Vayishlach and What I said at Dad's Place

Yaakov prepared for a physical battle that never came to be, but instead he had a surprise spiritual battle (with a man? with an angel? with himself?). And when fought that fight he was uncharacteristically alone. And he couldn't cram in prep for it as for a physical confrontation. And he won, but he came out wounded. So too for us in life. And this fits with Rav Hutner's take on Sheva yipol tzadik vekam. Wise Shlomo haMelech was not just praising the tenacity of a righteous person but he was giving the recipe of how to become one. And it is no coincidence that Yaakov bowed before Eisav seven times. This is the symbol for his falling and rising as he became Yisrael, the father of the Jewish People...

Here it is in a similar but longer version.  This is something I revisit every year.