Saadia's Tafsir on Bereshit 32 (Parashat Vayetzei)

Bereshit 32:1

וַיַּשְׁכֵּם לָבָן בַּבֹּקֶר וַיְנַשֵּׁק לְבָנָיו וְלִבְנוֹתָיו--וַיְבָרֶךְ אֶתְהֶם וַיֵּלֶךְ וַיָּשָׁב לָבָן לִמְקֹמוֹ

. .

And Laban rose early in the morning, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them; then he departed, and returned to his place.

Bereshit 32:2

וְיַעֲקֹב הָלַךְ לְדַרְכּוֹ וַיִּפְגְּעוּ-בוֹ מַלְאֲכֵי אֱלֹהִים

.

And Jacob went on his way; and the angels of God met him.

Bereshit 32:3

וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב כַּאֲשֶׁר רָאָם מַחֲנֵה אֱלֹהִים זֶה וַיִּקְרָא שֵׁם-הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא מַחֲנָיִם

. .

And when Jacob saw them, he said: 'This is God's army.' And he named that place The Place of the Two Camps (Mahanaim).

Bereshit 32:4

וַיִּשְׁלַח יַעֲקֹב מַלְאָכִים לְפָנָיו אֶל-עֵשָׂו אָחִיו אַרְצָה שֵׂעִיר שְׂדֵה אֱדוֹם

. .

Then Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother, to the land of al-Sharah, to the land of Edom.

Bereshit 32:5

וַיְצַו אֹתָם לֵאמֹר כֹּה תֹאמְרוּן לַאדֹנִי לְעֵשָׂו כֹּה אָמַר עַבְדְּךָ יַעֲקֹב עִם-לָבָן גַּרְתִּי וָאֵחַר עַד-עָתָּה

. . . . .

And he charged them, saying: 'Thus shall you say: "To my lord Esau — thus said your servant Jacob: I have dwelt with Laban, and lingered until now.

Bereshit 32:6

וַיְהִי-לִי שׁוֹר וַחֲמוֹר צֹאן וְעֶבֶד וְשִׁפְחָה וָאֶשְׁלְחָה לְהַגִּיד לַאדֹנִי לִמְצֹא-חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ

. . .

And I have come to have cattle and donkeys, and sheep and male and female slaves; and I have sent to tell my lord — that I might find favor with you."'

Bereshit 32:7

וַיָּשֻׁבוּ הַמַּלְאָכִים אֶל-יַעֲקֹב לֵאמֹר בָּאנוּ אֶל-אָחִיךָ אֶל-עֵשָׂו וְגַם הֹלֵךְ לִקְרָאתְךָ וְאַרְבַּע-מֵאוֹת אִישׁ עִמּוֹ

. . . .

And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying: 'We came to your brother, to Esau — and behold, he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men with him.'

Bereshit 32:8

וַיִּירָא יַעֲקֹב מְאֹד וַיֵּצֶר לוֹ וַיַּחַץ אֶת-הָעָם אֲשֶׁר-אִתּוֹ וְאֶת-הַצֹּאן וְאֶת-הַבָּקָר וְהַגְּמַלִּים--לִשְׁנֵי מַחֲנוֹת

. . . .

And Jacob was greatly afraid, and the matter pressed upon him. And he divided the people who were with him, and the sheep, and the cattle, and the camels, into two camps.

Bereshit 32:9

וַיֹּאמֶר אִם-יָבוֹא עֵשָׂו אֶל-הַמַּחֲנֶה הָאַחַת וְהִכָּהוּ--וְהָיָה הַמַּחֲנֶה הַנִּשְׁאָר לִפְלֵיטָה

. . . .

And he said: 'If Esau comes to one of them and strikes it, the remaining camp shall be spared.'

Bereshit 32:10

וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב אֱלֹהֵי אָבִי אַבְרָהָם וֵאלֹהֵי אָבִי יִצְחָק יְהוָה הָאֹמֵר אֵלַי שׁוּב לְאַרְצְךָ וּלְמוֹלַדְתְּךָ--וְאֵיטִיבָה עִמָּךְ

. . . . .

Then Jacob said: 'O God of my grandfather Abraham, and God of my father Isaac — O God who said to me, "Return to your land and your birthplace, and I shall do good to you" —

Bereshit 32:11

קָטֹנְתִּי מִכֹּל הַחֲסָדִים וּמִכָּל-הָאֱמֶת אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתָ אֶת-עַבְדֶּךָ כִּי בְמַקְלִי עָבַרְתִּי אֶת-הַיַּרְדֵּן הַזֶּה וְעַתָּה הָיִיתִי לִשְׁנֵי מַחֲנוֹת

. . . . .

I am less than worthy of the kindness and the goodness which You have done with Your servant — for with my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps.

Bereshit 32:12

הַצִּילֵנִי נָא מִיַּד אָחִי מִיַּד עֵשָׂו כִּי-יָרֵא אָנֹכִי אֹתוֹ--פֶּן-יָבוֹא וְהִכַּנִי אֵם עַל-בָּנִים

. . . .

I ask You to deliver me from the hand of my brother — from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and slay me, mothers along with sons — cruelty!

Bereshit 32:13

וְאַתָּה אָמַרְתָּ הֵיטֵב אֵיטִיב עִמָּךְ וְשַׂמְתִּי אֶת-זַרְעֲךָ כְּחוֹל הַיָּם אֲשֶׁר לֹא-יִסָּפֵר מֵרֹב

. . .

And You have said: I shall do good to you, and I shall make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted from its abundance.'

Bereshit 32:14

וַיָּלֶן שָׁם בַּלַּיְלָה הַהוּא וַיִּקַּח מִן-הַבָּא בְיָדוֹ מִנְחָה--לְעֵשָׂו אָחִיו

. .

And he lodged there that night; and he set apart from what he had brought — a gift for Esau his brother:

Bereshit 32:15

עִזִּים מָאתַיִם וּתְיָשִׁים עֶשְׂרִים רְחֵלִים מָאתַיִם וְאֵילִים עֶשְׂרִים

. .

two hundred she-goats and twenty he-goats; two hundred ewes and twenty rams;

Bereshit 32:16

גְּמַלִּים מֵינִיקוֹת וּבְנֵיהֶם שְׁלֹשִׁים פָּרוֹת אַרְבָּעִים וּפָרִים עֲשָׂרָה אֲתֹנֹת עֶשְׂרִים וַעְיָרִם עֲשָׂרָה

. . .

thirty nursing camels with their young; forty cows and ten bulls; twenty she-asses and ten foals.

Bereshit 32:17

וַיִּתֵּן בְּיַד-עֲבָדָיו עֵדֶר עֵדֶר לְבַדּוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל-עֲבָדָיו עִבְרוּ לְפָנַי וְרֶוַח תָּשִׂימוּ בֵּין עֵדֶר וּבֵין עֵדֶר

. . . .

And he gave them to his servants — each drove apart by itself. And he said to them: 'Pass on before me, and set a space between drove and drove.'

Bereshit 32:18

וַיְצַו אֶת-הָרִאשׁוֹן לֵאמֹר כִּי יִפְגָשְׁךָ עֵשָׂו אָחִי וּשְׁאֵלְךָ לֵאמֹר לְמִי-אַתָּה וְאָנָה תֵלֵךְ וּלְמִי אֵלֶּה לְפָנֶיךָ

. . . .

And he commanded the first, saying: 'When Esau my brother meets you, and asks you, saying, "Whose are you, and where are you going, and to whom belong these before you?"

Bereshit 32:19

וְאָמַרְתָּ לְעַבְדְּךָ לְיַעֲקֹב--מִנְחָה הִוא שְׁלוּחָה לַאדֹנִי לְעֵשָׂו וְהִנֵּה גַם-הוּא אַחֲרֵינוּ

. . .

you shall say: "To your servant Jacob; this is a gift sent to my lord Esau — and behold, he too is behind us."'

Bereshit 32:20

וַיְצַו גַּם אֶת-הַשֵּׁנִי גַּם אֶת-הַשְּׁלִישִׁי גַּם אֶת-כָּל-הַהֹלְכִים אַחֲרֵי הָעֲדָרִים לֵאמֹר כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה תְּדַבְּרוּן אֶל-עֵשָׂו בְּמֹצַאֲכֶם אֹתוֹ

. . .

And he commanded the second likewise, and the third, and the rest of those going on with the droves, saying: 'Thus shall you say to Esau, when you meet him —

Bereshit 32:21

וַאֲמַרְתֶּם--גַּם הִנֵּה עַבְדְּךָ יַעֲקֹב אַחֲרֵינוּ כִּי-אָמַר אֲכַפְּרָה פָנָיו בַּמִּנְחָה הַהֹלֶכֶת לְפָנָי וְאַחֲרֵי-כֵן אֶרְאֶה פָנָיו אוּלַי יִשָּׂא פָנָי

. . . .

and say also: "And behold, your servant Jacob is behind us."' For he said: 'I shall appease him first with the gift going on before me; and after that I shall look upon his face — perhaps he shall accept me.'

Bereshit 32:22

וַתַּעֲבֹר הַמִּנְחָה עַל-פָּנָיו וְהוּא לָן בַּלַּיְלָה-הַהוּא בַּמַּחֲנֶה

.

And the gift went on before him; but he himself lodged that night in the camp.

Bereshit 32:23

וַיָּקָם בַּלַּיְלָה הוּא וַיִּקַּח אֶת-שְׁתֵּי נָשָׁיו וְאֶת-שְׁתֵּי שִׁפְחֹתָיו וְאֶת-אַחַד עָשָׂר יְלָדָיו וַיַּעֲבֹר אֵת מַעֲבַר יַבֹּק

. . .

And he arose that night, and took his two wives and his two maidservants and his eleven sons; and he crossed over the ford of Yabbok with them.

Bereshit 32:24

וַיִּקָּחֵם--וַיַּעֲבִרֵם אֶת-הַנָּחַל וַיַּעֲבֵר אֶת-אֲשֶׁר-לוֹ

. .

And he took them, and brought them across the wadi; and he brought across all that he had.

Bereshit 32:25

וַיִּוָּתֵר יַעֲקֹב לְבַדּוֹ וַיֵּאָבֵק אִישׁ עִמּוֹ עַד עֲלוֹת הַשָּׁחַר

. .

And Jacob was left alone. And a figure wrestled with him until the dawn rose.

Bereshit 32:26

וַיַּרְא כִּי לֹא יָכֹל לוֹ וַיִּגַּע בְּכַף-יְרֵכוֹ וַתֵּקַע כַּף-יֶרֶךְ יַעֲקֹב בְּהֵאָבְקוֹ עִמּוֹ

. . .

And when he saw that he could not prevail against him, he touched the socket of his thigh; and the socket of Jacob's thigh was dislocated in his wrestling with him.

Bereshit 32:27

וַיֹּאמֶר שַׁלְּחֵנִי כִּי עָלָה הַשָּׁחַר וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא אֲשַׁלֵּחֲךָ כִּי אִם-בֵּרַכְתָּנִי

. .

And when the dawn rose, he said: 'Let me go, for the dawn has risen.' He said: 'I shall not let you go unless you bless me.'

Bereshit 32:28

וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו מַה-שְּׁמֶךָ וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב

.

He said to him: 'What is your name?' He said: 'Jacob.'

Bereshit 32:29

וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא יַעֲקֹב יֵאָמֵר עוֹד שִׁמְךָ--כִּי אִם-יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי-שָׂרִיתָ עִם-אֱלֹהִים וְעִם-אֲנָשִׁים וַתּוּכָל

. . . .

He said: 'Your name shall not be called Jacob alone any more, but Israel — for you have been chief before God and before people, and have prevailed.'

Bereshit 32:30

וַיִּשְׁאַל יַעֲקֹב וַיֹּאמֶר הַגִּידָה-נָּא שְׁמֶךָ וַיֹּאמֶר לָמָּה זֶּה תִּשְׁאַל לִשְׁמִי וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתוֹ שָׁם

. . .

And Jacob asked him, and said: 'Tell me, what is your name?' He said: 'Why do you ask my name?' And he blessed him there.

Bereshit 32:31

וַיִּקְרָא יַעֲקֹב שֵׁם הַמָּקוֹם פְּנִיאֵל כִּי-רָאִיתִי אֱלֹהִים פָּנִים אֶל-פָּנִים וַתִּנָּצֵל נַפְשִׁי

. . .

And Jacob named that place Peniel, saying: 'I have seen the angel of God face to face, and my soul has been delivered.'

Bereshit 32:32

וַיִּזְרַח-לוֹ הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ כַּאֲשֶׁר עָבַר אֶת-פְּנוּאֵל וְהוּא צֹלֵעַ עַל-יְרֵכוֹ

. .

And the sun rose for him, as he passed Penuel; and he was limping on his thigh until that time.

Bereshit 32:33

עַל-כֵּן לֹא-יֹאכְלוּ בְנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת-גִּיד הַנָּשֶׁה אֲשֶׁר עַל-כַּף הַיָּרֵךְ עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה כִּי נָגַע בְּכַף-יֶרֶךְ יַעֲקֹב בְּגִיד הַנָּשֶׁה

. . . . .

Therefore the children of Israel do not eat the sciatic nerve which is upon the socket of the thigh, to this day — because he touched the socket of Jacob's thigh, at the sciatic nerve.