Parshas Vayishlach (5779)
"Jacob was left alone and a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn†(Genesis 32:25).
The Midrash expounds on this verse that it was no mere wrestling match between our forefather Jacob and a Hulk Hogan-like competitor. Rather, the man/angel who fought with our ancestor Jacob was none other than the “guardian angel†of his evil twin brother Esau – the Yeitzer Hara (“Evil Inclinationâ€) itself, the prime spiritual source of evil in the world – in the guise of a man, whose entire purpose was to destroy the Jewish people spiritually.
At the end of this all-night long struggle between Jacob and the Yeitzer Hara, Jacob asks the angel his name. The angel responds: “Why do you ask my name?†(see Genesis 32:30).
Rashi,explains that an angel exists only to perform G-d’s will, and his (Hebrew) “name†is a reflection of that mission. In asking the angel his name, Jacob sought to learn the nature and essence of his mission, but the angel replied that he had no set name, for the names of angels change according to their assignments.
[From here we learn an important, potentially life-changing lesson. You see, unlike the heavenly angels whose names are not fixed, as they change based on the particular mission they are on, we humans do have fixed names, indicating that there is a specific mission that is part of G-d’s Divine plan that each of us is meant to accomplish here on earth until we depart to the Next World. Our goal should then be to look inside our names - and ourselves - to figure out just what that mission might be, and to get to it … before it is too late.]
Rabbi Leib Chasman ZTâ€L (1869-1935), the famed Mashgiach Ruchani (“Spiritual Mentorâ€) of the Chevron Yeshivah, offers a novel interpretation of the angel’s reply to our forefather Jacob. He suggests that the angel was not attempting to “brush Jacob off†and avoid his question, but was, in fact, answering Jacob’s question by revealing his name to him – his name being, “Why-do-you-ask-my-name?â€.
Rav Leib explains that (as mentioned previously) the “guardian angel†of Esau with whom Jacob had struggled the whole night, was none other than the Yeitzer Hara itself.
The Talmud in Bava Basra 16a teaches that the Yeitzer Hara (“Evil Inclinationâ€) has two additional names (and roles) - he is also called Satan (“Prosecutorâ€) and Malach HaMavess (“The Angel of Deathâ€). The Evil Inclination descends and seduces man to sin; He then ascends and prosecutes man for his sinfulness in front of G-d; He then receives permission as the Angel of Death to take man’s life.
Our forefather Jacob was asking the Yeitzer Hara his name for he wanted to know and understand the angel’s essence, as well as his “modus operandiâ€. Jacob wanted to know how the Yeitzer Hara was so successful at getting man to sin. What was his trick?
The angel responded to Jacob that his name was “Why-do-you-ask-my-nameâ€. The angel was saying, “As long as people do not seek to delve into what I truly represent I can be successful in getting them to sin. I say to them what I say to you, ‘Why do you ask my name?’.Don’t ask questions, don’t give matters too much thought, Just do as I say, it’s for your own good’â€.
If any person were to truly understand what evil lurks behind the devious plans that the Yeitzer Hara has for him, he would surely avoid following its wishes. Nevertheless, the Yeitzer Hara is able to sway people and to lure them into sin by getting them to decide on impulse instead of thinking about the possible ramifications of their actions.
Any time we say something hurtful to a family member or friend without thinking, we have fallen into the clutches of Why-do-you-ask-my-name.
Any time we succumb to a forbidden pleasure even though by so doing we might be placing our entire marriage in jeopardy, we have once again lost the battle with the angel named Why-do-you-ask-my-name.
And the same applies to raising our children (and to many other areas of life, for that matter). If in our anger we lose control and we yell at them or discipline them too harshly, without first asking ourselves if this might cause long-term damage to our children’s emotional health and well-being, then we are doing just what Why-do-you-ask-my-name wants us to do, and that’s very bad.
Oh, what a different world it would be if we would only ask the Yeitzer Hara his “name†before we act and react - i.e. ask him just exactly what is he trying to sell us or get us to do, so that we can decide if the spiritual risks outweigh the physical pleasures – instead of not asking his name and just blindly following his lead at our own peril.
Something to think about …
[Sources: The Maggid Speaks by Rabbi Paysach J. Krohn; Mesorah Publications]
http://www.torchweb.org/torah_detail.php?id=540