praises by day.

You bless me. [Meaning:] concede to me the blessings with which my father blessed me, those which Eisov has been protesting.

No longer … Yaakov. [I.e.,] it will no longer be said that the blessings came to you through deceit and trickery, but, rather, with nobility and openness, and, in the end, God will reveal Himself to you in Beis Eil, and change your name, and, there, He will bless you and I, too, will be there and will concede them to you. That is what is written: “He struggled with an angel and prevailed, he cried and pleaded with him” [which means] the angel cried and pleaded with him. What was the matter about which he pleaded? “At Beis Eil He will find us and there He will speak with us,” [which means] “Wait for me until He will speak with us there.” Yaakov refused [to wait] and given no choice he had to concede them to him. That is meant by what is said: “He then blessed him there,” for he pleaded with Yaakov to wait for him but he [Yaakov] did not agree.

And with men. [Referring to] Eisov and Lavan.

And you have won. Over them.

Why then do you ask? We do not have a set name. Our names keep changing all depending on the command of the mission we are sent to fulfill.

The sun shone for him. It is an expression that people use: “When we reached such-and-such a place the dawn broke for us.” That is the simple explanation. The Midrashic explanation of וַיִּזְרַח לוֹ is for his needs, to heal his lameness, as it states: “The sun of righteousness and healing in its wings.” Those hours that [the sun] prematurely set for him when he left Beer Sheva, it [now] prematurely rose for him.

And he limped. He was limping [only] when the sun rose.

The displaced tendon. Why is it called the גִיד הַנָּשֶׁה? Because it was dislocated and moved up. It [the word נָשֶׁה] means springing. So, too, “Their strength sprang away,” also, “For God has caused all my suffering to spring away.”