What does “Israel” mean?
Question
Rabbi Moshe Newman
Lost your password? Please enter your email address. You will receive a link and will create a new password via email.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.Morbi adipiscing gravdio, sit amet suscipit risus ultrices eu.Fusce viverra neque at purus laoreet consequa.Vivamus vulputate posuere nisl quis consequat.
Answers
The Torah relates that when Jacob wrestled with the angel, see Genesis 32, and overcame him the angel proclaimed that Jacob would be called “Israel” because “you have striven with the Divine” (see ibid. 20). The word “Israel” – Yisrael in Hebrew – originates from the root-word meaning “to prevail”.
Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team