wrestling with Eisav's angel

1) After Yaakov transfers his family across the Yabok, he is left alone in the night, the last one in the camp, and an angel appears and wrestles with him.  Rashbam comments that Hashem orchestrated this situation:

 שלא יוכל לברוח ויראה קיום {אבטחתו}א של הקב״ה שלא יזיקהו עשו.

The purpose of this wrestling match, according to Rashbam, was not to cause Yaakov pain or to defeat him, but rather it was to prevent him from escaping the encounter with Eisav.  Hashem wanted Yaakov to be able to witness the hasgacha pratis protecting him, proving true Hashem's earlier promise that Yaakov would not come to harm.  

The natural reaction of most people is to try to avoid problems and confrontations.  However, Rashbam tells us that if life is always easy, then we miss the opportunity to see yeshu'as Hashem and his hashgacha pratis.  It is through encountering difficulties and overcoming them, with Hashem's help, that we discover and appreciate that He's got our back. 

2) Who is the winner of that wrestling match?  If you saw Yaakov limping off injured after the fight you would think he lost, but you would be wrong.   The pasuk (32:26) tells us so black on white:

 וַיַּ֗רְא כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יָכֹל֙ ל֔וֹ וַיִּגַּ֖ע בְּכַף־יְרֵכ֑וֹ

It's only because he could not defeat him, that he could not win, that the angel had to strike Yaakov.  

This was not an ordinary wrestling match.  This was a fight of differing world views.  The goal of Eisav's angel was to convince Yaakov to become like everyone else in the world.  R' Yehudah Deri explains that the violence of antisemitism is a testament to the fact that the Jew  will not surrender his identity.  In frustration, Eisav's lashes out our our guf because he is powerless to corrupt our neshama.  Our ideological commitment is our ultimate vindication.