Spiritual and Physical Warfare

From the time that HaShem spoke the world into existence in the very first passages of the Torah, there has been a connection between the spiritual and the physical. Specifically in relationship to the man we see that HaShem formed man from the earth which is physical and then breathed life into man. (Genesis 2:7) We have a spiritual and physical connectivity.

We are able to see that every physical thing has a connection in the spiritual first. Therefore, a fight is something that takes place on a spiritual level before it takes place on a physical level. In Genesis chapter 32 we see Jacob wrestling with an individual. However, before we go there let’s get a recap. Earlier in Genesis, we see that Jacob fled from his brother Esau. Now after several years of living with Laban and getting married to Rachel and Leah, he is now returning home to the land that HaShem has called him to. Now let’s set the stage for the story.

In verse 32:4, “Then Jacob sent angels ahead of him to Esau his brother to the land of Seir, the field of Edom.” This opens up a unique understanding. Jacob sent the angels. Let’s think about this sentence. How can he send angels? They are spiritual, not physical. He was tapping into a spiritual realm at this point. In addition, the scripture states why he sent the angels. Jacob sent the angels to in order to find favor in the eyes of Esau. We learn that before there was a physical fight there was a spiritual diplomacy that took place. However, it was not received. In verse 7, we are told that the angels returned and informed Jacob that Esau was on his way to with four hundred men.

Let’s take a sidenote for a moment. In the ancient world, there are guardian angels over each nation. The guardian angel of Israel is Michael and the guardian angel of Esau or Edom is Samael. These names are very significant. The meaning of the name Michael is “Who is like God”, and for Samael, it is “Poison of God”. This might sound strange so just put it up on the shelf for now and we will come back to it.

In verse 8-9, we see that before entering battle we have to make our physical preparations. We are shown that he divided the people and life stock. Then in verse 10, Jacob then prays to HaShem, “Then Jacob said, ‘God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac” Jacob is making his spiritual preparations.

In verse 14, Jacob prepares a tribute for his brother. At this point in the story, we see the place for diplomacy before warfare.

In verses 25-31, the scripture states, “Jacob was left alone and a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn. When he perceived that he could not overcome him, he struck the socket of his hip; so Jacob’s hip-socket was dislocated as he wrestled with him. Then he said, ‘Let me go, for the dawn has broken.’ And he said, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.’ He said to him, ‘What is your name?’ He replied, ‘Jacob’. He said, ‘No longer will it be said that your name is Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with the Divine and with man and have overcome.’ Then Jacob inquired, and he said, ‘Divulge if you please your name.’ And he said, ‘Why then you inquire of my name?’ and he blessed him there.”

What is going on here with this individual that Jacob is wrestling with? In verse 25 we are told that this individual is a man. We are left with a lot of questions? Was this a dream? Was this really a man? I believe that it was an angel that was in the form of a man. In verse 31, Jacob names the place Peniel. Many people make a mistake and try to say that he wrestled with God. They think that because the name Israel is often translated as “Wrestles with God”, however, this is slightly wrong. The word “El” does not mean God. It can is some situations. However, it more accurately means a supernatural power. We say it before the Amidah, in the Mi Kamocha.

Therefore, we see that Jacob did not wrestle with God. He wrestled with an angel. What is another proof for this statement? If we look at verse 27, it states in Hebrew the words, “Alah HaShachar” which is translated as “the Dawn has broken”, this is very significant. This is the time of the day were the angels give praise and worship to HaShem. It is a very special time of prayer and the very righteous get up very early to pray their morning prayers at this break of dawn. This is pray is called Netz.

Is that the end of the story? Not quite yet. Genesis 33:4 it says, “Esau ran toward him, embraced him, fell upon his neck, and kissed him.” There is a double meaning to the words and fell upon his neck. I was once taught that this meant that Esau tried to kill Jacob at that moment. However, once he had him in that embrace he could have bitten him instead of kissed him, after all in Hebrew it is the same word. According to Rashi who was quoting Simon Bar Yochai, it was at this very moment that Esau’s heart towards his brother changed. Why is that?

Well, if you remember earlier I said that there was the guardian angel over Esau/Edom which has the name Samael. It is the angel that provokes Esau/Edom against Israel. However, in chapter 32 we see that Jacob had wrestled this angel and had made a change in the spiritual realm that affected the physical once he did that.

You might say, Rabbi, how you know that was the angel that Jacob wrestled. This is how I know that it was the angel that Jacob wrestled. In verse 33:10 it says, “But Jacob said, ‘No, I beg of you! If I have now found favor in your eyes then accept my tribute from me, inasmuch as I have seen your face, which is like seeing the face of a Divine being, and you were appeased by me…’” Surely Jacob was not saying that Esau was divine. He was making a reference to the national angel over Esau/Edom which is Samael.

So we see how spiritual warfare and physical warfare are connected. We see how we much wrestle through our prayers, thoughts, or dreams to have physical victory. One is not by itself, the spiritual and the physical are uniquely intertwined and if we take the time and fight spiritual through prayer, fasting and meditating then we might be able to avert the physical fight from every happening.