(שם) וַיִּיקַץ יַעֲקֹב מִשְּׁנָתוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר אָכֵן יֵשׁ ה' בַּמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה וְאָנֹכִי לא יָדַעְתִּי. וְכִי תְּוָוהָא הוּא דְּלָא יָדַע. אֶלָּא מַאי וְאָנֹכִי לא יָדָעְתִּי, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (שמואל א י״ג:י״ב) וּפְנִי ה' לא חִלִּיתִי. אָמַר, וְכִי כָּל הַאי אִתְגְּלִי לִי וְלָא אִסְתַּכַּלְנָא לְמִנְדַע אָנֹכִי, וּלְמֵיעַל תְּחוֹת גַּדְפֵי דִשְׁכִינְתָּא לְמֶהֱוֵי שְׁלִים.
AND JACOB AWARENED OUT OF HIS SLEEP, AND HE SAID: SURELY THE LORD IS IN THIS PLACE, AND I KNEW IT NOT. How, we may ask, could he have known? The truth is, however, that he meant much the same as Saul when he said: “and I have not entreated the Presence of the Lord” (I Sam. 13, 12). What Jacob really said was: “And I have not known Anokhi (I, i.e. the Shekinah)”; as much as to say: “Behold all this revelation has been vouchsafed to me whilst yet I have not reached the stage of a knowledge of Anokhi (I) and of entering under the wings of the Shekinah, so as to attain perfection”.
Similarly, Rebekah said: “If it be so, what boots me Anokhi (I)?” (Gen. 25, 22), because she saw every day the splendour of the Shekinah, but when she felt the pains of approaching childbirth, “she went to enquire of the Lord” (Ibid.), that is, she proceeded from the Shekinah grade to another grade, identical with the Lord (TETRAGRAMMATON). Hence Jacob said: “Have I seen all this without knowing Anokhi?”, because he was single, and had not yet come under the wings of the Shekinah.
Straightway: AND HE WAS AFRAID, AND SAID: HOW FULL OF AWE IS THIS PLACE. The word “place” here has a twofold significance. It refers in the first instance to the place mentioned by Jacob in the preceding verse; but it also refers to the mark of the holy covenant, which should not be left inoperative.
(These two significations, however, are only two aspects of one and the same idea.) Jacob then said: THIS IS NONE OTHER THAN THE HOUSE OF GOD , implying: This is not to remain idle; its covenant is not meant to exist in isolation. It is in sooth a godly abode, to be used for the promotion of fecundity and for receiving blessing from all the bodily organs. For indeed this is THE GATE OF HEAVEN , or, in other words, the gate of the Body, the gate assuredly through which pass the blessings downwards, so that it is attached both on high and below: on high, as being the gate of heaven, and below, as being none other than the house of God.” Hence “he was afraid, and said: How full of awe is this place!” But mankind (it may be added) pay no regard to its preciousness, so as thereby to become perfect on high and here below.’ The father of the youth went up to him and kissed him.
R. Isaac said: ‘When I heard him speak thus, I wept and said: Blessed be the Merciful One who has not allowed divine Wisdom to perish from the world. I followed them until we entered the next town, a distance of three parasangs. Hardly had they arrived in the town when the man had his son affianced. I said to him: “You act upon your own words.”
I also repeated the remark of R. Simeon, that all these verses are allegorical and have a profound significance. When I repeated all this in the presence of R. Simeon, he remarked to me that I should not think that all this exposition was merely the youth’s own idea: it contains recondite thoughts which bear the seal of divine Wisdom.’
(שם) וַיִּיקַץ יַעֲקֹב מִשְּׁנָתוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר אָכֵן יֵשׁ ה' בַּמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה וְאָנֹכִי לא יָדַעְתִּי. וְכִי תְּוָוהָא הוּא דְּלָא יָדַע. אֶלָּא מַאי וְאָנֹכִי לא יָדָעְתִּי, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (שמואל א י״ג:י״ב) וּפְנִי ה' לא חִלִּיתִי. אָמַר, וְכִי כָּל הַאי אִתְגְּלִי לִי וְלָא אִסְתַּכַּלְנָא לְמִנְדַע אָנֹכִי, וּלְמֵיעַל תְּחוֹת גַּדְפֵי דִשְׁכִינְתָּא לְמֶהֱוֵי שְׁלִים.
AND JACOB AWARENED OUT OF HIS SLEEP, AND HE SAID: SURELY THE LORD IS IN THIS PLACE, AND I KNEW IT NOT. How, we may ask, could he have known? The truth is, however, that he meant much the same as Saul when he said: “and I have not entreated the Presence of the Lord” (I Sam. 13, 12). What Jacob really said was: “And I have not known Anokhi (I, i.e. the Shekinah)”; as much as to say: “Behold all this revelation has been vouchsafed to me whilst yet I have not reached the stage of a knowledge of Anokhi (I) and of entering under the wings of the Shekinah, so as to attain perfection”.
תָּא חֲזֵי, כְּתִיב, (בראשית כ״ה:כ״ב) וַתֹּאמֶר אִם כֵּן לָמָּה זֶה אָנֹכִי, כָּל יוֹמָא וְיוֹמָא חָמַאת רִבְקָה נְהוֹרָא דִשְׁכִינְתָּא, דְּהַוְיָא שְׁכִינְתָּא בְּמִשְׁכְּנָהָא וְצַלִּיאַת תַּמָּן. כֵּיוָן דְּחָמַאת עָאקוּ דִּילָהּ בִּמְעָהָא, מַה כְּתִיב וַתֵּלֶךְ לִדְרשׁ אֶת ה', נָפְקַת מִדַּרְגָּא דָא לְדַרְגָּא אָחֳרָא דְּאִיהוּ הוי"ה. בְּגִינֵי כָךְ אָמַר יַעֲקֹב, וְכִי כָּל כָּךְ חָמֵינָא, וְאָנֹכִי לֹא יָדַעְתִּי, בְּגִין דְּהֲוָה בִּלְחוֹדוֹי וְלָא עָאל תְּחוֹת גַּדְפֵי דִשְׁכִינְתָּא.
Similarly, Rebekah said: “If it be so, what boots me Anokhi (I)?” (Gen. 25, 22), because she saw every day the splendour of the Shekinah, but when she felt the pains of approaching childbirth, “she went to enquire of the Lord” (Ibid.), that is, she proceeded from the Shekinah grade to another grade, identical with the Lord (TETRAGRAMMATON). Hence Jacob said: “Have I seen all this without knowing Anokhi?”, because he was single, and had not yet come under the wings of the Shekinah.
מִיָּד (בראשית כ״ח:י״ז) וַיִּירָא וַיֹּאמַר מַה נּוֹרָא הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה. מִלָּה דָא לִתְרֵין סִטְרִין אִיהוּ. מַה נּוֹרָא הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה, חַד עַל הַהוּא מָקוֹם דְּקָאֲמַר בְּקַדְמִיתָא. וְחַד עַל אָת קַיָּימָא קַדִּישָׁא דְּלָא בַּעְיָא לְאִתְבַּטָּלָא.
Straightway: AND HE WAS AFRAID, AND SAID: HOW FULL OF AWE IS THIS PLACE. The word “place” here has a twofold significance. It refers in the first instance to the place mentioned by Jacob in the preceding verse; but it also refers to the mark of the holy covenant, which should not be left inoperative.
וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּאִינְהוּ תְּרֵי סִטְרֵי, חַד הוּא. אָמַר (בראשית כח) אֵין זֶה כִּי אִם בֵּית אֱלֹהִים, אֵין זֶה, לְמֶהֱוֵי בָּטִיל. אֵין זֶה, לְאִשְׁתַּכְּחָא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, קְיָימָא דִילֵיהּ לָאו אִיהוּ אֶלָּא בֵּית אֱלֹהִים, לְאִשְׁתַּמְּשָׁא בֵּיהּ וּלְמֶעְבַּד בֵּיהּ פֵּירִין, וְלַאֲרָקָא בֵּיהּ בִּרְכָאן מִכָּל שָׁיְיפֵי גוּפָא. דְּהַאי הוּא תַּרְעָא דְּכָל גּוּפָא, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (בראשית כ״ח:י״ז) וְזֶה שַׁעַר הַשָּׁמָיִם, דָּא תַּרְעָא דְגוּפָא וַדַּאי, תַּרְעָא אִיהוּ לַאֲרָקָא בִּרְכָאן לְתַתָּא, אָחִיד לְעֵילָא וְאָחִיד לְתַתָּא. אָחִיד לְעֵילָא, דִּכְתִיב וְזֶה שַׁעַר הַשָּׁמָיִם. (אחיד) לְתַתָּא, דִּכְתִיב אֵין זֶה כִּי אִם בֵּית אֱלֹהִים. וְעַל דָּא וַיִּירָא וַיֹּאמַר מַה נּוֹרָא הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה, וּבְנֵי נָשָׁא לָא מַשְׁגְּחָן בִּיקָרָא דְּבֵיהּ לְמֶהֱוֵי בֵּיהּ שְׁלִים, לְעֵילָא וְתַתָּא. אֲתָא אֲבוֹי וּנְשָׁקֵיהּ.
(These two significations, however, are only two aspects of one and the same idea.) Jacob then said: THIS IS NONE OTHER THAN THE HOUSE OF GOD , implying: This is not to remain idle; its covenant is not meant to exist in isolation. It is in sooth a godly abode, to be used for the promotion of fecundity and for receiving blessing from all the bodily organs. For indeed this is THE GATE OF HEAVEN , or, in other words, the gate of the Body, the gate assuredly through which pass the blessings downwards, so that it is attached both on high and below: on high, as being the gate of heaven, and below, as being none other than the house of God.” Hence “he was afraid, and said: How full of awe is this place!” But mankind (it may be added) pay no regard to its preciousness, so as thereby to become perfect on high and here below.’ The father of the youth went up to him and kissed him.
אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, כַּד מִלִּין אִינוּן שְׁמַעְנָא מִפּוּמֵיהּ בָּכֵינָא, וְאֲמֵינָא בְּרִיךְ רַחֲמָנָא דְּלָא בָּטִיל מֵעַלְמָא חָכְמְתָא עִלָּאָה. אָזְלִינָא עִמְּהוֹן עַד תְּלַת פַּרְסֵי, עַד דְּעָאֳלָנָא עִמְּהוֹן לְמָתָא. לָא סְפִיקוּ לְמֵיעַל, עַד דְּשִׁדֵּךְ הַהוּא בַּר נַשׁ לִבְרֵיהּ, וְאָמְרֵי לֵיהּ, מִלָּיךְ לָא יְהוֹן לְבַטָּלָה.
R. Isaac said: ‘When I heard him speak thus, I wept and said: Blessed be the Merciful One who has not allowed divine Wisdom to perish from the world. I followed them until we entered the next town, a distance of three parasangs. Hardly had they arrived in the town when the man had his son affianced. I said to him: “You act upon your own words.”
אֲמִינָא, הָא דְּאָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, דְּמִלִּין אִלֵּין כֻּלְּהוּ בְּרָזָא דְחָכְמְתָא נִינְהוּ, וּלְאַחֲזָאָה מִלִּין אָחֳרָנִין. כַּד סַדַּרְנָא מִלִּין קַמֵּיהּ דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן. אָמַר לִי, לָא תֵימָא דְּמִלִּין אִלֵּין דִּינוּקָא נִינְהוּ, אֶלָּא מִלִּין דְּרָזִין עִלָּאִין נִינְהוּ, וְכֹלָּא בְּרָזָא דְּחָכְמְתָא רְשִׁימִין.
I also repeated the remark of R. Simeon, that all these verses are allegorical and have a profound significance. When I repeated all this in the presence of R. Simeon, he remarked to me that I should not think that all this exposition was merely the youth’s own idea: it contains recondite thoughts which bear the seal of divine Wisdom.’