Dealing with difficult relationships | Parshah Vayishlach
Dealing with difficult relationships | Parshah Vayishlach
This portion from in Gen 32 we discover a pattern for healing destructive relationships. Jacob was able to normalize his relationship with Esaw after carefully managing his approach to restore the relations with his brother. Learn how you can use this same pattern to restoring difficult relationship. Genesis 32–33 tells of Jacob and Esau’s eventual reconciliation. Esau showed forgiveness in spite of this bitter conflict. Jacob sends his whole family and multiple wives of gifts to Esau as they approach each other in hopes that Esau will spare Jacob’s life. Esau refuses the gifts, as he is now very wealthy and does not need them. Jacob bows down before Esau and insists that Esau receive the gifts. (After this, God confirms his renaming of Jacob as “Israel”.) Jacob gets the name Israel after he wrestles with the Angel of God as he is traveling to Esau. His hip is knocked out of joint but he keeps on wrestling and gains the name.