70. Sitrei Torah (Secrets of the Torah). "And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven" (Beresheet 28:12). It is six grades up from the level of a dream, HOD OF THE NUKVA, to the two grades of prophecy, NETZACH AND HOD OF ZEIR ANPIN. The six grades are YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, AND HOD OF THE NUKVA. Therefore, a dream is one part out of sixty of prophecy, FOR EACH OF THESE SIX SFIROT INCLUDES TEN SFIROT, AND TEN TIMES SIX IS SIXTY. AND A DREAM, WHICH IS THE LOWEST, CONTAINS ONE OUT OF SIXTY. The ladder alludes to him seeing his children receive the Torah on Mount Sinai in the future, because the ladder represents Sinai, for MOUNT SINAI, AS SCRIPTURE READS, "is on the ground," "and its top," NAMELY, ITS HIGHEST POINT, reaches heaven. And all the Chariots and troops of the High Angels descended there with the Holy One, blessed be He, when he gave them the Torah, AS IT IS WRITTEN, "THE ANGELS OF ELOHIM ASCENDING AND DESCENDING ON IT."
71. JACOB saw all this IN HIS DREAM. He saw THE ANGEL Metatron, the elder in the house OF THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, ruling over what is His and governing the world by THE STRENGTH OF his mastery of the name Shadai. He rises above with the ascension of his Master's name, Yud Hei Vav Hei, which is the place in which Jacob was perfected. Afterward, the beginning of the name Shadai, which is the letter Yud, reaches heaven. After this letter rises to this place, NAMELY, TO HEAVEN, THE ANGEL METATRON is perfected and is given his Master's name, Yud Hei Vav Hei.
72. The verse, "and behold the angels of Elohim ascending and descending on it" (Beresheet 28:12) refers to holy angels close to Malchut who ascend BY WAY OF METATRON. The other angels who are not close TO MALCHUT, THAT IS, THOSE THAT COME FROM THE OTHER SIDE, descend, AND THERE IS NO RECOVERY FOR THEM.
73. Moreover, through him, THE ANGEL METATRON, they ascend and descend. When he rises, THE ANGELS OF ELOHIM rise with him, and when he descends, THE ANGELS OF ELOHIM go down with him. These angels are the twelve precious pearls, known as Michael, Kadmiel, Pedael, Gabriel, Tzadkiel, Chasdiel, Raphael, Raziel, S'turiyah, Nuriel, Yofiel, and Anael. They are "thousands upon thousands (Heb. Shin'an)" (Tehilim 68:18). They are the letters Shin'an (Shin, Nun, Aleph, final Nun) which consist of the initials of an ox (shor), an eagle (nesher), and a lion (aryeh); the final Nun alludes to a man who includes male and female. They rise when METATRON rises, and descend when he descends.
74. And moreover, those who dominate in this world do so through him, METATRON. And those who are prevented from ruling fall through him. They all are dependent on this ladder, METATRON. Yud Hei Vav Hei dominates them all. As it is written, "And, behold, Hashem stood above it." When he awoke, it is written, "this is no other than the house of Elohim, and this is the gate of heaven." Assuredly, METATRON is the House of Elohim, the gate through which one passes to come within, as it is written, "Open to me the gates of righteousness, I will go in to them, and I will praise Yah (Yud-Hei)" (Tehilim 118:19). And "this is the gate to Hashem (Yud Hei Vav Hei)" (Tehilim 118:20) is the gate of heaven. And all is one, WHICH MEANS THAT THE GATES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS - THE GATE OF HASHEM AND THE GATE OF HEAVEN - ARE ONE, AND THAT ONE IS METATRON. End of Sitrei Torah (Secrets of the Torah).