Va-Yishlah (Genesis 32:4-36:43)
LA JOLLA, California — The parasha covers Jacob’s worrying about his forthcoming encounter with Esau, which included a night time wrestling match with God’s messenger; the actual encounter with Esau, which, ostensibly along with generous gifts went well; Jacob’s stop in Shechem where daughter Dinah was raped, leading to a sinister murderous revenge on the Shechemites, with stealing of their goods, etc. by the brothers led by Simeon and Levi; Jacob’s further relocation to Beth-El, where God blessed him with great promise; Rachel’s death while birthing Benjamin, and her burial on the road; Reuben’s sex with Jacob’s concubine; the death of Isaac at 180 years, and his burial in Machpelah by sons Jacob and Esau; and lastly an accounting of the generations of Esau who settled in Edom.
This essay covers: Jacob’s anxious strategy for meeting Esau after 20+ years; Jacob’s wrestling with an ‘angel’; the circumcision and double-dealing against the Schechemites by Jacob’s sons. I have chosen three passages, for comparison, via the Internet, with writings attributed to ancient Israel’s neighbors.
I. Genesis 32:5-21 Jacob to messengers: “…say…To…Esau…I have acquired cattle, (etc.)”…messengers returned…saying “…Esau…is coming…four hundred men with him”…Jacob…frightened…divided (his) people…into…camps, thinking. ‘If Esau…attacks…(one camp), the other camp may…escape.” … “…he selected…presents for…Esau (much livestock)…a distance between droves…For he reasoned, ‘If I propitiate him with presents…he will show me favor.”
In this text, Jacob, fearing for his life due to Esau’s old grievance, plans to bribe Esau with lavish gifts.
In Exodus 23:8, God commands: “And thou shall take no gift; for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous.”
This story is certainly one of bribery, which the internet confirms was widely practiced in the ancient world. The First Dynasty of Egypt already (3700-2700 BCE) noted bribery in its judiciary.
In China, every household had a Kitchen God, who ascends to heaven annually. To ensure a good report, households smeared a cake of sugar and honey onto the picture of the Kitchen God.
Herodotus of Athens noted that a certain family lavishly bribed the Oracle of Delphi to accomplish a rebuild of the Temple of Apollo. Since it worked, Aristotle noted even the gods can be bribed. [1]
The Romans memorialized instances of bribing a foreign official. The King of Ethiopia (118-105 BCE) was proficient at bribery of Roman senators. He also enjoyed numerous battle ‘wins’ vs. the Romans via bribes paid to Roman generals for withdrawal of their armies. [2]
In Roman law, ambitus was a crime, whereby a candidate influenced the outcome of an election through bribery. [3]
Julius Cesar (100-4 BCE), to his credit, made positive use of bribery to attain the consulate and dismiss a corrupt Senate. [4]
It can be noted that public bribery also was in play in Rome. Spending sums of money on the public games was a way to win popularity for the vote. [5]. Sound familiar?
It should also be noted that the sacrificial systems of the ancients, including the Israelites, were in fact a form of quid pro quo. [6]
II. Genesis 32:25-29 “Jacob…alone…And a man wrestled with him…he wrenched Jacob’s hip…Jacob: ‘I will not let you go, unless you bless me’…Said the other…’Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with beings divine and human and have prevailed.’”
The internet yielded no ancient records describing such a physical encounter with a god or his messenger. To my inquiry: “Ancient legends of wrestling with an angel?” The result was: No results, representing a screen of about 3,700,000 results. (Wikipedia)
I did come across an interesting metaphor on the subject. Daniel J. Boorstein, in describing his scientific efforts (1987) as a historian to establish accurate history from fragments and relics left by past generations, titled his profession as ‘A Wrestler With the Angel.’ [7]
III. Genesis 34:5-27 “…(Shechem) had defiled…Dinah…Jacob’s sons…were…angry…And…Shechem…(still wanted) her in marriage…’Intermarry with us (Schechemites)…intermarry…and dwell with us’…Jacob’s sons (demanded)…’become…circumcised…and we will dwell among you…as one kindred’…Shechem to Shechemites: ‘… (Let’s) become circumcised…Their cattle …and substance…will be ours…’ On the third day…when they were in pain, Simeon and Levi…slew all the males…took Dinah out of Shechem’s house…and…the other sons…plundered the town …”
This is a classical case of a treacherous promise, in association with double-dealing, actually by both parties.
The internet yielded no recorded episode describing such a scandalous dealing. To my inquiry: “ancient episodes of treachery/double-dealing.” The answer was: No results, representing a screen of about 3,090,000 results.
However, “All kingdoms engaged in Double-dealing,” in ancient times and continuing among plenty of nations today. [8]
*
NOTES
[1] From our ancestors to modern leaders, all do it: the story of corruption, Cecilia Tortajada, Lee Kuan School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, September 7, 2018
[2] Bribery & Corruption from Ancient to the Modern Times, B.N. Publication House, Israel, Liubov Ben-Noun, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, May 2018
[3] Ambitus, Wikipedia
[4] Corruption: A Short History, Carlo Alberto Brioschi, The Short Histories, Brookings Institution Press, 2017 <https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7864/j.ctt1hfr1sk>
[5] Politics, Corruption and Taxes in Ancient Rome, from “The Private Life of the Romans” by Harold Whetstone Johnson, Scott, Foresman and Company (1903, 1932) forumromanum.org l+l
[6] On the Gift in Antiquity, Exchange, Favor, and Sacrifice, from Hammurabi to the Bible
[7] Hidden History: Exploring Our Secret Past—The Historian: ‘A Wrestler With the Angel,’Daniel J. Boorstein (Librarian of Congress, Emeritus) Harper & Row, 1987
[8] Understanding Biblical Israel: A Re-examination of the Origins of Monotheism, by Stanley Rosenbaum, Stanley Ned Rosenbaum April, 2002, p.109
*
Irv Jacobs is a retired medical doctor who delights in Torah analysis. He often delivers a drosh at Congregation Beth El in La Jolla, and at his chavurah.