Knowing who we are, and why we’re here

The night before he is to encounter his brother Esau after decades of separation, “Jacob remained alone, and a man wrestled with him until dawn” (Genesis 32:25). This wrestling match with the angel is one of the most famed biblical narratives. It is a pivotal moment in the history of the Jewish nation, as it is at this moment that Jacob becomes Yisrael.

Yet so many aspects of the story are cryptic and unclear. Who was this “man (who) wrestled with him until dawn,” what does this wrestling match represent, and why did it immediately precede Jacob’s confrontation with his brother?

The classical commentators provide multiple interpretations of this narrative. The most common explanation, as Rashi expounds, is that Jacob’s opponent was Esau’s guardian angel. Yet the Zohar and Midrash suggest