In this week's parsha we read about the battle between Yaakov and the ministering angel of Esav. The pasuk recounts that Yaakov and the angel battled the entire night but the angel was not able to overcome Yaakov. It was only at "Alos Hashachar" the time of "the rising of the morning star" a short period before sunrise that the angel was successful in wounding Yaakov in his thigh. The verse then tells us that as the sun rose Yaakov was once again complete and healed from this wound.

This battle between Yaakov and the angel of Esav symbolizes our battle against evil and wickedness. Yaakov represented the Jewish Nation in our battle against our evil inclinations. During the entire night Yaakov was capable of fighting and containing the evil, it could not wound him. When the sun rose and light came out the impact of the evil as well disappeared it was only during the time between darkness and light that the evil was capable of overpowering Yaakov.

We too are capable of fighting and battling against the night. Things that are clearly wrong and dark we are able to overcome and not sin. Similarly the right and goodness, represented by the sunrise we can clearly identify. The place that we are susceptible to sin and to fall into the clutches of our evil inclination is the time between dark and light. It is the "grey area" of life and situations that people fail. Our evil inclination has the power to trick us into believing that what is right is wrong and vice versa. The evil inclination though only has this power when it is a grey area when something isn't so clear cut. That is when we must be the most vigilant and carefully weigh our decisions and actions.

Shabbat Shalom,

Heath