The tale of Yaakov’s meeting with his revenge-seeking brother, Esav, presents a seeming discrepancy. At the beginning of Parashas Vayishlach, the Torah tells of how Yaakov divided his family and possessions into two camps. Of course, for splitting into camps to be an effective defensive strategy, there needs to be a significant distance between them.

Yet when Yaakov and Esav finally meet, we find that Yaakov’s family, in its entirety, is there to greet Esav. Clearly, they could not have closed the distance in the short space of time between the meeting and the presentation of the family to Esav. The entire family was there before the meeting took place.

What made Yaakov change his mind?

The simple answer is that the night before the meeting, Yaakov encountered and fought against a man – a character Chazal (Chullin 91) identified as the angelic minister of Esav. Although he came out limping, Yaakov was victorious, and the angel informed him of a name change: “Your name will no longer be called Yaakov, but rather Yisrael, for you have struggled with G-d and with men and prevailed” (Bereishis 32:29).

The Ramban explains that angels do not have the authority to change names, which is why Hashem appears later to Yaakov and confirms the change. Rather than changing his name, the angel  conveyed a message.

The name Yaakov represents “following.” Yaakov was born on the heels of Esav. His internal motion vis-à-vis Esav was characterized by fragility and weakness. He had to get his way by manipulation (in procuring the birthright) and trickery (in getting the blessings). Following the same intuitions, Yaakov split his camp into two parts. If one will be struck, the other will survive.

The change of name in the wake of Yaakov’s successful fight indicated a change of attitude. Yaakov would no longer be at the heel of Esav. Though he might be injured, he knew he would prevail. The idea of splitting into two camps, born out of fear of total annihilation, was thus abandoned. He was ready to face Esav head-on.

And so are we.

The mitzvah to refrain from eating the gid hanasheh recalls for all generations Yaakov’s formative encounter with the angel. The battle of good against evil continues, all the way until the crack of dawn. We must never forget it.

The injury teaches us that sometimes we need to lower our heads, as Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi did before Antoninus, referring to himself as Antoninus’s servant (Bereishis Rabba 75:5). This is true for times of weakness. Esav, we must remember, was also blessed by Yitzchak: “It shall be that when you are aggrieved.” Rashi explains this refers to times when we are distant from Hashem – “you may cast off his yoke from upon your neck” (Bereishis 27:40).

However, the principal message of Yaakov’s encounter is that we will emerge victorious in our war against evil. The fight is worthy and we need to approach it with courage and valor. Indeed, the Midrash teaches that Yaakov was punished for referring to Esav as “my master.” Having prevailed over the angel, it was time for him to demonstrate his conviction in the divine goodness he represented and confidence in his war against evil. It was time to raise his head rather than lower it.

No message can be more relevant for today. Faced with the opportunity to fight and destroy evil, it is time for us, Jews living in Israel, to demonstrate our own conviction and determination. To believe in the goodness we represent and to fight for it. To win, and to win decisively.