Michael Wrestles Jacob and Becomes Israel's Guardian Forever

"And a man wrestled with him." Some say it was Michael. Michael said to him: I am one of the foremost princes, and you have done this to me - yet you are afraid of Esau? Rabbi Tarfon said: Michael had no permission to move from his place until Jacob gave him leave, as it is said, "Let me go, for the dawn has broken." He said to him: Are you a thief or a gambler, that you fear the dawn? Companies upon companies of ministering angels came and said to him: Michael, ascend, for the time of song has arrived; if you do not begin the song, the song will be nullified. He began to plead with Jacob. He said: Please, send me away, lest the ministering angels in the heights burn me for delaying the song. He said to him: I will not send you unless you bless me. He said: Which is more beloved, the servant or the son? I am the servant and you are the son, and should you need my blessing? He said: Even so. At once he said to him, "Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel." He said: Happy are you, born of woman, that you entered the palace on high and were delivered. A rabbi said: While they were wrestling, the company of Michael wished to endanger him, but the Holy One, blessed be He, was revealed to them; and when he saw the Holy One, his strength failed, as it is said, "And he saw that he could not prevail against him, and he touched the hollow of his thigh." The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Michael: You have done well to make My priest blemished! He said: Master of the universe, am I not Your priest? He said: You are My priest in the firmament, and he is My priest on earth. At once Michael called to Raphael and said: My friend, please, stand by me in my trouble, for you are appointed over healings. He came down and healed him. Some say: The sun that is destined to shine upon the righteous and heal them of their sickness, the Holy One, blessed be He, caused it to shine upon him and heal him, as it is written, "And the sun rose for him" (Genesis 32:32), and it is written, "The sun of righteousness shall rise for you who fear My name" (Malachi 3:20). As Scripture says, "And the sun rose for him, and he was limping" - a parable: when a certain physician comes to a city, one need not ask why he came, but to heal the sick. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Michael: Why did you do this to My firstborn son? He said before Him: For Your honor I did it. He said to him: From now on you shall be appointed over him and over his seed until the end of all generations. This is what is written, "But Michael your prince" (Daniel 10:21); "And at that time Michael the great prince shall stand up" (Daniel 12:1). And it is written, "For what great nation is there" (Deuteronomy 4:7) - let the great one come and stand over the great. You are fire, and it is written, "The house of Jacob shall be fire" - let fire come and stand over fire. You are head of the ministering angels, and he is head of all the nations - let head stand over head. You are highest among the ministering angels, and he is highest, "The LORD your God will set you on high" (Deuteronomy 28:1) - let the high one stand over the high, and seek mercy from the Most High for them, as it is written, "For one higher than the high watches" (Ecclesiastes 5:7). "And he blessed him there" - he said: May it be the will that your children be righteous as you are.