פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (בראשית ל״ג:י״א) קַח נָא אֶת בִּרְכָתִי אֲשֶׁר הוּבָאת לָךָ וְגוֹ', כַּד חָמָא יַעֲקֹב לְסָמָאֵל, מְקַטְרְגָא בְּהַהוּא לֵילְיָא, חָמָא לֵיהּ בְּהַהוּא דִּיּוּקְנָא דְּעֵשָׂו, וְלָא אִשְׁתְּמוֹדָע בֵּיהּ עַד דְּסָלִיק צַפְרָא. כֵּיוָן דְּסָלִיק צַפְרָא, וְאַשְׁגַּח בֵּיהּ, חָמָא לֵיהּ בְּאַנְפִּין סְתִימִין וְאִתְגַּלְיָין. אִסְתָּכַּל בְּהַהוּא דִּיּוּקְנָא, דְּהֲוָה כְּדִּיוּקְנָא דְּעֵשָׂו, מִיַּד אַשְׁגַּח וְיָדַע דְּהֲוָה מְמָנָא דְּעֵשָׂו. אַתְקִיף בֵּיהּ מַה כְּתִיב, (בראשית ל״ב:כ״ז) וַיֹּאמֶר שַׁלְּחֵנִי כִּי עָלָה הַשָּׁחַר. וְחַבְרַיָּיא אִתְּעֲרוּ, דִּבְגִין דְּמָטָא זִמְנֵיהּ לְזַמְּרָא וּלְשַׁבְּחָא לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְעַל דָּא כִּי עָלָה הַשָּׁחַר. He then forthwith began to expound these words of Jacob to Esau: “Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee” (Gen. 33, 11). ‘When Jacob’, said he, ‘saw on that night the Accuser, Samael, he saw him in the form of Esau, and it was not until dawn was breaking that he recognized him as Samael. When the dawn broke, he looked at him closely, but even then he appeared at times to be the one and then the other. He then looked more closely still and he knew him for the celestial representative of Esau, and he prevailed against him. He said to Jacob, “Let me go, for the dawn breaketh” (Ibid. 32, 26), and the companions have already explained that he said this, because the moment had arrived when he, the representative of Esau, had to raise his voice in hymns to the Holy One.

וְהָכָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא, דְּוַדַּאי שֻׁלְטָנוּתָא דִּילֵיהּ לָאו אִיהוּ אֶלָּא בְּלֵילְיָא, גּוֹ חֲשׁוֹכָא, וְרָזָא דָּא (שיר השירים ג׳:ח׳) מִפַּחַד בַּלֵּילוֹת דָּא פַּחְדָּא דְּגֵיהִנָּם. וּמַה דְּאָמַר בַּלֵּילוֹת. רְצוֹנוֹ לאמָר אִיהוּ וְנוּקְבֵיהּ. וּבְגִינֵי כַּךְ לָא שַׁלִּיט אֶלָּא בְּלֵילְיָא. On this we may remark that indeed the power of Samael is only in the ascendant in the dark, as indicated in the words, “of fear in the night” (Ps. 91, 5), namely, the fear of Gehenna; so it is that he rules at night alone.

וְדָא דְּאָמַר וַיֹּאמֶר שַׁלְּחֵנִי כִּי עָלָה הַשָּׁחַר. מַאי כִּי עָלָה הַשָּׁחַר. בְּגִין דְּכַד אָתֵי צַפְרָא, וְאִתְעֲבָר שֻׁלְטָנוּ דְּחַשׁוֹכָא דְּלֵילְיָא, כְּדֵין עָאל אִיהוּ וְאֹכְלוּסֵיהּ בְּנוּקְבָּא דִּתְהוֹמָא רַבָּא, דְּלִסְטַר צָפוֹן, עַד דְּעָאל לֵילְיָא, וְאִשְׁתְּרוּ כַּלְבֵּי, וְשַׁלְטֵי וּמְשַׁטְטֵי בְּלֵילְיָא, (ד"א בעלמא) עַד דְּאָתֵי צַפְרָא. וְעַל דָּא הֲוָה דָּחִיק לוֹמַר, שַׁלְּחֵנִי כִּי עָלָה הַשָּׁחַר, דְּהָא לָא שַׁלִּיט בִּימָמָא. Hence he said, “Let me go, for the dawn breaketh”, for when morning comes and his power is on the wane, he must depart, and he and his hosts must enter the recess of the abyss in the North, and they must remain until night breaks in on them, and the dogs are loosened from their chains and allowed to roam about till morning. That is why he pressed Jacob to let him go.

כְּגַוְונָא דָּא גָּלוּתָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּאִיהוּ בְּלֵילְיָא, וְאִקְרֵי לַיְלָה. מַלְכָּא עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת חַיָּיבָא שַׁלְטָא עָלַיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, עַד דְּיֵיתֵי צַפְרָא וְיַנְהִיר לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְיִתְעֲבָר שֻׁלְטָנֵיהוֹן, וְעַל דָּא כִּי עָלָה הַשָּׁחַר, דָּחִיק הֲוָה בִּידֵיהּ, וְתָשַׁשׁ חֵילֵיהּ, דְּהָא אִתְעַבָר לֵילְיָא וְעַל דָּא אִתְתָּקַּף יַעֲקֹב בֵּיהּ, וְחָמָא דִּיּוּקְנֵיהּ כְּדִּיוּקְנָא דְּעֵשָׂו, אֲבָל לָא בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָא כָּל כַּךְ. וּכְדֵין אוֹדֵי לֵיהּ עַל בִּרְכָּאן. In the same way Israel’s exile has taken place at night, it is in fact called “night”. The evil kingdom (Rome), the pagan power, rules over Israel until the morning shall again appear, and the Holy One, blessed be He, will cause the light to dawn again and the heathen power shall wane and at last disappear. Therefore it was that Esau’s representative said, “Let me go, for the dawn breaketh”. But Jacob held him, and his power weakened, because night had passed, so Jacob’s strength increased, and he saw, in that angel, the image of Esau, but not quite clearly. Then the angel confirmed the blessings he had received.