Torah Cafe
Torah Cafe
Zalman Gordon
When Jacob Wrestled with an Angel
55 minutes Posted Nov 30, 2025 at 7:35 pm.
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In a cryptic story, the Torah tells us how Jacob found himself alone at night and found himself wrestling with a man who dislocated his thigh. Jacob refused to let the man go without a blessing and the man told him that his name will be changed from Jacob to Israel.

Clearly this man was no ordinary man and the story has deeper meaning. Most commentaries assume this man was an angel. Who was this angel? Can a person really wrestle with an angel? What is the meaning of this fight and the dislocated thigh?

A fascinating discussion about Jacob's wrestling with the angel and the lessons for us today.