The struggle is the essence of the name Yisrael. That, too, is the greatness of Klal Yisrael. We deserve Hashem's blessing because we have the strength of character, derived from the Torah, to be able to struggle even when we are wounded. Yaakov's name is changed but not completely. The name Yaakov still remains because the struggle goes on.
Life is full of ups and downs.
Once he showed that he could persevere, then Hashem took out the sun and healed him. This is a hint to Olam Haba, when Hashem will take out the bright light hidden at Creation and with it heal the tzaddikim. There, they will reach their highest level of perfection, the culmination of all their struggles in this world with men and angels. This article is provided as part of Shema Yisrael Torah Network Permission is granted to redistribute electronically or on paper, provided that this notice is included intact.