Pt3 Jacob in Genesis 28-32: Talmudic Homiletics on the Biblical Stories of Jacob's Ladder and Jacob’s Struggle With an Angel (Chullin 91a-b)

This is the third and final part of a three-part series. Part 1 is here; Part 2 is here; the outline for the series can be found at Part 1.

Jacob’s Struggle With the Angel (Genesis 32)

Angel Asks to be Released since his time to sing praise to God has arrived - Genesis 32:27

(בראשית לב, כז)

“ויאמר:

שלחני

כי עלה השחר”

אמר לו:

גנב אתה?!

או קוביוסטוס אתה?!

שמתיירא מן השחר

The Talmud returns to the verses that describe Jacob wrestling with the angel.

“And he said:

Let me go,

for the dawn has risen. And he said: I will not let you go until you bless me” (Genesis 32:27).

Jacob said to the angel:

Are you a thief?!

or are you a gambler¹ [kuveyustus]?!

who is afraid of dawn?

אמר לו:

מלאך אני

ומיום שנבראתי --

לא הגיע זמני לומר שירה עד עכשיו.

The angel said to him:

I am an angel,

and from the day I was created --

my time to recite a song before God has not arrived, until now.

Now I must ascend so that I can sing songs of praise to God.

Rav Ḥananel citing Rav - Three groups of angels say the daily “Kadosh”: two say “Holy,” one says “Holy is YHWH of hosts” - Isa 6:3

מסייע ליה לרב חננאל, אמר רב

דאמר רב חננאל, אמר רב:

שלש כתות של מלאכי השרת אומרות שירה בכל יום:

1. אחת אומרת:

   1. "קדוש"

2. ואחת אומרת:

   1. "קדוש"

3. ואחת אומרת:

   1. "קדוש ה' צבאות"

[...]

The Talmud comments: This supports the opinion of Rav Ḥananel when he related what Rav said.

As Rav Ḥananel said that Rav said:

Three groups of ministering angels recite a song every day from the verse “Holy, holy, holy is YHWH”:

1. one says:

   1. “Holy,”

2. and another one says:

   1. “Holy,”

3. and another one says:

   1. “Holy is YHWH of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory” (Isaiah 6:3).²

[...]

Baraita - Jews vs. Angels

The Jewish people are more dear to God than the ministering angels, as they may recite a song of praise to God at any time

חביבין ישראל לפני הקב"ה יותר ממלאכי השרת

• שישראל --

  • אומרים שירה בכל שעה

• ומלאכי השרת --

  • אין אומרים שירה אלא פעם אחת ביום

baraita:

The Jewish people are more dear (חביבין) to God than the ministering angels,

• as the Jewish people --

  • may recite a song of praise to God at any time,

• but ministering angels --

  • recite a song of praise only one time per day.

... as opposed to ministering angels, who recite a song of praise only one time per day / week / year / sabbatical cycle / jubilee cycle / ever

1. ואמרי לה: פעם אחת בשבת

2. ואמרי לה: פעם אחת בחודש

3. ואמרי לה: פעם אחת בשנה

4. ואמרי לה: פעם אחת בשבוע

5. ואמרי לה: פעם אחת ביובל

6. ואמרי לה: פעם אחת בעולם.

1. And some say that the ministering angels recite a song of praise one time per week.

2. And some say that they recite a song of praise one time per month.

3. And some say that they recite a song of praise one time per year.

4. And some say that they recite a song of praise one time in every seven years.

5. And some say that they recite a song of praise one time per Jubilee.

6. And some say that they recite a song of praise one time in the entire history of the world.

Jews - mention the name of God after 2 words (Deuteronomy 6:4) vs. Angels - only after 3 words (Isaiah 6:3)

• וישראל --

  • מזכירין את השם אחר שתי תיבות

  • “שנאמר (דברים ו, ד): “שמע ישראל ה' וגו

• ומלאכי השרת --

  • אין מזכירין את השם אלא לאחר ג' תיבות

  • “כדכתיב (ישעיהו ו, ג): “קדוש קדוש קדוש ה' צבאות

And furthermore,

• the Jewish people --

  • mention the name of God after 2 words,

  • as it is stated: “Hear, Israel: YHWH our God, YHWH is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4).

• But the ministering angels --

  • mention the name of God only after 3 words,

  • as it is written: “And one called unto another, and said: “Holy, holy, holy is YHWH of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory” (Isaiah 6:3).

the ministering angels do not recite their song above until the Jewish people recite their song below, on earth (Job 38:7)

ואין מה"ש אומרים שירה למעלה עד שיאמרו ישראל למטה

• שנאמר (איוב לח, ז):

  • "ברן יחד כוכבי בקר"

• והדר --

  • "ויריעו כל בני אלהים"

[...]

And the ministering angels do not recite their song above until the Jewish people recite their song below, on earth,

• as it is stated:

  • “When the morning stars sang (רן) together” (Job 38:7), referring to the Jewish people, who are compared to stars;

• and only then does the verse state:

  • “And all the sons of God shouted for joy (יריעו)” which is a reference to the angels.

[...]

Jacob wrestling with the angel (Hosea 12:5)

(הושע יב, ה)

"וישר אל מלאך, ויוכל

בכה, ויתחנן לו"

The Talmud continues to discuss Jacob wrestling with the angel.

The prophet states:

“So he strove [va-yasar] with an angel, and prevailed;

he wept, and made supplication to him; at Beth El he would find him, and there he would speak with us” (Hosea 12:5).

... Jacob became master over the angel (Genesis 32:29)

איני יודע מי נעשה שר למי

כשהוא אומר (בראשית לב, כט):

"כי שרית עם אלהים"

הוי אומר --

יעקב נעשה שר למלאך

From this verse I do not know who became master [sar], i.e., was victorious, over whom.

When another verse states:

“And he said: Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with angels and with men, and have prevailed” (Genesis 32:29),

you must say that

Jacob became master over the angel.

The angel cried to Jacob - Genesis 32:27

"בכה ויתחנן לו"

איני יודע מי בכה למי

כשהוא אומר: "ויאמר שלחני"

הוי אומר --

מלאך בכה ליעקב.

The verse in Hosea states: “He wept, and made supplication to him.”

From this verse I do not know who cried to whom.

When another verse states: “And he said: Let me go, for the dawn has risen” (Genesis 32:27),

you must say that

the angel cried to Jacob.

Rabba - “For you have striven…” hints that two leaders will arise from Jacob: Exilarch (Babylonia) and Nasi (Eretz Yisrael); also hints at exile - Gen 32:29

"כי שרית [עם אלהים ועם אנשים]"

אמר רבה:

רמז רמז לו

שעתידים שני שרים לצאת ממנו:

1. ראש גולה שבבבל

2. ונשיא שבארץ ישראל

מכאן רמז לו גלות.

The verse states: “And he said: Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with angels [elohim] and with men, and have prevailed” (Genesis 32:29).

Rabba says:

The angel intimated to Jacob that

in the future two princes would emerge from him: They are

1. the Exilarch who is in Babylonia

2. and the Nasi who is in Eretz Yisrael.

And from here he also intimated to Jacob that there would be an exile.

Appendix - Summary and list of the talmudic homiletic interpretations of verses in Genesis in our sugya, in the order of the verses

Genesis 28:10-11 (Jacob's Journey to Haran)

R' Yitzḥak: When Jacob reached Haran, he realized he had passed the place where his fathers prayed without praying there himself. When he decided to return, the land miraculously contracted for him, allowing him to arrive instantly. God then caused the sun to set early so Jacob would stay overnight at this holy place.

Genesis 28:11, 18 (Stones Under Jacob's Head)

R' Yitzḥak: Explains the apparent contradiction between "stones" (plural) and "stone" (singular). Multiple stones gathered in one place, each wanting the righteous Jacob to rest his head upon it. All the stones miraculously merged into one.

Genesis 28:12 (Jacob's Ladder)

• Width calculation: The ladder was 8,000 parasangs wide, accommodating 4 angels (2 ascending, 2 descending). Each angel was the size of Tarshish (2,000 parasangs).

• Angels' behavior: They ascended to gaze at Jacob's image engraved on God’s Throne, then descended to see his earthly form, becoming jealous of him.

Genesis 28:13 (God's Promise of the Land)

R' Yitzḥak: God folded all of Eretz Yisrael under Jacob to make it easier for his descendants to conquer.

R' Shimon ben Lakish: God protected Jacob from the jealous angels "like a man who waves a fan over his son."

Genesis 32:25 (Jacob Left Alone)

R' Elazar: Jacob remained behind to collect small pitchers he had left. This teaches that the righteous value their possessions more than their bodies because they never engage in theft.

R' Yitzḥak: Derives that Torah scholars should not go out alone at night, since Jacob was injured when he went out alone.

Genesis 32:26 (Wrestling with the Angel)

Three interpretations of why the right thigh was affected:

1. R' Yehoshua b. Levi: The angel embraced Jacob like a wrestler, reaching his right thigh

2. R' Shmuel bar Naḥmani: The angel appeared as a non-Jew, so Jacob positioned him on his right for defense

3. Rav Shmuel bar Aḥa: The angel appeared as a Torah scholar, so Jacob respectfully placed him on his right

R' Yehoshua b. Levi: The wrestling raised so much dust that it ascended to the Throne of Glory (wordplay on "be-he'avko" - wrestling, and "avak" - dust).

Genesis 32:27 (Angel Asks to be Released)

Jacob challenges the angel: "Are you a thief or gambler who fears the dawn?" The angel responds that he is an angel whose time to sing praise to God has arrived.

Genesis 32:29 (Jacob Renamed Israel)

Rabba: The name hints that two future leaders will emerge from Jacob - the Exilarch in Babylonia and the Nasi in Eretz Yisrael - and also hints at future exile.

Genesis 32:32 (Sun Rose for Him)

R' Yitzḥak: The sun that had set early for Jacob (at Bethel) now rose early for him to compensate for the earlier premature sunset.

Genesis 37:14 (Jacob Sends Joseph)

The Rabbis: Proof that Torah scholars shouldn't travel alone at night - Jacob sent Joseph during daylight when he could see his brothers.

Genesis 43:16 (Joseph's Instructions)

R' Yosei b. R' Ḥanina: "Slaughter and prepare" means Joseph told his steward to expose the slaughter site and remove the gid ha-nasheh (sciatic nerve) in front of his brothers, showing it was properly removed according to the law that applied even before Sinai.

1. קוביוסטוס - from Greek kybeustes, "one who plays with dice", i.e. a gambler. Compare the Talmudic term for gambling: המשחק בקוביא - “one who plays with dice (קוביא)”.

See Jastrow (modernized):

קוּבְיוּסְטוֹס

masculine

(וס for יס; κυβευστης [kybeustes] = κυβιστής, Syriac) gambler; (= κυβευτικός) crafty person.

• Yalkut Shimoni Deuteronomy 847: זה הוא קוביוסטוס וכולי - "this man is a gambler, and he may go and gamble and lose etc."

• Tosefta Bava Batra 4:7: המוכר … ונמצא גנב או קוביוסטוס - "if one sells a slave…, and he turns out to be a thief or a crafty person (swindler)" (contrasted to ליסטיס)

• Yerushalmi ibid. 7, end, 15d

• Babylonian Talmud ibid. 92b

• Chullin 91b: גנב אתה או קוביוסטוס וכולי - "are you a thief or a burglar that you are afraid of the morning?"

• Yalkut Shimoni Genesis 133

• Bekhorot 5a: משה … או קוביוסטוס וכולי - "your teacher Moses was either a thief or a swindler, or else a bad arithmetician."

2. Compare Wikipedia, “Kedushah (prayer)“:

Kedushah ([…] lit. 'sanctification > holiness') is the name of several prayers recited during Jewish prayer.

They have in common the recitation of two Biblical verses, Isaiah 6:3 and Ezekiel 3:12.

These verses come from prophetic visions in which angels sing praises to God.