(בראשית כ״ח:י״ג) וְהִנֵּה ה' נִצָּב עָלָיו וגו'. הכא חמא יעקב קשורא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא כְּחַד. נִצָּב עליו, וכתיב (מלכים א כ״ב:מ״ח) וּמֶלֶךְ אֵין בְּאֶדוֹם. נצב מלך. (נצב מלח) חמא, דכל דרגין קיימין כלהו כחד על ההוא סולם, לאתקשרא כלא בחד קשרא. בגין דאתיהיב ההוא סלם בין תרין סתרין, הדא הוא דכתיב אֲנִי ה' אֱלהֵי אַבְרָהָם אָבִיךָ וִאלהֵי יִצְחָק וגו'. אלֵּין אִנּוּן תְּרֵין סִטְרִין בְּיָמִינָא וּשְׂמָאלָא.
AND BEHOLD, THE LORD STOOD (nitsab) UPON IT, ETC. Here Jacob discerned the essential unity of the object of faith. This is implied in the term nitsab (firmly knit), which implies that Jacob saw all grades stationed as one on that ladder so as to be knit into one whole. And inasmuch as that ladder is situated between two sides, God said to him: I AM THE LORD, THE GOD OF ABRAHAM THY FATHER, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC , these two being respectively of the two sides, one of the right and the other of the left.
2
דבר אחר והנה ה' נצב עליו (ויאמר), עליה דיעקב, למהוי כלא רתיכא קדישא, ימינא ושמאלא, ויעקב בגוויהו, וכנסת ישראל לאתקשרא בנייהו, הדא הוא דכתיב אני ה' אלהי אברהם אביך ואלהי יצחק. מנלן דיעקב באמצעיתא, משמע דכתיב אלהי אלהי אברהם אביך ואלהי יצחק (הארץ), וְלָא כְּתִיב אֱלֹהֵי יִצְחָק אָבִיךָ. דְּכֵיוָן דְּאִתְקַשַּׁר בֵּיהּ בְּאַבְרָהָם, אִשְׁתַּכַּח דְּאִיהוּ בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא. וּלְבָתַר הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה שׁוֹכֵב עָלֶיהָ, הָא כֹּלָּא רְתִיכָא חָדָא קַדִּישָׁא. וְהָכָא חָמָא דְּיֶהוֵי שְׁלִימוּ דְּאֲבָהָן.
According to another explanation, the Lord was standing over him, to wit, over Jacob, so as to form the Divine Chariot, with the Community of Israel, embodied in Jacob, as the uniting link in the midst, between the right and the left. That Jacob was in the midst is proved by the fact that the text here calls Abraham “thy father”, but not Isaac, thus showing that Jacob was next to Abraham; and hence the text naturally continues: THE LAND WHEREON THOU LIEST , showing that the whole formed one sacred Chariot. Here Jacob saw that he was to be the crown of the patriarchs.
But as long as he was not married this fact is not disclosed in the text, save to those who can read between the lines. After he married and begat children, however, it was openly stated, as it is written: “And he erected there an altar, and the God of Israel called him El (godlike)”. From here we learn that whoever is incomplete below remains incomplete on high. Jacob was an exception, yet he too before marriage was not perfected openly;
or rather, he only foresaw that he eventually would be perfected. It is true, God had already said to him, “And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee whithersoever thou goest.” This, however, only implies that God’s care and protection were always with him in the hour of need, in this world; but as regards the higher world, he was not sure of it till he had perfected himself.
(בראשית כ״ח:י״ג) וְהִנֵּה ה' נִצָּב עָלָיו וגו'. הכא חמא יעקב קשורא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא כְּחַד. נִצָּב עליו, וכתיב (מלכים א כ״ב:מ״ח) וּמֶלֶךְ אֵין בְּאֶדוֹם. נצב מלך. (נצב מלח) חמא, דכל דרגין קיימין כלהו כחד על ההוא סולם, לאתקשרא כלא בחד קשרא. בגין דאתיהיב ההוא סלם בין תרין סתרין, הדא הוא דכתיב אֲנִי ה' אֱלהֵי אַבְרָהָם אָבִיךָ וִאלהֵי יִצְחָק וגו'. אלֵּין אִנּוּן תְּרֵין סִטְרִין בְּיָמִינָא וּשְׂמָאלָא.
AND BEHOLD, THE LORD STOOD (nitsab) UPON IT, ETC. Here Jacob discerned the essential unity of the object of faith. This is implied in the term nitsab (firmly knit), which implies that Jacob saw all grades stationed as one on that ladder so as to be knit into one whole. And inasmuch as that ladder is situated between two sides, God said to him: I AM THE LORD, THE GOD OF ABRAHAM THY FATHER, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC , these two being respectively of the two sides, one of the right and the other of the left.
דבר אחר והנה ה' נצב עליו (ויאמר), עליה דיעקב, למהוי כלא רתיכא קדישא, ימינא ושמאלא, ויעקב בגוויהו, וכנסת ישראל לאתקשרא בנייהו, הדא הוא דכתיב אני ה' אלהי אברהם אביך ואלהי יצחק. מנלן דיעקב באמצעיתא, משמע דכתיב אלהי אלהי אברהם אביך ואלהי יצחק (הארץ), וְלָא כְּתִיב אֱלֹהֵי יִצְחָק אָבִיךָ. דְּכֵיוָן דְּאִתְקַשַּׁר בֵּיהּ בְּאַבְרָהָם, אִשְׁתַּכַּח דְּאִיהוּ בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא. וּלְבָתַר הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה שׁוֹכֵב עָלֶיהָ, הָא כֹּלָּא רְתִיכָא חָדָא קַדִּישָׁא. וְהָכָא חָמָא דְּיֶהוֵי שְׁלִימוּ דְּאֲבָהָן.
According to another explanation, the Lord was standing over him, to wit, over Jacob, so as to form the Divine Chariot, with the Community of Israel, embodied in Jacob, as the uniting link in the midst, between the right and the left. That Jacob was in the midst is proved by the fact that the text here calls Abraham “thy father”, but not Isaac, thus showing that Jacob was next to Abraham; and hence the text naturally continues: THE LAND WHEREON THOU LIEST , showing that the whole formed one sacred Chariot. Here Jacob saw that he was to be the crown of the patriarchs.
תָּא חֲזֵי, אֱלהֵי אַבְרָהָם אָבִיךָ, דְּכֵיוָן דְּאָמַר אַבְרָהָם אָבִיךָ, וַדַּאי אִיהוּ בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא, וֵאלֹהֵי יִצְחָק, הָכָא אִתְרְמִיז דְּקָשִׁיר לִתְרֵין סִטְרִין וְאָחִיד לוֹן. קָשִׁיר לְסִטְרָא חָד, דִּכְתִיב אַבְרָהָם אָבִיךָ. וְקָשִׁיר לְסִטְרָא אָחֳרָא, דִּכְתִיב וִאלֹהֵי יִצְחָק, תּוֹסֶפֶת וא"ו לְגַבֵּי יִצְחָק, לְאַחֲזָאָה דְיַעֲקֹב אָחִיד לִתְרֵין סִטְרִין.
The words “the God of thy father Abraham and the God of Isaac” show that Jacob was attached to either side and holding fast to both of them.
וְעַד דְּיַעֲקֹב לָא אִתְנָסִיב, לָא אִתְּמָר בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָא יַתִּיר, וְאִתְּמָר בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָא, לְמַאן דְּיָדַע אוֹרְחוֹי דְאוֹרַיְיתָא. לְבָתַר דְּאִתְנָסִיב וְאוֹלִיד, אִתְּמָר לֵיהּ בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָא, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (בראשית ל״ג:כ׳) וַיַּצֶּב שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ (בראשית יט) וַיִּקְרָא לוֹ אֵל אֱלהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. מֵהָכָא אוֹלִיפְנָא, מַאן דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּלִים לְתַתָּא, לָא אִשְׁתְּלִים לְעֵילָא. שָׁאנֵי יַעֲקֹב, דְּאִשְׁתְּלִים לְעֵילָא וְתַתָּא, אֲבָל לָא בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָא.
But as long as he was not married this fact is not disclosed in the text, save to those who can read between the lines. After he married and begat children, however, it was openly stated, as it is written: “And he erected there an altar, and the God of Israel called him El (godlike)”. From here we learn that whoever is incomplete below remains incomplete on high. Jacob was an exception, yet he too before marriage was not perfected openly;
וְאִי תֵימָא דְּאִשְׁתְּלִים בְּהַהִיא שַׁעְתָּא, לָא. אֶלָּא חָמָא דְּיִשְׁתְּלִים לְבָתַר זִמְנָא. וְאִי תֵימָא הָא כְּתִיב, (בראשית כ״ח:ט״ו) וְהִנֵּה אָנֹכִי עִמָּךְ וּשְׁמַרְתִּיךָ בְּכָל אֲשֶׁר תֵּלֵךְ. אֶלָּא, אַשְׁגָּחוּתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּנְטִירוּ דִילֵיהּ, לָא אִשְׁתְּבִיק מִנֵּיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב לְעָלְמִין, בְּכָל מַה דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ לֵיהּ בְּהַאי עַלְמָא, אֲבָל בְּעַלְמָא עִלָּאָה עַד דְּאִשְׁתְּלִים.
or rather, he only foresaw that he eventually would be perfected. It is true, God had already said to him, “And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee whithersoever thou goest.” This, however, only implies that God’s care and protection were always with him in the hour of need, in this world; but as regards the higher world, he was not sure of it till he had perfected himself.