THEMES of Featured Mystical Classics Articles

Kabbalah teaches that the spiritual forces of holiness rule during the daylight hours.

from Torat Moshe by Rabbi Moshe Alshich of Tzfat-Safed

Seeing that Jacob still entertained doubts that he had been wrestling a spiritual force, the angel told him that he must join the heavenly choir before daybreak.

Jacob insisted that if the "man" was the spiritual representative of Esau his antagonist, he must, first of all, admit that he, Jacob, was entitled to the blessing he had received from his father Isaac.

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Messengers of the Righteous

Jacob successfully combated both physical and spiritual adversaries.

From Shenei Luchot HaBrit by Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz

According to some scholars, Jacob sent flesh and blood messengers up ahead to his brother Esau; others claim that they were angels.

Actually, there were two sets of emissaries, since the struggle between Jacob and his adversary occurred on two levels: the physical and the spiritual; Esau in this world and Sam-kel in the celestial regions.

Angels and Mortals

Esau may have immediately pounced on human messengers, as the eagle does when he swoops out of the skies.

From the Ohr HaChaim commentary by Rabbi Chaim (ben Moshe) ibn Attar

Jacob employed celestial beings to act as his messengers, for it is possible that Esau would immediately pounce on human messengers without any warning. Perhaps he also hoped that when Esau became aware that Jacob had celestial beings do his bidding he would desist from his planned attack on Jacob altogether.