64. "And Jacob awoke out of his sleep, and he said, Surely Hashem is in this place; and I knew it not" (Beresheet 28:16). HE ASKS, It is a wonder that he did not conceive such great knowledge. HE ANSWERS, The meaning of "and I (Heb. anochi) knew it not" is similar to the meaning of the verse, "and I have not made supplications to Hashem" (I Shmuel 13:12). THAT IS, "I KNEW IT NOT" ARE WORDS OF UNION AND DEVOTION, AS ARE THE WORDS, "I HAVE NOT MADE SUPPLICATION." Jacob said, This was all revealed to me, though I have not attentively searched to know THE HOLY NAME Anochi ('I'), WHICH IS THE SHECHINAH, and come under the wings of the Shechinah to become a whole man.
65. Come and behold. It is written, "and she said, If it be so, why am I (anochi) thus" (Beresheet 25:22). Rivkah beheld the light of the Shechinah daily because the Shechinah was in her tent where she prayed. When Rivkah began to experience the pains of childbirth, it is written, "And she went to inquire of Hashem (Yud Hei Vav Hei)" (Beresheet 25:22). She went from the grade of Anochi ('I') to the other grade of Yud Hei Vav Hei. SO ANOCHI IS A NAME OF THE SHECHINAH. Therefore, Jacob said, 'I have seen so much, yet did not know I...' (anochi). This is because he was not married and did not yet come under the wings of the Shechinah.
66. Next, it is written, "And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place." "...Place..." has two meanings reflecting the two sides. "How dreadful is this place," refers to the place he mentioned before, THE SHECHINAH, and to the sign of the Holy Covenant, which must not be annulled.
67. Although these are two aspects, YESOD AND MALCHUT, they are actually the same. He said, "this is none other than the house of Elohim." 'This,' WHICH IS YESOD,' must not be neglected; "this" should not be left alone. Its existence is no other than the house of Elohim, WHICH IS THE NUKVA, with which it unites to produce offspring and to pour blessings upon her from all the organs of the body. For this, WHICH IS YESOD, is the gate to the entire body, WHICH IS TIFERET, as the scripture reads, "and this is the gate of heaven" (Beresheet 28:17). THAT IS, TIFERET IS CALLED BOTH 'BODY' AND 'HEAVEN.' Assuredly, this is the gate to the body by which blessings flow down TO THE NUKVA. It is attached above TO HEAVEN, WHICH IS TIFERET, and attached below TO THE NUKVA, WHICH IS CALLED 'PLACE,' AND ALSO 'THE HOUSE OF ELOHIM.' HE EXPLAINED, It is attached above, as it is written, "And this is the gate of heaven," AS YESOD IS THE GATE OF TIFERET, WHICH IS CALLED 'HEAVEN.' It is attached below, as it is written, "this is no other than the house of Elohim," WHICH MEANS THAT THIS, YESOD, IS FOUND ONLY IN THE HOUSE OF ELOHIM, WHICH IS THE NUKVA. Therefore, "he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place." THE PLACE IS THE NUKVA, AND "THIS" IS YESOD. But men disregard the preciousness OF YESOD, of being perfected through it. The father of the young man went to him and kissed him.
68. Rabbi Yitzchak said, When I heard these words from his mouth, I wept. I said, blessed be the Merciful One for not letting high wisdom disappear from the world. I traveled with them three parasangs and entered the city with them. Shortly after they had arrived, the man affianced his son. I said to him: Your words have not been in vain, FOR AFTER DISCUSSING THE PERFECTION THAT COMES WITH MARRIAGE, HE TOLD HIM THAT HIS WORDS WOULD PREVAIL.
69. Rabbi Shimon said that the words CONCERNING THE LADDER contain secrets of wisdom and have hidden meaning. When I presented these matters to Rabbi Shimon, he said, These are not the words of a youth, but rather descriptions of supernal mysteries. They all bear the mark of wisdom.