Jacob did. And the encounter didn't just leave him with a limp; it left him with a new name, a new destiny, and a whole lot of responsibility.
Imagine this: Michael, the archangel, stands before Jacob. This isn't just a friendly chat; it's a pivotal moment in Jacob's life. Michael tells him, "A day will come when God will reveal Himself unto thee, and He will change thy name, and I shall be present when He changeth it." Can you feel the weight of those words? This isn't just about a name; it's about a transformation, a divine affirmation of Jacob's unique journey.
"Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel," Michael continues, "for happy thou, of woman born, who didst enter the heavenly palace, and didst escape thence with thy life." Think about that for a second: "entered the heavenly palace, and didst escape with thy life." According to this passage in Legends of the Jews, by Louis Ginzberg, Jacob had been to a place beyond our comprehension and returned. It speaks to the sheer audacity of his encounter, the unparalleled intimacy he achieved with the divine.
And then, Michael blesses Jacob, "May it be the will of God that thy descendants be as pious as thou art." What a blessing! But it's also a challenge, isn't it? To live up to the legacy of someone who literally wrestled with God!
But the encounter isn't over. There’s also some earthly business to attend to.
Michael, ever the meticulous messenger, reminds Jacob of a promise he made: to give a tithe of his possessions to God. Jacob, to his credit, immediately gets to work, separating five hundred and fifty head of cattle from his herds, which numbered fifty-five hundred. That's a significant offering!
But Michael isn't done yet. "But thou hast sons, and of them thou hast not set apart the tenth." It seems that tithing applies not just to possessions, but also, in a way, to lineage. Now, this is where it gets interesting.
Jacob proceeds to review his sons. Reuben, Joseph, Dan, and Gad, being the firstborn of their mothers, were exempt. That leaves eight sons. But how do you choose one out of eight to represent the tenth?
According to Legends of the Jews, Jacob named them down to Benjamin, but had to circle back and begin again with Simon, the ninth, and finish with Levi as the tenth. It's a fascinating detail that emphasizes the importance of fulfilling one's promises to God, even when it involves difficult decisions.
What does this all mean? It's more than just a story about a name change and tithing. It's about transformation, responsibility, and the ongoing covenant between humanity and the divine. Jacob's encounter with Michael, his wrestling with God, and his commitment to fulfilling his promises serve as a powerful reminder that our relationship with the divine is an active, ongoing process. And sometimes, it requires us to count our blessings, literally.