In several accounts of this excerpt of scripture, it is said that the "man" with whom Jacob wrestled was Auriel. According to one account this was Auriel in his Phanael or "Face of God" aspect. Obviously no wrestling would take place if Jacob and "Face of God" were in harmony with one another. In that Jacob sent away his wives and possessions, he elected to sacrifice most external things that would stand between him and God. However, Auriel presented Jacob with some "faces" or inner obstacles that he had yet to sacrifice, these are perhaps the hardest of all. Hence the act of "wrestling" with an archangel on the ground. Often we make it through our inner conflicts with a briatic force as Jacob did and begin to see day breaking in the form of enlightenment, the beginnings of atonement with God. At this point it is easy to believe that our work is done and "Let go for the day breaketh." Then the fact that this is a final spiritual illusion is realized and this too needs to be sacrificed in order to exude unconditional Love and become one with Adonai. Hence Jacob said "I will not let thee go except that thou bless me." At this point, Jacob had come to terms with and clearly beheld the Face of God. In telling Auriel his name, he freely gave himself up, he had sacrificed himself to the higher. In this process Auriel renamed him Israel. "…For as a prince hast thou the power with God and with men and hast prevailed."
Auriel provides us with the same opportunity that Jacob had for personal redemption with the face of Adonai. He, through his power of earthly manifestation, gives us a way of personal self sacrifice and ultimate oneness with God. Some aspects of sacrifice are easy and then as the way becomes more difficult we too must "wrestle" with Auriel until the break of day and even until he gives his blessing. Even as Jacob did, we must be willing to go that extra amount of struggle in order to "ask" for his blessing.
Then we may behold in ourselves that devotional Light of God
in and feel its warmth and Love. In this way we have grown, and elevated ourselves
more toward reflecting that Face of God within. This will be shown to others
along the way in our earthly deeds and allow others to behold that "Israel"
through us. In endeavoring to do Auriel’s work and show that Face of God to
others, we are giving them the same opportunity that we have, to discover their
own paths of redemption. Though our struggles and falls in Auriel’s path are
many, he affords great rewards. The only true mistake that we can make is to
get caught up in our own self illusion and turn our backs on The Light of God.
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