One of the pivotal moments in Jacob’s life was his vision of a ladder with angels ascending and descending it. Rife with significance, the dream and G‑d’s accompanying message laid out Jacob’s own destiny as well as that of the nation he would father. Read on for 9 facts about Jacob’s ladder.
1. Jacob Saw It as He Was Fleeing His Twin
At the age of 63,1 Jacob was forced to flee from his twin brother Esau, who planned to murder him for obtaining their father’s blessings in his place. Jacob set his sights on Haran, planning to stay with his Uncle Laban until Esau’s wrath had subsided. It was during this journey from Beer Sheba to Haran that Jacob experienced his famous vision.2
Read: Jacob in the Bible
2. It Was on the Temple Mount
According to the Talmud, Jacob first traveled all the way to Haran, but upon his arrival, he realized he had not stopped to pray at Mt. Moriah, the future site of the Holy Temple. Both his father, Isaac, and grandfather Abraham, had made a point of praying there, and he wished to do the same.
Jacob began retracing his steps when suddenly, he miraculously found himself standing on the sacred grounds of the Temple Mount.3 G‑d caused the sun to set early, prompting Jacob to spend the night there and have his extraordinary dream.4
(According to another tradition, Jacob was in Beer Sheba at the time.5)
Read: What Do Dreams Mean?
3. It Came With a Divine Promise
As he slept, Jacob dreamed of a ladder stretching from the ground to the heavens, with angels ascending and descending it. G‑d then appeared to him and gave him three assurances:
- The land of Canaan would be given to Jacob’s descendants.
- Jacob’s descendants would be widespread and numerous, and they would be a source of blessing for all the nations of the world.
- G‑d would accompany Jacob and protect him throughout the difficult journey that lay ahead.6
Read: What Are Angels?
4. It Is the Only Ladder Mentioned in Scripture
Although ladders are mentioned often in the Mishnah and Talmud, this is the climbing device’s only appearance in the 24 books of the Bible. Perhaps this serves to highlight the unique message of Jacob’s dream and its timeless significance.
Read: Joining Worlds
5. It Extended Across the Land of Israel
The Midrash describes that when Jacob envisioned the ladder in his dream, he saw it extending across the length of the Land of Israel. Two opinions are cited as to its exact dimensions. According to one tradition, its base was in Beer Sheba and its head was positioned opposite the Temple Mount, while other traditions place its base on the Temple Mount and its head above Beth El.7 According to yet a third tradition, its base was in Beer Sheba, its midpoint faced the Temple Mount, and its head was opposite Beth El.8
Read: A Ladder to Heaven
6. Some Understand It to Allude to Mt. Sinai
With this vision, G‑d showed Jacob several important milestones that would be pivotal in the history of his children, the Jewish People. According to one Midrashic interpretation, the ladder represents Mt. Sinai. (The numeric value of Sinai [סיני] is 130, the same as sulam [סלם], “ladder” in Hebrew.) The angels are a reference to Moses and Aaron, who ascended and descended Mt. Sinai. G‑d was thus foretelling the great heights Jacob’s children would reach by studying the Torah and keeping its commandments.9
Read: The Giving of the Torah
7. Others See It as an Assurance of Protection
Another tradition sees Jacob’s journey to Haran as representative of the future exile of the Jewish nation. Among the many tribulations Jacob’s descendants would face was the idolatrous image erected by Nebuchadnezzar, which he attempted to force them to worship.10 This is hinted at by the ladder in Jacob’s dream: the Hebrew letters of sulam (סלם) can be rearranged to spell “image” (semel, סמל).
The angels on the ladder allude to Chananiah, Mishael, and Azariah who defied the evil monarch and were thrown into a fiery furnace, miraculously emerging unscathed.11 G‑d was thus assuring Jacob that he would protect his progeny throughout their long and difficult exile.12
8. It Also Symbolizes Exile and Redemption
The rabbis explain that Jacob saw four angels ascending the ladder, representing the four nations who would subject the Jews to exile: Babylonia, Medea, Greece, and Rome. The first three returned to earth after a specific number of rungs, symbolizing the relatively short duration of their exiles. But to Jacob’s dismay, he did not see Rome’s angel descend—symbolizing the tortuous length of the present exile.
Distressed, Jacob called out, “Does this mean it will never descend?!” G‑d replied, “No matter how high it climbs, I will cause it to fall.”13 G‑d’s message to Jacob could not be more timely: The tribulations of exile will end very soon, with the coming of Moshiach speedily in our days.
9. Kabbalah Views It as a Model for Prayer
The Zohar, the seminal work of Kabbalah, teaches that the ladder in Jacob’s dream symbolizes the act of prayer.14 Much like a ladder, prayer bridges the earthly realm with G‑d in heaven. It is the means through which a person, though grounded in the mundane, can elevate themself and connect with G‑d.
The prayer service consists of various sections, each one compared to a rung in the ladder. In this light, prayer is a journey, bringing you ever closer to G‑d, one step at a time. The highest point is the Amidah prayer, when you stand in G‑d’s immediate presence and speak directly to Him.15
Read: What Is Jewish Prayer?
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