A Midrash taught that an angel attacked Jacob in because Jacob had failed to fulfill his vow to God. The Rabbis taught that Providence examines one's record of deeds on three occasions: (1) if one goes on a journey alone, (2) if one sits in an unstable house, and (3) if one vows and does not fulfill one's vow. The Midrash taught that we know about the problem of vowing and not paying from , “When you vow a vow to the Lord your God, you shalt not be slack to pay it”; and from , “It is a snare to a man rashly to say, ‘Holy,’ and after vows to make inquiry.” If one delays paying one’s vow, Providence examines one’s record, and the angels assume a prosecutorial stance, and scrutinize one’s sins. The Midrash illustrated this by noting that when Jacob left Canaan for to Aram-Naharaim, reports, “Jacob made a vow.” Then he became wealthy, returned, and did not pay his vow. So God brought Esau against him, bent on killing Jacob, and Esau took a huge gift from him of the 200 goats and other gifts reported in , yet Jacob did not fulfill his vow. So God brought the angel against him, and the angel wrestled with Jacob but did not kill him, as reports, “Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn.” The Midrash taught that it was Samael, Esau's guardian angel, who wanted to kill him, as reports, “He saw that he could not prevail against him.” But Jacob left disabled. And when Jacob still did not pay his vow, the trouble with Dinah came upon him, as reported in . When Jacob still did not pay his vow, as reports, “Rachel died and was buried.” Then God asked how long Jacob would take punishment and not pay attention to the sin for which he suffered. So God told Jacob to go to Bethel, make an altar there, at the very place where Jacob vowed to God.