Vayishalach D'var Torah

 Esau was about to come visit Jacob, so Jacob split up his possessions, he got presents ready for Esau, and he sent himself and his family across a river to protect them from Esau. That night, when Jacob was alone, a divine being came and wrestled him all night. In the morning, as the divine being left, he said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with beings divine and human, and have prevailed.” 

When Esau came the next day, they were very happy to see each other and Jacob gave Esau a present.

Jacob and his children travelled to Shechem, another city. One day, Shechem, who was the chief of the land Shechem, abducted and raped Dinah, Jacob’s only daughter. Shechem’s father, Hamor, went to Jacob to speak with him. He requested that Dinah marry Shechem, and he said that if Shechem could marry Dinah he would let Jacob’s sons marry the women of his city. Jacob responded with a deal: their families could intermarry but only if every male in the city of Shechem got circumcised. 

All the men got circumcised, but since they were adults, it was probably very painful. So, while they were all in pain, Simeon and Levi (two of Jacob’s sons) killed every adult male in the city, including Shechem and Hamor. They retrieved Dinah and then the rest of Jacob’s sons went throughout the city, collecting all of their possessions. Jacob then got mad at Simeon and Levi for ruining his reputation and increasing the possibility of them being attacked, but they answered, “Should our sister be treated like a [prostitute]?”

As Jacob continued his travels, God blessed him and said, “You whose name is Jacob, You should be called Jacob no more, But Israel shall be your name.” This is when Jacob’s name is officially changed by God to Israel. Soon after, Rachel became pregnant again, and had another boy, but she died in childbirth. The boy was named Benjamin. Overall, Jacob had 12 sons- Leah’s sons, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun; Rachel’s sons, Joseph and Benjamin; Rachel’s maid Bilhah had Dan and Naphtali, and Leah’s maid Zilpah had Gad and Asher. After the birth of Benjamin, Jacob returned to Isaac, who was 180 years old, and he died.