The essence of the struggle between Esav and Yaakov is choosing a focal point in life: the physical versus the spiritual. Yaakov uses physicality as a means toward spirituality, while Esav represents pursuit of the physical as an end in itself. Studying the confrontations between: A. Yaakov and Esav, and B. Yaakov and Esav’s angel, offers greater insight on how Yaakov's future descendents can handle the tests presented by Esav's descendants until the time of the final redemption.
