In Parashat Vayishlach, Yaakov prepares to reunite with Esav after years of separation, sending gifts to appease him and praying for divine protection. That night, he wrestles with a mysterious angel, emerging victorious but with a dislocated hip, earning the name Yisrael. The brothers meet peacefully, and Esav departs. Yaakov settles in Shechem, where his daughter Dinah is abducted by Shechem ben Chamor. Shimon and Levi retaliate by destroying the city. The parasha concludes with Rachel’s death during Binyamin’s birth, Yaakov’s return to his father Yitzchak, and Esav’s genealogy. Themes include divine protection, moral responsibility, and the consequences of violence.
