Daf 138a (דַּף קַל״ח ע״א)

Rabbi Yitzchak said (אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק), it is written (כְּתִיב), “And the children struggled within her, and she said, ‘If so, why am I thus?’ and she went to inquire of Hashem” (Bereshit 25) (“וַיִּתְרֹצֲצוּ הַבָּנִים בְּקִרְבָּהּ וַתֹּאמֶר אִם כֵּן לָמָּה זֶה אָנֹכִי וַתֵּלֶךְ לִדְרֹשׁ אֶת יְיָ”), to where did she go? (לְאָן אֲתַר אָזְלַת). To the house of study of Shem and Ever (לְבֵי מִדְרְשָׁא דְּשֵׁם וְעֵבֶר). “And the children struggled within her” (וַיִּתְרֹצֲצוּ הַבָּנִים בְּקִרְבָּהּ), for there, that wicked one Esav already instigated conflict within her against Ya'akov (דְּתַמָּן הֲוָה הַהוּא רָשָׁע דְּעֵשָׂו אֲגַח קְרָבָא בֵּיהּ בְּיַעֲקֹב). “They struggled” (וַיִּתְרֹצֲצוּ), they were broken, as we have said: he crushed his brain (אִתְבָּרוּ כְּמָה דְאַמְרִינָן, רָצַץ אֶת מוֹחוֹ). They broke one against the other and were divided (אִתְבָּרוּ דָּא עִם דָּא וְאִתְפְּלָגוּ). Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), this one is from the side of the Rider of the Serpent (דָּא סִטְרָא דְּרוֹכֵב נָחָשׁ), and this one from the side of the Rider upon the perfect holy throne, on the side of the Sun, to serve with the Moon (וְדָא סִטְרָא דְּרוֹכֵב עַל כָּרְסְיָא שְׁלֵימָתָא קַדִּישָׁא בְּסִטְרָא דְּשִׁמְשָׁא, לְשַׁמָּשָׁא בְּסִיהֲרָא). And come and see (וְתָא חֲזֵי), because Esav was drawn after that Serpent (בְּגִין דְּאִתְמְשַׁךְ עֵשָׂו אֲבַתְרִיהּ דְּהַהוּא נָחָשׁ), Ya'akov went with him in crookedness (אָזִיל עִמֵּיהּ יַעֲקִימָא), like a serpent, who is wise (כְּנָחָשׁ דְּאִיהוּ חַכִּים), and goes in crooked paths (וְאִיהוּ אָזִיל בְּעֲקִימוּ), as it is said, “Now the serpent was cunning…” (Bereshit 3) (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר וְהַנָּחָשׁ הָיָה עָרוֹם וְגו׳, חַכִּים). And the deeds of Ya'akov toward him were as those of a serpent (וְעוֹבָדוֹי דְיַעֲקֹב לְגַבֵּיהּ הֲווּ לֵיהּ כְּנָחָשׁ), and so it had to be (וְהָכִי אִצְטְרִיךְ לֵיהּ), in order to draw Esav after that Serpent (בְּגִין לְאַמְשָׁכָא לֵיהּ לְעֵשָׂו בַּתְרֵיהּ דְּהַהוּא נָחָשׁ), and to separate from him, that he should have no portion with him in this world or in the World to Come (וְיִתְפְּרַשׁ מִנֵּיהּ, וְלָא יְהֵא לֵיהּ חוּלָקָא עִמֵּיהּ בְּעַלְמָא דֵין וּבְעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי). And we have learned (וְתָנִינָן): “If one comes to kill you, arise and kill him first” (בָּא לְהָרְגְּךָ, אַקְדִּים אַנְתְּ וְקַטְלֵיהּ). It is written: “In the womb he took his brother by the heel” (Hosea 12) (כְּתִיב, בַּבֶּטֶן עָקַב אֶת אָחִיו), he pressed him below with that heel (דְּאַשְׁרֵי לֵיהּ לְתַתָּא, בְּהַהוּא עָקֵב), as it is written, “and his hand was grasping the heel of Esav” (Bereshit 25) (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וְיָדוֹ אוֹחֶזֶת בַּעֲקֵב עֵשָׂו), that he placed his hand upon that heel to subdue him (דְּשַׁוֵּי יְדוֹי עַל הַהוּא עָקֵב לְאִכַּפְיָא לֵיהּ).

Another matter-“and his hand was grasping” (דָבָר אַחֵר וְיָדוֹ אוֹחֶזֶת): he could not entirely separate from him (דְּלָא יָכִיל לְמֵיפַּק מִנֵּיהּ מִכֹּל וָכֹל), but rather, “his hand was grasping the heel of Esav” (אֶלָּא וְיָדוֹ אוֹחֶזֶת בַּעֲקֵב עֵשָׂו)-this is the Moon (דָּא סִיהֲרָא), whose light is covered because of the heel of Esav (דְּאִתְכַּסְּיָא נְהוֹרָא בְּגִין עֵקֶב דְּעֵשָׂו), and for this reason he had to go with him in Chokhmah (וְעַל דָּא אִצְטְרִיךְ לֵיהּ לְמֵיהַךְ עִמֵּיהּ בְּחָכְמְתָא), in order to cast him down below and attach to his place (בְּגִין לְדַחֲיָיא לֵיהּ לְתַתָּא וְיִתְדַּבַּק בְּאַתְרֵיהּ). “And he called his name Ya'akov” (Bereshit 25) (וַיִּקְרָא שְׁמוֹ יַעֲקֹב), Kudsha Berikh Hu certainly called him Ya'akov (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא קָרֵי לֵיהּ יַעֲקֹב וַדַּאי).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), it is written, “thus he called his name Ya'akov” (Bereshit 27) (כְּתִיב הָכִי קָרָא שְׁמוֹ יַעֲקֹב); it does not say, “his name was called,” but “he called his name” (נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ לָא כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא קָרָא שְׁמוֹ). “He has supplanted me” (וַיַּעַקְבֵנִי)-certainly Kudsha Berikh Hu saw that this primordial Serpent is wise in deception (וַדַּאי חָמָא לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דְּהָא הַהוּא חִוְיָא קַדְמָאָה אִיהוּ חַכִּים לְאַבְאָשָׁא), once Ya'akov came, He said: this one is certainly wise to oppose him (כֵיוָן דְּאֲתָא יַעֲקֹב, אָמַר הָא וַדַּאי חַכִּים לְקֳבְלֵיהּ), and for that reason He called him Ya'akov (וּבְגִין כָּךְ קָרָא לֵיהּ יַעֲקֹב).

Behold (הָא), we have established in every place that “and He called” without specification indicates the latter degree (אוֹקִימְנָא בְּכָל אֲתַר, וַיִּקְרָא סְתָם הַאי הוּא דַּרְגָּא בַּתְרָאָה), as it is written, “and He called to Moshe…” (Leviticus 1) (כְּמָה דִכְתִיב וַיִּקְרָא אֶל משֶׁה וְגו׳). And here: “and He called his name Ya'akov” (וְהָכָא וַיִּקְרָא שְׁמוֹ יַעֲקֹב), in every place His Name is not called (בְּכָל אֲתַר שְׁמֵיהּ לָא אִקְרֵי)-Some say: except by the hand of a man (נ״א: ד״א ל״ג אֶלָּא עַל יְדָא דְּבַר נָשׁ). In another place what is written? “And he called him El, the God of Israel” (Bereshit 33) (בְּאֲתַר אָחֳרָא מַה כְּתִיב וַיִּקְרָא לוֹ אֵל אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל), Kudsha Berikh Hu called Ya'akov “El” (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא קָרָא לֵיהּ לְיַעֲקֹב אֵל). He said to him: I am the supernal God, and you are the God below (אָמַר לֵיהּ, אֲנָא אֱלָהָא בְּעִלָּאֵי וְאַנְתְּ אֱלָהָא בְּתַתָּאֵי).