TorahMama: Vayishlach

Jacob prepares to reunite with his brother Esau and in the night he wrestles with a being. Eventually, he prevails and says, "I will not let you go until you bless me." In the course of the blessing, Jacob is also given a new name, the name Israel.

My daughter, age 6, likes to stomp off when she's angry. And sometimes I want her to just go away, so this works for both of us. But most of the time, I insist that she return. "Come back here, I want to hug you," I say. This does not always work in the course of an argument. She can't see past her anger or frustration to know that all I want to do is hug her. All I want to do is pull her back, hold on tight. Even when she's infuriating or infuriated, I still just want to hold on tight. But eventually she relents and I get to hold her and find peace in our relationship. My 12-year-old is getting to the point where a hug from his mom is a chore. But he lets me. He knows that it matters. He knows that I don't want to let him go until he blesses me with that exasperated sigh and giggle when I tickle him. The 3-year-old throws a tantrum over a misinterpreted demand. I scoop him up and squeeze him tight. "Lemme go!" he squirms. But I hold tightly, I won't let him go until I have whispered in his ear and found the way to reset the want, rewind the frustration, and get the blessing that I so desperately need. I will not let you go until you bless me...

TorahMama is my weekly attempt to look at the Torah portion through a parenting lens...