Jacob's Ladder and Sinai

And he dreamed, and behold; a ladder set up on the earth, and its top reached heaven; and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.                              Genesis 28:12

            Midrash Aggada elucidates Jacob’s dream of the ladder in connection with Mount Sinai and giving the Torah:

“Sulam” (ladder) – is the gematriya of Sinai; “Set up on the earth” – corresponds to “The foot of the mountain;” [Exodus 19:17] “Its top reached heaven” – as Scripture states “The mountain burned with fire up to the midst of the heavens;” [Deuteronomy 4:11] “And behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it” – these are Moses and Aaron.

            Da’at Zekeinim of the Tosafists applies the approach of Midrash Aggada to the following verse as well and understands it as well as dealing with the revelation at Sinai:

“And behold God stood above it” – this is what is stated “And God came down to Mount Sinai;” [Exodus 19:20] “And He said, "I am the Lord’” - this is what is stated “I am the Lord your God.” [Exodus 20:2]

            The simple meaning of the verses indicates that the vision of the ladder is related to the Land of Israel, as God declared to Jacob: “The land upon which you are lying I will give to you  and to your descendants.” [v.13] Thus, it seems surprising that the Midrash and the Tosafists elucidate the verses in connection with Mount Sinai.

            We may suggest that the Midrash hints at the connection between Mount Sinai and Mount Moriah, which Midrash Aggada sees as the venue for Jacob’s prophetic dream.

            Thus Midrash Tehilim elucidates the verse “His foundation is in the holy mountains.” [Psalms 87:1]:

The foundation of the world is Jerusalem, by virtue of two holy mountains: Sinai and Moriah.

Based upon this, the connection between the two mountains is in the fact that it is through their merit that the world was created.

            Yet, Midrash Tehilim [68:9] asks “From where did Sinai come?” and presents Rabbi Yose’s answer:

It was torn off from Mount Moriah, as ḥalla from dough, from the spot upon which our father Isaac was bound…

Our Sages expounded:

From Zion was the world created, as the verse says [Psalms 50:1-2]: “out of Zion the perfection of beauty, God has shone forth;” from there was the beauty of the world perfected.

                                 Babylonian Talmud, Yoma 54b

Combining the two comments of Midrash Tehilim teaches that not only was the world created from Mount Moriah but it was created because of Mount Moriah.

            Rabbi Yitzḥak Levi comments on Midrash Tehilim which we quoted:

The Midrash describes in picturesque language the internal relationship between the two mountains, Sinai and Moriah; giving the Torah, which commenced on Mount Sinai, was continued at Mount Moriah.

            The true significance of the greatest Divine revelation in history, giving Torah at Mount Sinai, is dependent upon the Land of Israel and Mount Moriah. Torah was given to Israel as its national constitution, to be applied in practice in sanctity and within its Land and the highest level of sanctity in the world is the site of the Holy of Holies on Mount Moriah

            Expounding Jacob’s vision of the ladder in the context of Mount Sinai hints as well that the Nation of Israel’s ability to hold its Land is dependent upon fulfilling the mitzvot given at Sinai.

The Unusual Gang of Suspects

 

Our Sages and traditional commentators were generous in assigning blame for the rape of Jacob’s daughter Dina.

Midrash Aggada states “Dina went out only to show herself and her beauty, and (thereby) brought sin upon herself and Shechem, son of Ḥamor desired her.” That is, Dina herself shares at least part of the blame.

The version presented in Midrash Sechel Tov is much sharper: “Dina decked herself out licentiously and as a prostitute (sic!).” However, part of the blame is apportioned to her mother Leah, “who did not restrain Dina,” and therefore, (Dina’s) fault is hung upon her mother.”

Midrash Tanḥuma [vaYishlaḥ, 19] adds Jacob to the list of culprits:

When our father Jacob and his sons approached (towards Esau), Dina too was with him, when his messengers returned and informed Jacob that they had come to his brother Esau [Genesis 32:7], Jacob hid Dina in a trunk, so Esau would not see her and take her as a wife. The Holy One, blessed be He said: “You withheld her from Esau, by your life, she is destined for an uncircumcised man.” This is what is written “A despairing man should receive loyalty from his friends.” [Job 6:14] Had Dina married Esau, she may have converted him, (since Jacob did not allow this) “Shechem son of Ḥamor saw her, etc.”

            In addition to Dina and her parents, a portion of blame can be assigned to her brothers, in accordance with Netziv’s enlightening comment. Jacob’s sons had two reactions to the news of their sister’s rape: “they were saddened and very angry.” [Genesis 34:7] Netziv explains that the first reaction was directed inwardly, the brothers felt guilt, for even in a totally lecherous place, where rapists are common, no one would dare attack a princess, out of awe of the monarch and fear of punishment. While Shechem need not fear punishment at the hands of Jacob, he should have felt awe because of Jacob’s lofty and sanctified level. Since this was not the case, Jacob’s sons felt that they deserved a share of the blame for their sister’s rape, since they failed to fulfill the words of the Torah: “And all the earth’s peoples will see that you are called by the Lord’s name, and they will be in awe of you.” [Deuteronomy 28:10] Dina’s brothers understood that they had failed to convey the nobility of their father’s family, and thereby created a situation which allowed their sister to be defiled,

            Thus, the list of those culpable in Dina’s rape includes her entire family: Dina herself, her parents and her brothers!

            There are two practical lessons to be derived from the list of culprits:

            1] Everyone bears responsibility for his/her actions and inactions;

            2] At times of distress, the first reaction should be introspection and an assessment of one’s personal responsibility for the events surrounding him.

The Sale of Joseph and the Second Exile

Jacob dwelt in the Land of his father's sojournings, in the land of Canaan. These are the generations of Jacob: when Joseph was seventeen years old, being a shepherd, he was with his brothers with the flocks, and he was a lad, [and was] with the sons of Bilhah and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives; and Joseph brought evil tales about them to their father.

                                                       Genesis 37:1-2

 

From the time Jacob left his father’s home, the events of his life paralleled the events of our fathers in the first (Babylonian) exile; once he returned to the Land of his father’s sojournings, the events of Jacob’s life paralleled the events of our fathers during the Second Temple period, its destruction, our exile and our redemption (which will come) at the end of days.

                                                            Sforno [v.2]

            Shem miShmuel notes that Sforno’s comment is based upon Midrash Rabba [Exodus 26:1]

            Indeed, our Sages taught that the Second Temple was destroyed because of unfounded hatred (sinat ḥinam) among the Jews, and it was unfounded hatred which brought about the sale of Joseph as a slave.

            Yet we must understand the concept of sinat ḥinam. After all, Joseph’s brothers had reasons for hating him, as Scripture informs us [Genesis 37:4,8] and they decreed a death sentence on him, having judged Joseph as “rodef” (pursuer – see Sforno and Rabbi Ḥayyim Paltiel, on Genesis 37:18) By the same token, the hatred among Jews at the end of the Second Temple period did not arise in a vacuum, but was based on divergent political outlooks, between those who were totally opposed to Roman rule over Judea and those who sought ways to survive under Rome’s domination. The conclusion to be reached is that apparently any hatred among Jews is to be defined as unfounded and is forbidden.

            Shem miShmuel adds that the parallel between the sale of Joseph as a slave and the Roman exile (of which we suffer until this day) teaches us the way to end the exile and achieve redemption. Just as “all the tribes returned and were reunited” when Joseph revealed himself to his brothers in Egypt and forgave them, so too the ultimate redemption will arise from the unity of Israel.

            Shem miShmuel’s comment is exactly Rabbi Kook’s comment: “Given that we were destroyed, and the world destroyed with us as the result of unfounded hatred, we shall be rebuilt and the world along with us through unbounded love.” When we rectify the evil of sinat ḥinam, we will bring about our redemption from the exile of Rome. It is within our power!

 

 

In Those Days, at This Time

            The Apocryphal book First Maccabees is considered both historically accurate and faithful to Jewish tradition.

            First Maccabees’ description of Judah Maccabee’s preparations for battle demonstrates his sincere faith in Divine assistance on behalf of Israel, as well as his conviction that his struggle is for Israel’s sake.

            Thus Judah responded to his men’s fears before the engagement at the Bet Ḥoron pass:

"It is easy for many to be hemmed in by few, for in the sight of Heaven there is no difference between saving by many or by few. It is not on the size of the army that victory in battle depends, but strength comes from Heaven. They come against us in great pride and lawlessness to destroy us and our wives and our children, and to despoil; but we fight for our lives and our laws. He himself will crush them before us; as for you, do not be afraid of them."                         I Maccabees 3:18-22

            Before leading his fighters into the Battle of Emmaus, his most brilliant victory, (which is taught until today in the United States War College) Judah encouraged them with these words:

"Do not fear their numbers or be afraid when they charge. Remember how our fathers were saved at the Red Sea, when Pharaoh with his forces pursued them. And now let us cry to Heaven, to see whether He will favor us and remember His covenant with our fathers and crush this army before us today. Then all the Gentiles will know that there is One Who redeems and saves Israel."                         Ibid.4:8-10

            Al haNissim, the special prayer added on Hanukka, speaks of “… the battles which You did for our fathers in those days, at this time..” This phrase carries special significance, since, in fact, some of Judah Maccabee’s battlegrounds were the scenes of engagements fought by the Israel Defense Forces, modern Israel’s army.

            Clearly the extent to which modern Israel’s military leaders possess the same fervor as Judah Maccabee exhibited more than twenty-one centuries ago is the extent to which the security of the State will be increased.