AND GOD WENT UP FROM HIM IN THE PLACE WHERE HE SPOKE WITH HIM. R. Simeon said: From here we learn that Jacob formed the Holy Chariot together with the other patriarchs; further, that Jacob constitutes the supernal Holy Chariot which will restore the full light of the moon, and that he forms a Chariot by himself, as implied in the statement: “And God went up from him”.
It is written: “For what great nation is there, that hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is whensoever we call upon him?” (Deut. 4, 7). How dear’, he exclaimed, ‘must Israel be to the Almighty, seeing that there is no nation or language among all the idol-worshippers that has a god to hearken unto them, whereas the Holy One, blessed be He, is ready to receive the prayers and supplications of Israel in their hour of need, to hearken to their prayers for the sake of their grade.’
AND GOD SAID: THY NAME SHALL BE CALLED No MORE JACOB, BUT ISRAEL SHALL BE THY NAME; AND (he) CALLED HIS NAME ISRAEL. The subject of “and called” is the Shekinah, as in the expression: “And (he) called unto Moses”: whereas the name “God” earlier in the sentence refers to the higher grade.
The name Israel was given him in virtue of his having achieved perfection, and so by this name he was raised to a higher grade and was made perfect in that name.
וַיַּעַל מֵעָלָיו אֱלֹהִים בַּמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אִתּוֹ, רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר, מִכָּאן דְּאִתְעֲבִיד רְתִיכָא קַדִּישָׁא בַּהֲדֵי אֲבָהָן. וְתָּא חֲזֵי, יַעֲקֹב אִיהוּ רְתִיכָא קַדִּישָׁא עִלָּאָה דְּקַיְימָא לְאַנְהָרָא לְסִיהֲרָא, וְאִיהוּ רְתִיכָא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וַיַּעַל מֵעָלָיו אֱלהִים.
AND GOD WENT UP FROM HIM IN THE PLACE WHERE HE SPOKE WITH HIM. R. Simeon said: From here we learn that Jacob formed the Holy Chariot together with the other patriarchs; further, that Jacob constitutes the supernal Holy Chariot which will restore the full light of the moon, and that he forms a Chariot by himself, as implied in the statement: “And God went up from him”.
פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (דברים ד׳:ז׳) כִּי מִי גּוֹי גָדוֹל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ אֱלֹהִים קְרוֹבִים אֵלָיו כַּיְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ בְּכָל קָרְאֵנוּ אֵלָיו. תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּמָּה אִינוּן חֲבִיבִין יִשְׂרָאֵל קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּלֵית לָךְ עַם וְלִישָׁן בְּכָל עַמִּין עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה דְּעַלְמָא דְּאִית לֵיהּ אֱלָהָא דְּיִשְׁמַע לוֹן, כְּמָה דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא זַמִּין לְקַבְּלָא צְלוֹתְהוֹן וּבָעוּתְהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכָל שַׁעְתָּא דְאִצְטְרִיךְ לוֹן לְמִשְׁמַע צְלוֹתָא דְאִינוּן בָּעָאן, בְּגִין הַהוּא דַרְגָּא דִלְּהוֹן.
It is written: “For what great nation is there, that hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is whensoever we call upon him?” (Deut. 4, 7). How dear’, he exclaimed, ‘must Israel be to the Almighty, seeing that there is no nation or language among all the idol-worshippers that has a god to hearken unto them, whereas the Holy One, blessed be He, is ready to receive the prayers and supplications of Israel in their hour of need, to hearken to their prayers for the sake of their grade.’
תָּא חֲזֵי, יַעֲקֹב, קָרֵי לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, יִשְׂרָאֵל. דִּכְתִיב לא יִקָּרֵא שִׁמְךָ עוֹד יַעֲקֹב כִּי אִם יִשְׂרָאֵל יִהְיֶה שְׁמֶךָ. וַיִּקְרָא אֶת שְׁמוֹ, מַאן וַיִּקְרָא, דָּא שְׁכִינְתָּא. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר וַיִּקְרָא אֶל משֶׁה. וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ אֱלֹהִים.
AND GOD SAID: THY NAME SHALL BE CALLED No MORE JACOB, BUT ISRAEL SHALL BE THY NAME; AND (he) CALLED HIS NAME ISRAEL. The subject of “and called” is the Shekinah, as in the expression: “And (he) called unto Moses”: whereas the name “God” earlier in the sentence refers to the higher grade.
לְעֵיל אוֹקִימְנָא יִשְׂרָאֵל דְּהָא אִשְׁתְּלִּים בְּכֹלָּא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת, וּכְדֵין אִסְתַּלַּק בְּדַרְגֵּיהּ וְאִשְׁתְּלִים בִּשְׁמָא דָא, וְעַל דָּא וַיִּקְרָא אֶת שְׁמוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהָא אִתְּמָר.
The name Israel was given him in virtue of his having achieved perfection, and so by this name he was raised to a higher grade and was made perfect in that name.