Motyw walki Jakuba z aniołem w piosence Jacka Kaczmarskiego wobec tradycji żydowskiej i chrześcijańskiej

The purpose of this publication is the interpretation of the song of Jacek Kaczmarski titledJacob wrestling with the angel which shows the speci city of the poet’s view of the biblical theme. In the rst part of the article, I discuss the gure of the Patriarch Jacob in the Bible and culture. Then I present the patriarch’s wrestling with an unknown opponent as it is shown in Jewish and Christian commentaries. In the interpretation of Kaczmarski’s song, I draw attention to the di eren- ces and similarities with the Scriptures and with Jewish and Christian interpretations. Kaczmarski creatively reinterprets the biblical theme. The song does not follow Jewish interpretations which see the unknown opponent as a guardian angel of Esau, archangel Michael or Satan. Nor does it follow Christian interpretations (psychological, allegorical, spiritual, mystical). The poem is close to these comments (Jewish and Christian), which in the wrestling opponent see God in the form of an angel and a shepherd. Kaczmarski’s interpretation is unique, for in his poem the main purpose of the struggle is freedom – an overriding value in human life. The winner turns out to be a crippled Jacob. The weak man wins with God because he dared to ght for freedom.