Chasidut do Rodzaju 28:12
וַֽיַּחֲלֹ֗ם וְהִנֵּ֤ה סֻלָּם֙ מֻצָּ֣ב אַ֔רְצָה וְרֹאשׁ֖וֹ מַגִּ֣יעַ הַשָּׁמָ֑יְמָה וְהִנֵּה֙ מַלְאֲכֵ֣י אֱלֹהִ֔ים עֹלִ֥ים וְיֹרְדִ֖ים בּֽוֹ׃
I śniło mu się, a oto drabina postawiona na ziemi, a wierzch jej sięgał nieba, a oto aniołowie Boży wstępują i zstępują po niej.
Kedushat Levi
Genesis 29,12. “and he had a dream in which a ladder was featured, etc.;” when a young man begins his career (serving the Lord) he is very enthusiastic and believes that by means of his service he can spiritually elevate not only his immediate surroundings on earth, but even those in the celestial regions. This enthusiasm helps him to intensify his efforts at serving his Creator. When he feels that his serving the Lord has become a mainstay of his existence, he makes G’d the focus of all his thinking, and G’d in turn derives great satisfaction from him. Eventually, if he continues, he eventually qualifies to become one of the “carriers of the merkavah”, G’d’s chariot.
The word ויחלום, from the same root as ותחלימני והחייני (Isaiah 38,16) “You have restored me to health and revived me,” means to feel strengthened. In King Chiskiyah’s prayer recorded in the Book of Isaiah, it means that the King emerged from his sickness strengthened in his capacity as a servant of the Lord. He had needed strength as he had been on the point of dying. Yaakov, at this point in his life is also in need of חיזוק, strengthening, so that the word ויחלום, means that he became aware of being strengthened seeing he was at the beginning of his career as a servant of the Lord, eventually as a patriarch of the Jewish nation.
The word ויחלום, from the same root as ותחלימני והחייני (Isaiah 38,16) “You have restored me to health and revived me,” means to feel strengthened. In King Chiskiyah’s prayer recorded in the Book of Isaiah, it means that the King emerged from his sickness strengthened in his capacity as a servant of the Lord. He had needed strength as he had been on the point of dying. Yaakov, at this point in his life is also in need of חיזוק, strengthening, so that the word ויחלום, means that he became aware of being strengthened seeing he was at the beginning of his career as a servant of the Lord, eventually as a patriarch of the Jewish nation.
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Kedushat Levi
Genesis 28:13 “and in his dream there was a ladder standing toward the earth;” the vision represented human beings who, though standing on earth, focus on the heavens, i.e. וראשו מגיע השמימה. Man’s understanding of the celestial regions and what they stand for is based on his service of the Lord.
Genesis 28:12 והנה מלאכי אלוקים עולים ויורדים בו, “and here angels of G’d were ascending and descending on it.” The vision reflects the fact that man’s actions propel the movement of these “angels,” either heavenwards or earthwards. If man, G’d forbid, instead of serving His Creator, does the opposite, he is also having a negative impact on these angels in the celestial spheres, causing them to descend spiritually. This concept has been spelled out in Pessikta Rabbati 21,8 where we are told that ever since the destruction of the Temple, G’d reduced the number of angels constituting His entourage. However, once Yaakov had become firmly established as a servant of G’d, he was granted an additional vision, i.e. והנה ה' נצב עליו, “and here the Lord Himself was standing above the ladder.” This vision refers to the merkavah of G’d, His chariot.
Genesis 28:12 והנה מלאכי אלוקים עולים ויורדים בו, “and here angels of G’d were ascending and descending on it.” The vision reflects the fact that man’s actions propel the movement of these “angels,” either heavenwards or earthwards. If man, G’d forbid, instead of serving His Creator, does the opposite, he is also having a negative impact on these angels in the celestial spheres, causing them to descend spiritually. This concept has been spelled out in Pessikta Rabbati 21,8 where we are told that ever since the destruction of the Temple, G’d reduced the number of angels constituting His entourage. However, once Yaakov had become firmly established as a servant of G’d, he was granted an additional vision, i.e. והנה ה' נצב עליו, “and here the Lord Himself was standing above the ladder.” This vision refers to the merkavah of G’d, His chariot.
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