Ya'akov's Encounter with Esav and His Struggle with the Angel

Yaakov prepares extensively to meet with Esav, but there is a great contrast between the fear and trepidation that accompanies the preparations and what happens at the actual meeting. The struggle with the angel, which is at the very center of the story, is an integral part of the narrative; the purpose of the struggle is to explain the gap between the preparations and the actual meeting.