Vayeitzei 28:17 · unit 2

Parashas Vayeitzei · Passuk 28:17

The Complete Passuk

וַיִּירָא֙ וַיֹּאמַ֔ר מַה־נּוֹרָ֖א הַמָּק֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה אֵ֣ין זֶ֗ה כִּ֚י אִם־בֵּ֣ית אֱלֹהִ֔ים וְזֶ֖ה שַׁ֥עַר הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃

And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to classical midrashic identification of the site.

TT lemma: שער השמים.

Sefaria — Genesis 28:17

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּהוּ: זֶה שַׁעַר שֶׁמִּמֶּנּוּ הַתְּפִלּוֹת עוֹלוֹת לַשָּׁמַיִם.

English: Rabbi Abbahu said: This is the gate through which the prayers ascend to heaven.

On the daf / in context: The designation “gate of heaven” is understood as the place from which all prayer rises.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (midrashic) — not a formal named middah of the 13. The phrase is taken to identify the site as the unique conduit of prayer.

What Is Learned

The place Yaakov recognized is the gate through which prayers ascend to heaven — the future site of the Beis HaMikdash.