Parashat Vayishlach

The name of a person, especially a name which is mentioned in Tanach, is the essence of that person. Chachamim teach us how different people (such as Avraham Avinu) merited an addition of a letter to their name. Some even go farther to claim that if a person needs a zechut he should be called by his full name and not only by a nickname(מהרש”א סוטה ×™).

Hashgacha Pratit has had it that Jewish people are called “Bnei Yisrael.” In addition, Midrash goes on to explain that not only Yaakov Avinu, but all the Avot had to be called Yisrael. But what is so significant about the name Yisrael that it takes precedence over other names to represent the Jewish people? “Sefat Emet” has a beautiful insight into the episode of Yaakov Avinu wrestling with the angel that illuminates the path for us.
Being a combination of a physical body and a neshamah, every person has a pull towards both physicality and spirituality. Our mission is obviously to upgrade the body and make it into a holy base in which the shechinah can dwell. The Neshamah is from a greater source than the angels, but since our bodies are more physical than them, we aren’t able to withstand the Kedushah of an angel.

Yaakov Avinu had spiritualized his body so much that not only was he able to see them, he was also able to wrestle with them and come out victorious and receive the title of Yisrael( victorious over an angel). Being known as “Bnei Yisrael, “We all have the mission to carry out our father’s legacy and sanctify our body in order to be compatible with Malachim and become a true base for Hashra’at Hashechinah.

Shabbat Shalom.