The Hebrew word Yisrael, or Israel, has been used in the Judaic tradition as a label for the Judaic "tribe" as a whole, and for the land that the tradition has held as sacred.
The name Yisrael was first used in Genesis 32 in the story of Jacob wrestling with a "stranger" from Heaven. In this story Jacob is at a crossroads in his life and he heads off alone in the middle of the night and ends up wrestling with a divine force in order to receive a blessing. This blessing finally was given to Jacob in the form of a new name, Yisrael.
This name has several mystical meanings that all relate to the process described in the story (Gordis, 1995). These definitions include: One who wrestles or struggles with the Divine; one who yearns for the Divine; the song of the Divine; and the Awakening Self (the Self that struggles to awaken to it's true oneness with the Divine).
A mystical translation of this biblical story reveals the archetypal psycho-spiritual pattern of our struggle to awaken to our true Self and the Divine:
In the middle of the night Jacob arose
and sent his loved ones and all his possessions
across the river of struggles.
Jacob remained alone.
A stranger appeared and wrestled with him
until the break of day.
The stranger saw that Jacob was strong in faith
and touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh,
causing a great strain.
The stranger said:
"Let me leave for the dawn is breaking."
Jacob told the stranger:
"I will not let go until I am blessed."
The stranger replied:
"Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel,
the one who strives to awaken
and know the truth of the Divine."
Jacob asked the stranger's name.
The stranger replied:
"Why do you seek my name?"
He then blessed Jacob.
Jacob named the place Divine Face and said:
"I have seen the Divine face to face,
and my soul has withstood it."
The sun rose and was shinning on him
as he continued on his way.
- Genesis 32:23-32
REFERENCES
Gordis, D. (1995). God was not in the fire. New York: Scribner.
*Image: Jacob wrestling with the Angel of God
*Originally published on KabbalahBlog hosted by Enlightenment.com
