Vayigash 5782

Question: In the lead up to the descent to Egypt, the names יעקב and ישראל are used almost interchangeably. When and why is each one used?


Approach: It seems that יעקב is used when relating to the personal aspect, whereas ישראל implies more of a nationalistic aspect. The descent to Egypt is therefore both a personal and national descent and is reflected in both aspects. We can see that the children are referred to בני ישראל as they reflect the nationalistic descent.

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