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This essay is a study in psychoanalytic Midrash: a literary and psychological meditation on the
Biblical story of Jacob. The Hebrew verbal root from which the term Midrash derives means to
investigate or explore. It is a genre of Biblical scholarship used to interpret the Bible in symbolic
and inspirational terms. This essay examines Jacob as he moves from a character dominated by
self-defeating neurosis through his transformation into a spiritual being and exemplar of principled
leadership. Insights from Freudian and Jungian psychologies, mythology, and literary traditions are
used to describe and explain Jacob’s character metamorphosis.
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Abramsky, M. (2010). Abramsky, M. (2010). Jacob wrestles the angel: A study in psychoanalytic midrash. International Journal of Transpersonal Studies, 29(1), 106–117.. International Journal of Transpersonal Studies, 29 (1). https://doi.org/10.24972/ijts.2010.29.1.106