"And, behold, Hashem stood above it"

Synopsis

This passage further explains Jacob's vision of the Ladder. It clarifies his special role amongst the Chosen People and his position among the other patriarchs in the Tree of Life.

Relevance

Jacob represents the Central Column force of Free Will and/or Resistance, which brings about the subjugation of the ego. Of the three patriarchs, Jacob embodies the delicate balance between the will of the soul-sharing-and the primal urges of the body-receiving for the self. The Ladder in Jacob's vision corresponds to the Ten Sfirot and the array of spiritual Lights that radiates from each respective realm. Because we as individuals do not possess the strength to triumph over our egos and our selfish drives, the Zohar provides us with the additional power of the Patriarch Jacob, whose strength is instilled within us through the Light that radiates from this passage. We also achieve a connection to the Lights of the Sfirot, which brightens our lives and the world with tranquillity and joy.

Abraham Faith Grades Isaac Jacob Ladder Nukva Pillar Salt

59. "And, behold, Hashem stood above it" (Beresheet 28:13) means that Jacob saw here, IN THE LADDER, the Knot of Faith, WHICH IS THE NUKVA, BINDING ALL THE SFIROT as one. "...stood (Heb. nitzav) above it..." as "a pillar (Heb. netziv) of salt" (Beresheet 19:26) ALLUDES TO a mound, for all the grades are as one on that ladder, THE NUKVA, so that all will be connected into one knot. For this ladder was put between the two sides, and this is the meaning of the verse, "and said, I am Hashem the Elohim of Abraham your father, and the Elohim of Isaac..." These are the two sides, right and left - ABRAHAM IS RIGHT AND ISAAC IS LEFT.

59. וְהִנֵּה ה' נִצָּב עָלָיו וגו.' הָכָא חָמָא יַעֲקֹב. קִשּׁוּרָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא כְּחַד. נִצָּב עָלָיו, כד"א נְצִיב מֶלַח. תָּלָא, דְּכָל דַּרְגִּין קָיְימִין כֻּלְּהוּ כְּחַד עַל הַהוּא סֻלָּם, לְאִתְקַשְּׁרָא כֹּלָּא בְּחַד קִשְּׁרָא. בְּגִין דְּאִתְיְהֵיב הַהוּא סֻלָּם בֵּין תְּרֵין סִטְרִין, הה"ד אֲנִי ה' אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם אָבִיךָ וֵאלֹהֵי יִצְחָק הָאָרֶץ וגו,' אִלֵּין אִנּוּן תְּרֵין סִטְרִין, בִּימִינָא וּשְׂמָאלָא.

Abraham Chariot Congregation Isaac Jacob Ladder Nukva

60. Another explanation of the verse, "And, behold, Hashem stood above it," IS THAT IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT HE STOOD UPON THE LADDER, BUT RATHER THAT HE STOOD on Jacob, so that a holy Chariot would be made. Then, between the right and left is Jacob, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, and the Congregation of Yisrael, NAMELY, THE NUKVA, will be tied with them. This is the meaning of, "Hashem the Elohim of Abraham your father, and the Elohim of Isaac." How do we know that Jacob is in the middle OF ABRAHAM AND ISAAC? We know from the verse, "Hashem the Elohim of Abraham your father, and the Elohim of Isaac." Note that it is not written 'the Elohim of Isaac your father,' WHICH WOULD MAKE HIM THIRD AMONG THE FATHERS, NAMELY, THE SON OF ISAAC. FROM THIS WE LEARN THAT because he was connected to Abraham, AND WAS CONSIDERED HIS SON, HE WAS FOUND TO BE BEFORE ISAAC. THEREFORE, HE IS IN THE MIDDLE, BETWEEN ABRAHAM AND ISAAC. FOR THIS IS THE SECRET OF THE CHARIOT: ABRAHAM AND ISAAC ARE RIGHT AND LEFT, AND JACOB IS BETWEEN THEM. Then, it is written, "the land on which you lie," WHICH IS THE NUKVA. This makes everything, THAT IS, THE THREE COLUMNS WITH THE NUKVA, into one holy Chariot. Here, Jacob saw that he would be the chosen of the fathers.

60. דָבָר אֲחֵר וְהִנֵּה ה' נִצָּב עָלָיו, עֲלֵיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב, לְמֶהֱוֵי כֹּלָּא רְתִיכָא קַדִּישָׁא, יָמִינָא וּשְׂמָאלָא, וְיַעֲקֹב בְּגַוַיְיהוּ, כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לְאִתְקַשְּׁרָא, בֵּינַיְיהוּ, הה"ד אֲנִי ה' אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם אָבִיךָ וֵאלֹהֵי יִצְחָק. מְנָלָן דְּיַעֲקֹב בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא, מַשְׁמַע דִּכְתִיב, אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם אָבִיךָ וֵאלֹהֵי יִצְחָק, וְלָא כְתִיב אֱלֹהֵי יִצְחָק אָבִיךָ. דְּכֵיוָן דְּאִתְקַשַּׁר בֵּיהּ בְּאַבְרָהָם, אִשְׁתַּכַּח דְּאִיהוּ בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא. וּלְבָתַר הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה שׁוֹכֵב עָלֶיהָ, הָא כֹּלָּא רְתִיכָא חָדָא קַדִּישָׁא. וְהָכָא חָמָא דְּיֶהֱוֵי שְׁלִימוּ דַּאֲבָהָן.

Abraham Isaac Jacob

61. Come and behold, "Hashem the Elohim of Abraham your father." Because He said, "Abraham your father," assuredly he is in between ABRAHAM AND ISAAC. And "the Elohim of Isaac" alludes to the fact that Jacob was bound to the two sides - RIGHT AND LEFT - and was part of them. He is tied on the one side TO THE RIGHT, as it is written, "Hashem the Elohim of Abraham your father;" and on the other side he is tied TO THE LEFT, as it is written, "and the Elohim of Isaac." In the latter case, the letter Vav ('and') is added TO "AND THE ELOHIM," when Isaac is mentioned. This indicates that Jacob seized both sides, FOR VAV ALLUDES TO TIFERET, WHICH IS JACOB, ATTACHED TO THE ELOHIM OF ISAAC, THE SECRET OF THE LEFT. THE SCRIPTURE CONNECTS HIM TO ABRAHAM BY CALLING HIM" YOUR FATHER," AND CONNECTS HIM TO "THE ELOHIM OF ISAAC" VIA THE VAV.

61. תָּא חֲזֵי, אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם אָבִיךָ, דְּכֵיוָן דַּאֲמַר אַבְרָהָם אָבִיךָ, וַדַּאי אִיהוּ בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא, וֵאלֹהֵי יִצְחָק, הָכָא אִתְרְמִיז, דְּקָשִׁיר לִתְרֵין סִטְרִין, וְאָחִיד לוֹן. קָשִׁיר לְסִטְרָא חָד, דִּכְתִיב אַבְרָהָם אָבִיךָ. וְקָשִׁיר לְסִטְרָא אָחֳרָא, דִּכְתִיב וֵאלֹהֵי יִצְחָק, תּוֹסֶפֶת וא"ו לְגַבֵּי יִצְחָק, לְאַחֲזָאָה דְיַעֲקֹב אָחִיד לִתְרֵין סִטְרִין.

Abraham Altar Chariot Isaac Jacob Marriage Nukva Torah Unity Zeir Anpin

62. As long as Jacob was not married, this was not said of him openly, AS WAS STATED HERE, FOR IT IS NOT SPECIFICALLY WRITTEN, "THE ELOHIM OF JACOB," AS IT WAS OF ABRAHAM AND ISAAC. It is only said openly of he who knows the ways of the Torah. THIS MEANS THAT HE WILL BECOME A CHARIOT OF THE TWO WAYS, THE RIGHT AND LEFT, AFTER HE IS MARRIED. UNTIL THEN, HE CAN BE A CHARIOT ONLY OF ZEIR ANPIN, THE SECRET OF THE RIGHT, AND NOT OF THE NUKVA, THE SECRET OF THE LEFT. After he married and begot children, it was said of him openly, as is written in the verse, "And he erected there an altar, and called it El Elohei ('the Elohim of') Yisrael" (Beresheet 33:20). Thus, we learn that whoever is not perfected below, AS MALE AND FEMALE THAT IS, WHOEVER IS NOT MARRIED, cannot be perfected above. This is not so for Jacob, who was perfected above and below EVEN BEFORE HE MARRIED. However, it was not proclaimed openly, BECAUSE HE DID NOT YET PROFESS HIS UNITY OVER HIM (DON'T UNDERSTAND).

62. וְעַד דְּיַעֲקֹב לָא אִתְנְסֵיב, לָא אִתְּמָר בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָא יַתִּיר, וְאִתְּמָר בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָא, לְמַאן דְּיָדַע אוֹרְחוֹי דְאוֹרַיְיתָא. לְבָתַר דְּאִתְנְסֵיב וְאוֹלִיד, אִתְּמָר לֵיהּ בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָא, הה"ד וַיַּצֶּב שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ וַיִּקְרָא לוֹ אֵל אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. מֵהָכָא אוֹלִיפְנָא, מַאן דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּלֵים לְתַתָּא, לָא אִשְׁתְּלֵים לְעֵילָא, שָׁאנֵי יַעֲקֹב, דְּאִשְׁתְּלֵים לְעֵילָא וְתַתָּא, אֲבָל לָא בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָא.

Jacob Marriage

63. You may wonder how he was completely perfected BEFORE HE WAS MARRIED. This is not actually accurate. He was not perfected, but saw that he would eventually be perfected. If you say that it is written, "And, behold, I am with you, and will keep you wherever you go" (Beresheet 28:15), WHICH MEANS THAT HE WAS COMPLETELY PERFECTED, IT WOULD BE INACCURATE. Rather, the explanation is that the keeping of the Holy One, blessed be He, and His protection will never deprive Jacob of anything he needs in this world. But in the upper world, he can not have true perception until he is perfected, NAMELY, MARRIES.

63. וְאִי תֵימָא דְּאִשְׁתְּלִים בְּהַהִיא שַׁעְתָּא, לָא. אֶלָּא חָמָא דְּיִשְׁתְּלֵים לְבָתַר זִמְנָא. וְאִי תֵימָא הָא כְתִיב וְהִנֵּה אָנֹכִי עִמָּךְ וּשְׁמַרְתִּיךָ בְּכָל אֲשֶׁר תֵּלֵךְ. אֶלָּא, אַשְׁגָּחוּתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וּנְטִירוּ דִילֵיהּ, לָא אִשְׁתְּבֵיק מִנֵּיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב לְעָלְמִין, בְּכָל מַה דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ לֵיהּ, בְּהַאי עַלְמָא, אֲבָל בְּעַלְמָא עִלָּאָה עַד דְּאִשְׁתְּלֵים.