Striving for Harmony: The Meaning of ‘Israel’
It is the middle of the night, Jacob stands alone on the banks of the Jabbok River. Rashi tells us he had returned for “small jars” – insignificant items he left behind – but what he encounters is anything but insignificant. A dramatic fight which ends with him being given the name Israel.
The Dark Night of the Soul
He is about to meet Esau, his estranged brother, who approaches with an army. Before facing the brother of flesh and blood, Jacob must confront a spiritual adversary. He wrestles with a mysterious angel until dawn. Wounded, limping, yet unbowed, Jacob demands a blessing. The angel responds not with a gift, but with a new identity:
“Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and you have prevailed.” (Genesis 32:29)
This name – Israel – is not a mere nickname. It becomes the root of our national identity, reshaping our spiritual DNA. But what does it truly mean?
The Netziv’s Insight
To understand this transformation, we turn to the brilliant commentary of the Netziv (Rabbi Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin) in Ha’amek Davar:
כי שרית עם אלקים ועם אנשים ותוכל… לפי הפשט י”ל כלפי שנקרא יעקב באחזו בעקב עשו ונתבאר לעיל שהוא בשני אופני’. בעת שיעקב בגדולה אוחז את עשו בעקבו שלא ילך ויתפשט גם הוא במלכותו. ובשעה שיעקב בשפלות מבקש להאחז בעקב עשו ולא תחת יד אחרים הפראים ביותר. ואמר לו המלאך כי אינך צריך לזה השם… שהרי שרית עם אלקים שהוא שר שלו ותוכל. ובשעה שתהי׳ בשפלות ובגלות לא תהי’ צריך כ”כ להאחז בעקב עשו כי שרית עם אנשים. היינו עם כל אנשים ומלכיות אפילו המה פראים בהליכתם ותוכל לכולם.
Translation:
“For you have striven with God and with men, and you have prevailed… According to the plain meaning, this relates to the name Jacob, derived from his holding Esau’s heel, as explained earlier in two ways. When Jacob is in a state of greatness, he holds Esau’s heel so that he does not advance and seize kingship for himself as well. And when Jacob is in a state of lowliness, he seeks to cling to Esau’s heel rather than fall under the hands of the most savage [nations]. And the angel said to him: You no longer need this name… For you have striven with God, who is your Prince, and you have prevailed. And when you are in lowliness and exile, you will not need to cling so much to Esau’s heel, for you have striven with men – meaning with all men and kingdoms, even those savage in their ways – and you have prevailed against them all.”
The Netziv raises a subtle question: Why does the angel list the greater challenge – God – before the lesser challenge – men? And why does Jacob need a new name at all?
From Dependency to Independence
The answer lies in the meaning of Yaakov – rooted in ekev, “heel.” Jacob’s identity reflects reactive dependency:
- When strong, he restrains Esau’s advance.
- When weak, he clings to Esau for protection from savagery.
In both cases, survival depends on others.
The angel declares: You have graduated. You no longer need to be a “Heel-Holder.”
Israel signals a radical shift:
- We do not survive by clinging to superpowers or reacting to threats.
- We endure because of inner strength.
“You strove with God”: Our resilience flows from spiritual fortitude. When connected to our Divine mission, we shape reality rather than merely respond to it.
“You strove with men”: Even in exile, we need not beg for protection. We possess an innate, God-given strength to stand upright.
To be Israel is to stand tall – not because we lean on others, but because we have an unbreakable spine.
The Paradox: Harmony Through Struggle
But how do we know we are aligned with our Divine mission? Here lies Jacob’s deeper essence. The Sages teach that he embodies Emet – Truth – a synthesis of his forebears’ qualities: Abraham’s Chesed (Love) and Isaac’s Gevurah (Strength). This balance creates a relationship with God that integrates kindness and discipline.
In Kabbalistic terms, Jacob corresponds to Tiferet – often translated as Beauty, but more profoundly understood as Harmony: the fusion of opposites into wholeness. Jacob united twelve diverse sons into one family – a multi-dimensional people who, even in exile, rallied around his legacy. It was never easy – like conducting an orchestra of clashing instruments into symphony – but when guided by Truth and harmony, the result is power beyond measure.
This is God’s vision for Israel: a people who strive relentlessly, yet harmonize diversity into unity.
True Harmony Is Not the Absence of Conflict
Jacob’s life proves this. He faced sibling rivalries, Laban’s deceit, inter-family tensions, Joseph’s disappearance, Dinah’s tragedy, and violent reprisals. Yet through it all, he prevailed – not by avoidance, but by wrestling until dawn.
Harmony – Tiferet – is not peace without struggle; it is beauty born of engagement. Like an orchestra, harmony emerges from different, sometimes opposing notes blending together. In life, beauty arises when we embrace challenges, integrate our wrestling matches, and recognize that each voice adds to the whole.
Our world today mirrors Jacob’s trials: disunity, broken relationships, fractures tempting us toward despair. But Jacob teaches a surer way – not simpler, but truer – through harmony and acceptance. Each of us brings a unique note; together, the result is worth every strain.
As Mark Twain famously asked:
“All other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?”
The secret, perhaps, is that we are Israel. We do not hide from history; we wrestle with it. We do not ignore the darkness; we struggle with it until the break of dawn.
