“The sun rose for him as he passed Penuel, and he was limping from his hip” (Genesis 32:32). “The sun rose for him…” – Rabbi Berekhya said: For whom did the sun not rise? Rather, for him it is for his healing, but for others, light. Rav Huna said in the name of Rav Aḥa: So, the sun was healing our patriarch Jacob and beating down on Esau and his chieftains.
The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘You are a paradigm for your descendants. Just as you, the sun was healing you and beating down on Esau and his chieftains, so, your descendants, the sun will heal them and beat down on the idolaters. Will heal them – “but the sun of righteousness will shine for you who fear My name, with healing in its rays” (Malachi 3:20); and will beat down on the idolaters – “behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace […and all that do evil will be straw, and the day that is coming will set them ablaze]”’ (Malachi 3:19).
“And he was limping from his hip” – Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi was going up to Rome.12Rome is identified as Edom (Esau). When he reached Akko, Rabbi Ḥanina came out to greet him. He found him [Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi] limping from his hip. He said to him: ‘You are like your ancestor –”and he was limping from his hip.”‘