זוהר ויקרא — דף מה ע”א

Rabbi Abba opens with the verse "Send me away, for the dawn has risen" (Genesis 32). Was he then bound by Jacob's hand? Rather, happy are the righteous, for the Holy One, blessed be He, is protective of their honor and never abandons them, as it is written, "He will never let the righteous stumble" (Psalms 55). And behold it is written, "and the socket of Jacob's thigh was wrenched" — rather, he collected what was owed to him.<br />
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It has already been explained that it is written, "and he lodged that night in the camp," and it is written, "and he took them and brought them across the stream." What was Jacob's intention in bringing them across the stream at night? Rather, he saw the accuser walking among his camp; Jacob said, I will cross to the other side of the river, perhaps there will be no confusion. What did he see? He saw a blazing flame of fire, going and flying among his camps. Jacob said, better to travel from here, and let the river separate between us, so that no confusion will be found. At once — "and he took them and brought them across the stream," "and Jacob was left alone." From here we learn: one who finds himself alone in a house at night, or by day in a distinct house — all the more so at night — or one who walks alone at night, may come to harm.<br />
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Come and see: "and Jacob was left alone," then "a man wrestled with him," etc. We have learned that he came from the side of judgment, and his dominion was on the side of the night. What is "on the side of the night"? To enter into exile. Once the light rose, his strength weakened, and Jacob's strength overpowered him, for it was from the side of the night that he came; and while it was night, Jacob could not prevail over him. When the light rose, Jacob's strength grew and he seized him and overpowered him. Jacob saw that he was an emissary.<br />
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He said to him: let you go, for I cannot prevail against you. Why could he not prevail against him? Because the light was rising and his strength was breaking, as it is written, "when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy" (Job 38). What does "shouted" mean? That all those who come from the side of judgment were broken. Then Jacob grew strong and seized him.<br />
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He said to him: "Send me away, for the dawn has risen" — the time has come to praise the praise of the Holy One, blessed be He, and to gather. "And he said, I will not let you go unless you bless me." Jacob said to him: surely my father blessed me with those blessings he wished to give Esau, and I fear you regarding them — whether you will acknowledge them to me or not, or whether an accuser will be found against me because of them.<br />
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At once he said to him: "You shall no longer be called Jacob" — not by cunning, nor by your heel-trickery did you gain those blessings; you shall no longer be called by the name Jacob, for it was not through trickery that this came, but through Israel — surely Israel acknowledged you, and from him the blessings went out, because you are bound to him; and for this, I and all the other hosts have acknowledged them to you.<br />
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"For you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed" — with God: all those who come from the side of harsh judgment; and with men: this is Esau and his hosts; "you have prevailed" — you prevailed over them, and they could not prevail over you. And Jacob did not let him go until he had acknowledged to him those blessings, as it is written, "and he blessed him there."<br />
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Come and see: at the moment the light rises, all those masters of judgment submit and are not found, and the Community of Israel converses with the Holy One, blessed be He. And that hour is a time of favor for all, and the King extends to her and to all who are found with her a scepter — a thread of kindness — so that they may be found in wholeness with the Holy King; and this has already been explained.<br />
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Come and see: when the Holy One, blessed be He, is found with the Community of Israel, at those times when He is found with her, and she first arouses desire toward Him and draws Him to her with great affection and longing, then she is filled from the right side, and how many hosts are found on the right side throughout all the worlds. And when the Holy One, blessed be He, first arouses affection and desire, and she arouses afterward — not at the time when He arouses — then everything is found on the side of the female, and the left is aroused, and how many hosts stand and are aroused on the left side throughout all the worlds. So too it is written: "If a woman conceives and bears a male," etc. What is the reason? We have learned that the lower world corresponds to the upper world, and this is the pattern of that.