Vayishlaḥ (וישלח – “And he sent”)
Bereshit / Genesis 32:4–36:43 – Obadiah 1:1–21 (Sephardic) & Hoshea / Hosea 11:7–12:12 (Ashkenazic)
The parasha Vayishlaḥ recounts Ya‘aqov’s return to the Holy Land after twenty years in the house of Lavan. The messengers sent to ‘Esav return with troubling news: ‘Esav is coming to meet him with 400 men. Fearing confrontation, Ya‘aqov divides his camp, prays, and sends gifts. At night, he wrestles with a mysterious being who wounds him but blesses him, giving him the name Israel. The reunion with ‘Esav ultimately unfolds peacefully, each brother going his own way.
At Shekhem, the abduction of Dinah leads to the massacre of the inhabitants by Shim‘on and Levi, forcing Ya‘aqov to leave the city in haste. At Beit-El, God confirms his new name; on the road to Efrat, Raḥel dies giving birth to Binyamin; Yitzḥaq passes away in Ḥevron, where he is buried by his sons. The genealogy of ‘Esav is then established.
The Sephardic haftara from Obadiah announces the downfall of Edom, descendant of ‘Esav, and Israel’s ultimate victory, while the Ashkenazic haftara from Hosea recalls Ya‘aqov’s struggle with the angel and calls Israel to return to God.
Bereshit / Genesis 32:27
וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא אֲשַׁלֵּחֲךָ, כִּי אִם-בֵּרַכְתָּנִי
And he said, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.”
In the central hall of the Marc Chagall National Museum [1] in Nice, the cycle The Biblical Message [2] is displayed. Among the twelve monumental canvases, Jacob Wrestling with the Angel illustrates the narrative of Genesis chapter 32 (verses 25–33). The blues and violets convey the inner intensity of the struggle, the diagonals of the bodies express dramatic tension, and the angel’s gesture touching Ya‘aqov’s forehead evokes both combat and blessing.
On the right edge of the painting appear: Ya‘aqov and Raḥel meeting at the well (love and divine providence, Genesis 29:1–12); Yosef stripped by his brothers and cast into a pit (jealousy, Genesis 37:23–24); and below, Ya‘aqov weeping over Yosef’s tunic (grief, Genesis 37:31–35). In the background, Chagall inserts elements of his personal universe, notably his native village of Vitebsk, thus intertwining his individual memory with that of the Jewish people.
The museum was inaugurated in 1973, at the initiative of André Malraux [3] and with the participation of Marc Chagall. It was the first national museum dedicated to a living artist, and today houses nearly one thousand works, combining paintings, stained glass, and mosaics in a space conceived by Chagall himself.
[1] Marc Chagall (1887–1985) actively contributed to the design of the museum, adding stained glass, mosaics, and an auditorium, and was present at the inauguration in 1973.
[2] The twelve monumental canvases of The Biblical Message include: Abraham and the Three Angels and The Sacrifice of Yitzḥaq (linked to parasha Vayera); Ya‘aqov and the Angel (linked to Vayishlaḥ); Moshe and the Burning Bush (linked to Shemot); The Crossing of the Red Sea (linked to Beshalach); Moshe Receiving the Tablets of the Law (linked to Yitro); The Prophet Yirmiyahu (Jeremiah) (read in the haftarot of the “Three Weeks” around Tisha Be-Av); David and Bat-Sheva (from II Samuel); King David and His Harp (inspired by Psalms); Eliyahu (Elijah) Taken Up to Heaven (from II Kings); and finally two canvases devoted to Shir HaShirim (Song of Songs), traditionally read on Shabbat.
[3] André Malraux (1901–1976), Minister of Culture, encouraged the creation of the museum and supported the donation of the Biblical Message cycle to the French State.