Yaakov Avinu prepared for an imminent fight,

the only other option seemed to be to run, take flight.

He feared losing this war, how awful it would be,

he winced, thinking of the decimation he might see.

So, he strategized and organized and then did more,

he didn’t let up his focus on unavoidable war.

When Yaakov was traveling from the shore,

he was—as always—surrounded by family galore.

But Yaakov Avinu was in for a surprise,

it was hard to believe what was before his eyes.

He forgot some things, went back, and stood alone,

then, he faced his demon, and it chilled him to the bone.

Now, he fought a battle that was sudden and strange,

and, in a second, he found his life rearranged.

He was fighting for survival, struggling to live,

he didn’t know exactly what he’d take and what he’d give.

But, somehow, he managed to persevere through the night,

pushing on in this battle with all of his might.

Somehow, in the end of this struggle, Yaakov won,

and it was clear that a fresh chapter had begun.

At that time, his name changed to something new,

and his place as a father of the Jewish people grew.

He was transformed into “Yisrael” from then on,

and his old identity was subsumed and gone.

But Yaakov walked away with a pain in his side,

he sustained an injury that he couldn’t hide.

He came out limping from the battle he was in,

even though it was clear that he did win.

There’s a relevant message for us today,

we prepare for battles that never come our way.

We often are surrounded by family and friends,

but a tremendous challenge can come in the end.

And, in that formative moment, alone is where we are,

all by ourselves, we are tested to push to go far.

And, though, we leave limping, we can do great,

as perseverance brings us to our higher fate.

May we be blessed to succeed and get it right,

when surprised and alone, we face our spiritual fight.

Rabbi Neil Fleischmann, an ordained rabbi from RIETS, has taught Torah for over 30 years, primarily at The Frisch School, where he coached the award-winning poetry team. As an integral part of the Yeshiva Poetry Society, Fleischmann is a passionate advocate for the arts within the Torah world. He was named New York's Funniest Rabbi and has performed stand up comedy, as well as presenting as scholar in residence, across the city and country. His literary work includes the haiku collection In The Field, and he has contributed close to twenty poems to the Stories of Our Lives anthologies, parts 1 and 2. Currently, Fleischmann is working on a book of parsha poems that combines meaningful content with whimsical formatting. You can reach him at [email protected].