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.