Parsha Inspired Menus - Vayishlach

Certain biblical moments really capture the minds of artists, such that there are many variations of the event in painting and sculpture. One of these is the event that happens early in our parsha

וַיִּוָּתֵ֥ר יַעֲקֹ֖ב לְבַדּ֑וֹ וַיֵּאָבֵ֥ק אִישׁ֙ עִמּ֔וֹ עַ֖ד עֲל֥וֹת הַשָּֽׁחַר׃

Jacob was left alone. And a ??? wrestled with him until the break of dawn.

I put ??? in the translation, because what or who Jacob wrestles with is a very interesting question. The hebrew is the word "Ish," which would most often be translated as "man." However, as the rest of the story unfolds it becomes questionable if it really is another human. Some translations say figure or being, to be vague, some commit to saying it was an angel that Jacob wrestled. There is some textual basis for that since the visitors to Avraham's tent are described with the same word and we later call these visitors angels. Artists firmly land in the "angel" camp. Check out a few examples:

But Rashi brings the teaching of The Rabbis to say that the angel was very specifically שרו של עשו, translated as the minister or guaridan angel (Saar) of Esau. This interpretation feels good to me because it explains why the figure goes after Jacob, trying even to hurt him. And then, when the fight is over, Jacob demands a blessing from the angel, in a move that Rashi explains as giving legitimacy to the birth right being Jacobs. It wraps it all up in a neat bow in a cool way. When thinking of what to make to connect to this commentary, I found that there is a dish called Saar. It's an indian style dish, so if you don't make indian a lot you might need to get some ingredients, but it's such a cool tie-in, so give this Tomato Saar a try!

After this run-in with the figure/being/man/angel, Jacob continues on and meets with Esau in a reconciliation meeting. Jacob, though perhaps still wary, now has things resolved with Esau. We learn of his travels continuing and he finally crosses back into the land of Israel after two decades away. The description of Jacob's next steps says

וַיָּבֹא֩ יַעֲקֹ֨ב שָׁלֵ֜ם עִ֣יר שְׁכֶ֗ם אֲשֶׁר֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן בְּבֹא֖וֹ מִפַּדַּ֣ן אֲרָ֑ם וַיִּ֖חַן אֶת־פְּנֵ֥י הָעִֽיר׃

Jacob arrived shalem in the city of Shechem which is in the land of Canaan—having come thus from Paddan-aram—and he encamped before the city.

It says Jacob arrived shalem. What does this mean, it's the root of the word for peace, so it may

mean he arrived peacefully, i.e. without fighting, or safely. However, I want to posit that it means he arrived whole, at peace with himself. For this short moment, the chaos that has been part of his life is removed. He has left the trickster environment of Lavan, he has resolved things with his brother, which probably hung over his head, he has gotten God's blessing, and he has made his way back to Israel (and this is before the rape of Dinah and subsequent violence committed in her name.) For this moment, things are good and he is whole. In honor of this interpretation, I suggest one of my favorite easy (and comforting) meals - Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot.

Shabbat Shalom & B'Tayavon!