בס”ד
By Rabbi Moshe Goodman, Kollel Ohr Shlomo, Hebron
This painting, centered on the Temple, reminds us of the Temple Mount where Yakov slept and had the dream of the angels ascending a ladder to Heaven, as mentioned in this parsha. Actually, our Sages say that Yakov was the first to call the Temple Mount a “house,” a matter that clearly evokes the House of the Beit Hamikdash. Avraham, on the other hand called the Temple Mount a “mountain,” while Yitzhak called it a “field.” Interestingly, the proof-text mentioned in the Talmud for Yitzhak’s calling the Temple Mount a field is identical to the proof-text mentioned in the Zohar for Yitzhak’s prayer at the Field of Machpela! If so, is there a controversy between the Talmud and the Zohar on this verse – “and Yitzhak went out to pray at The Field? (mentioned in parshat Hayei Sara)” Since, as we pointed out numerous times, there is a deep connection between Jerusalem and Hebron, such as prayer begins its ascent to Heaven at Hebron and then continues up to Jerusalem, so too we may say that Yitzhak’s prayer was at both Hebron and Jerusalem, since his prayer ascended at both locations. More deeply, the Arizal says that the primary focal points of the Holy Presence in the Holy Land are Hebron and Jerusalem, and for this reason King David first ruled in Hebron and then in Jerusalem. The Holy Presence associated to Hebron is called Rachel, while the Holy Presence associated to Jerusalem is called Leah. This matter may remarkably connect the locations mentioned at the beginning of this parsha to the human figures mentioned later in this parsha, Rachel and Leah. According to our Sages, the bottom of the ladder was located at Be’er Sheva, its middle at Jerusalem, and its top at Bet El. We may say that there is a special connection between Hebron called Kiryat Arba the City of “Four” and Be’er Sheva, the Well of “Seven,” according to the Kabbalistic teaching that links the upper four sefirot (Keter, Hochma, Bina, and Da’at) with the lower seven sefirot (hesed to malchut). We may also link Jerusalem to Bet El, for essentially Bet El, the House of God, describes Jerusalem where the House of God, the Temple stands. In this way, Hebron and Jerusalem are linked by the ladder in this dream.
Angels are seen at the Temple Mount in Yakov’s dream. In this painting centered on the Temple we see a man winged like an angel, perhaps the Mashiach. The fact that he rides on a lion may hint to the Angel Michael who would descend in the form of a lion when taking an offering on the altar in the Temple, This gesture would hint that the offering found pleasure before Hashem.