I was never a big fan of professional wrestling, but over the past weekend I heard something on the radio that made me think I have been missing out.   While visiting family up north I heard an interview with John Cena on NPR (of all places!).
 
I am sure there are some out there who know that Cena is a star in the WWE who is branching out from acting in fake wrestling matches to acting in mediocre movies.  What caught my attention was the off-hand reference that was made to the fact that he started as a "heel" and then became a "face."  Again, there are no doubt some of you more familiar with this terminology who know what I only just found out - that a "heel" is a wrestler cast as the villain, a bad guy like Nikolai Volkoff or the Iron Sheik (O.K., I used to follow it a little...).  And the "face" is the good guy, the Hulk Hogan (sometimes) or Andre the Giant (almost all of the time).

But of course, the whole thing about professional wrestling is that it's a fix, allowing the faces to take their turn as heels and heels to be transformed into faces so that new storylines can play out.   Why "face" and "heel"?
 
Probably not because of the Torah reading for this week (Gen 32:4 - 36:43) but wouldn't it be amazing if it was?
 
This week, the last of the three patriarchs, Jacob, becomes the most famous Jewish wrestler before Goldberg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Goldberg) entered the ring (O.K. maybe I followed it a little here and there...).  Jacob was returning home after he fled from his brother Esau, last seen vowing to kill Jacob for stealing his blessing and birthright.  Still fearing Esau's revenge, Jacob sends away his family and waits alone by the river Jabbok where he is suddenly set upon by an angel with whom he wrestles until dawn.  But is Jacob the heel or the face?
 
Not an easy question.  On one hand Jacob is the hero of the Genesis story and the Jewish people are known as his children.  On the other, however, his name means "heel" and he gets the name because he was born with one hand on the heel of his brother Esau.  Jacob constantly uses trickery to overcome his stronger brother and when confronted with a direct threat, runs away.  He even tag-teams with his wily mother Rebecca who coaches him on how to take on both his brother and father. 
Esau, on the other hand, while destined to get the short end of the stick, appears to be the tragic figure, crying out in pain as he realizes that his brother has once more played the "heel" and stolen the very last blessing.

But, just like the WWE, the fix is in.  Jacob starts out the heel so he can truly appreciate what means to be a "face".  After his bout with the angel, Jacob refuses to let go until he has earned a proper blessing.  The angel names him (and by extension us) Israel which is interpreted as "One who confronts and overcomes both G-d and men." 
And Jacob, understanding the power of the moment calls the place of his encounter Peniel, the "Face of G-d."
In the final scene of the drama, a more
resolute Jacob meets his brother face to face to find that his brother now seeks only peace.

So Jacob the "heel" is made over as Israel the "face"  - the perfect storyline for a people who will spend an eternity wrestling.  Sometimes with our enemies.  Sometimes with G-d,  Often with ourselves. 
And unlike either Genesis or Wrestlemania, the results of our wrestling have yet to be scripted.
 
See you in the ring...
 
Shabbat Shalom,
 
Rabbi Michael