"And behold a ladder set up on the earth"

Synopsis

The Zohar describes Jacob's dream of the ladder, in which he sees his children receiving the Torah on Mount Sinai. The passage explains the secret meaning of the reception of the Torah: that is, the Torah as the key to mastery of the world through the Angel Metatron, who is in effect a gatekeeper for the angelic messengers of wisdom.

Relevance

The Torah is the divine instrument that imbues the children of Israel with the strength to gradually eliminate the Evil Inclination from their nature. This process takes place both in our physical world and in the supernal worlds above. Through these verses, we connect ourselves to the primordial spiritual Light that shone on Sinai during Revelation. This sacred emanation was so intense that all forms of darkness were eradicated, including death and decay. Therefore, we arouse the forces of immortality and bring renewal, restoration, and rebirth to our lives.

Angels Chariot Dreams Earth Grades Ground Heaven Ladder Mount Sinai Nukva Point Prophecy Sinai Ten Torah Zeir Anpin

70. Sitrei Torah (Secrets of the Torah). "And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven" (Beresheet 28:12). It is six grades up from the level of a dream, HOD OF THE NUKVA, to the two grades of prophecy, NETZACH AND HOD OF ZEIR ANPIN. The six grades are YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, AND HOD OF THE NUKVA. Therefore, a dream is one part out of sixty of prophecy, FOR EACH OF THESE SIX SFIROT INCLUDES TEN SFIROT, AND TEN TIMES SIX IS SIXTY. AND A DREAM, WHICH IS THE LOWEST, CONTAINS ONE OUT OF SIXTY. The ladder alludes to him seeing his children receive the Torah on Mount Sinai in the future, because the ladder represents Sinai, for MOUNT SINAI, AS SCRIPTURE READS, "is on the ground," "and its top," NAMELY, ITS HIGHEST POINT, reaches heaven. And all the Chariots and troops of the High Angels descended there with the Holy One, blessed be He, when he gave them the Torah, AS IT IS WRITTEN, "THE ANGELS OF ELOHIM ASCENDING AND DESCENDING ON IT."

70. (סִתְרֵי תוֹרָה) וַיַּחֲלוֹם וְהִנֵּה סֻלָּם מֻצָּב אַרְצָה וְרֹאשׁוֹ מַגִּיעַ הַשָּׁמַיְמָה. חֶלְמָא, מַדְרֵגָא שְׁתִיתָאָה, מֵאִינוּן דַּרְגִּין תְּרֵין דִּנְבוּאָה עַד הַהוּא דַרְגָּא, שִׁית דַּרְגִּין אִינוּן, וְעַל דָּא, חֶלְמָא, חַד מִשִּׁתִּין דַּרְגִּין דִּנְבוּאָה. סֻלָּם, חָמָא בְּנוֹי דְּזַמִּינִין לְקַבְּלָא אוֹרַיְיתָא, בְּטוּרָא דְסִינַי. סֻלָּם: דָּא סִינַי. בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ נָעִיץ בְּאַרְעָא, וְחָשִׁיב בִּסְלִיקוּ לִשְׁמַיָא. וְכָל רְתִיכִין וּמַשִּׁרְיָין עִלָּאִין, כֻּלְּהוּ נָחֲתֵי תַּמָּן בַּהֲדֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כַּד יְהֵיב לוֹן אוֹרַיְיתָא.

Angels Dreams Heaven House Jacob Metatron Shadai Strength Tetragrammaton Yud Hei Vav Hei (YHVH)

71. JACOB saw all this IN HIS DREAM. He saw THE ANGEL Metatron, the elder in the house OF THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, ruling over what is His and governing the world by THE STRENGTH OF his mastery of the name Shadai. He rises above with the ascension of his Master's name, Yud Hei Vav Hei, which is the place in which Jacob was perfected. Afterward, the beginning of the name Shadai, which is the letter Yud, reaches heaven. After this letter rises to this place, NAMELY, TO HEAVEN, THE ANGEL METATRON is perfected and is given his Master's name, Yud Hei Vav Hei.

71. וְכֹלָּא חָמָא. חָמָא מַטטרון, סָבָא דְבֵיתָא, דְּשַׁלִּיט בְּכָל דִּילֵיהּ. דְּאִיהוּ קָאי בְּשָׁלְטָנוֹ עַל עַלְמָא. בְּשׁוּלְטָנוֹ בְּשֵׁם שד"י. וְסָלֵיק לְעֵילָא, בִּסְלִיקוּ דִשְׁמָא דְּמָרֵיהּ הוי"ה, אֲתַר דְּיַעֲקֹב אִשְׁתַּלֵים בֵּיהּ לְבָתָר. וְרֹאשׁוֹ, דְּשֵׁם שַׁדַּי, אִיהוּ י,' וְדָא מַגִּיעַ הַשָּׁמַיְמָה. כֵּיוָן דְּמָטֵי וְסָלֵיק אָת דָּא, לְהַהוּא אֲתַר, אִשְׁתְּלֵים וְאִתְקְרֵי בְּהַהוּא שְׁמָא דְּמָארֵיהּ הוי"ה.

Angels Metatron Other Side

Anael (Spirit) Angels Chasdiel (Spirit) Eagle Female Gabriel (Angel) Hebrew Letters Kadmiel (Spirit) Lion Male Metatron Michael (Angel) Ox Pearls Pedael (Spirit) Raphael (Angel) Raziel (Supernal Minister) Sturiyah (Angel) Twelve Tzadkiel (Supernal Minister) Yofiel (Supernal Minister)

73. Moreover, through him, THE ANGEL METATRON, they ascend and descend. When he rises, THE ANGELS OF ELOHIM rise with him, and when he descends, THE ANGELS OF ELOHIM go down with him. These angels are the twelve precious pearls, known as Michael, Kadmiel, Pedael, Gabriel, Tzadkiel, Chasdiel, Raphael, Raziel, S'turiyah, Nuriel, Yofiel, and Anael. They are "thousands upon thousands (Heb. Shin'an)" (Tehilim 68:18). They are the letters Shin'an (Shin, Nun, Aleph, final Nun) which consist of the initials of an ox (shor), an eagle (nesher), and a lion (aryeh); the final Nun alludes to a man who includes male and female. They rise when METATRON rises, and descend when he descends.

73. וְתוּ, בּוֹ סָלְקֵי וְנָחֲתֵי, כַּד אִיהוּ סָלֵיק, סָלְקִין בַּהֲדֵיהּ, כַּד נָחֵית, נָחֲתִין בַּהֲדֵיהּ. מַלְאֲכֵי אֱלֹהִים, תְּרֵיסַר מַרְגְּלִיטָאן טָבָאן, וְאִינוּן: מִיכָאֵל קדמיאל, פדא"ל, גבריא"ל, צדקיא"ל, חסדיא"ל, רפא"ל, רזיא"ל, סטורי"ה, נוריא"ל. יפיא"ל, ענא"ל, אַלְפֵי שִׁנְאָן, שִׁנְאָ"ן: שׁוֹ"ר, נֶשֶׁ"ר, אַרְיֵ"ה, ן' אָדָם כָּלֵיל דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא. וְאִינוּן סָלְקֵי, כַּד אִיהוּ סָלֵיק, וְאִלֵּין נַחֲתֵי, כַּד אִיהוּ נָחֵית.

Gates Heaven House Ladder Metatron Praise Tetragrammaton Yud Hei Vav Hei (YHVH)

74. And moreover, those who dominate in this world do so through him, METATRON. And those who are prevented from ruling fall through him. They all are dependent on this ladder, METATRON. Yud Hei Vav Hei dominates them all. As it is written, "And, behold, Hashem stood above it." When he awoke, it is written, "this is no other than the house of Elohim, and this is the gate of heaven." Assuredly, METATRON is the House of Elohim, the gate through which one passes to come within, as it is written, "Open to me the gates of righteousness, I will go in to them, and I will praise Yah (Yud-Hei)" (Tehilim 118:19). And "this is the gate to Hashem (Yud Hei Vav Hei)" (Tehilim 118:20) is the gate of heaven. And all is one, WHICH MEANS THAT THE GATES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS - THE GATE OF HASHEM AND THE GATE OF HEAVEN - ARE ONE, AND THAT ONE IS METATRON. End of Sitrei Torah (Secrets of the Torah).

74. וְתוּ, כָּל אִינוּן דְּשָׁלְטֵי בְּשָׁלְטָנוֹ דְּהַאי עַלְמָא, עַל יְדֵיהּ סָלְקִין, וְכָל אִינוּן דְּנָחֲתֵי עַל יְדֵיהּ נָחֲתֵי, כֻּלְּהוּ בְּהַאי סֻלָּם. הוי"ה שָׁלְטָא עַל כֹּלָּא, דִּכְתִיב וְהִנֵּה ה' נִצָּב עָלָיו. כַּד אִתְעַר, כְּתִיב, אֵין זֶה כִּי אִם בֵּית אֱלֹהִים וְזֶה שַׁעַר הַשָּׁמָיִם. בֵּית אֱלֹהִים וַדַּאי. וְאִיהוּ תַּרְעָא לְאָעֳלָא לְגוֹ, דִּכְתִיב פִּתְחוּ לִי שַׁעֲרֵי צֶדֶק אָבֹא בָם אוֹדֶה יָהּ. זֶה הַשַּׁעַר לַה.' זֶה שַׁעַר הַשָּׁמַיִם כֹּלָּא חַד. (עַד כָּאן סִתְרֵי תּוֹרָה)