Vayeitzei 28:12 · unit 2

Parashas Vayeitzei · Passuk 28:12

The Complete Passuk

וַיַּחֲלֹ֗ם וְהִנֵּ֤ה סֻלָּם֙ מֻצָּ֣ב אַ֔רְצָה וְרֹאשׁ֖וֹ מַגִּ֣יעַ הַשָּׁמָ֑יְמָה וְהִנֵּה֙ מַלְאֲכֵ֣י אֱלֹהִ֔ים עֹלִ֥ים וְיֹרְדִ֖ים בּֽוֹ׃

And he dreamed, and behold a ladder was set on the earth and its top reached to heaven, and behold the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Chullin 91b.

TT lemma: עולים ויורדים.

Sefaria — Chullin 91b

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
תָּנָא: עוֹלִים וּמִסְתַּכְּלִים בְּדִיוֹקְנוֹ שֶׁל מַעְלָה, וְיוֹרְדִים וּמִסְתַּכְּלִים בְּדִיוֹקְנוֹ שֶׁל מַטָּה. בָּעוּ לְסַכְּנֵיהּ. מִיָּד ״וְהִנֵּה ה׳ נִצָּב עָלָיו״. אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ: אִלְמָלֵא מִקְרָא כָּתוּב אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְאָמְרוֹ — כְּאָדָם שֶׁמֵּנִיף עַל בְּנוֹ.

English: It was taught: They ascend and gaze at the image above, and descend and gaze at the image below. They sought to endanger him. Immediately “And behold Hashem was standing over him.” Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: Were it not written in a verse it would be impossible to say it — like a man who waves [a protective fan] over his son.

On the daf / in context: The angels saw Yaakov’s image engraved on the Throne of Glory and the living Yaakov below; their envy prompted Hashem’s protective stance.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Bavli sugya) — not a formal named middah of the 13. The sequence of ascent/descent and the protective appearance of Hashem are read as a single narrative of angelic jealousy and Divine shielding.

What Is Learned

Hashem stood protectively over Yaakov like a father shielding his child when the angels grew jealous of the correspondence between the heavenly image and the earthly Yaakov.