A ladder was set on the earth, and its top reached Heaven. Hashem’s angels were ascending and descending upon it. And behold – Hashem was standing over him.[2]
Why was Hashem standing over Yaakov? A few groups of angels couldn’t protect him? The gemara[3] shockingly states that Hashem had to protect him from those angels! Ascending to the heavens, angels found Yaakov’s image as one of the four facades of the Heavenly Chariot. When they compared that image with the physical Yaakov asleep, they sought to endanger him. Hashem’s presence prevented Yaakov from getting hurt.
The angels certainly meant no harm. Tikunei Zohar,[4] in fact, says that they feared Yaakov! In what way were they going to harm him?
A midrash[5] offers a somewhat different version, but doesn’t get us any closer to solving the mystery. It compares Yaakov to a prince sleeping in bed, and flies settling on him, till his nurse arrives, and they scatter. But why should angels be likened to flies, of all things?
Here is what these maamarei Chazal are all about. Yaakov’s dream that evening encompassed all of Jewish history. The angels who gathered around had deep appreciation for Yaakov’s greatness, having seen it prominently displayed in shomayim. They quickly recognized a problem. Yaakov was so great – but his descendants, who were the real point of his dream – would sometimes be anything but. How could Hashem’s plan for Yaakov’s descendants – the earthly Yaakov – be justified, when they would be so far from the mark of his perfection? Raising the question was potentially devastating to Klal Yisrael. It would create accusers against the Jewish people, who would swarm like flies attracted to decay.
At least till Hashem Himself intervened. Which means that He offered an answer to their question. What was the answer? We turn to another dialogue, this time between Eliyahu and HKBH. Eliyahu had expressed profound unhappiness with the spiritual state of affairs of Am Yisrael in his time. HKBH responds,[6] “You should have realized that they are my children – beloved children who accepted my Torah at Har Sinai.” Note that HKBH does not say they are beloved for observing the Torah, or for future observance of the Torah. He mentions only their initial acceptance of the Torah.
The reason? Because the very acceptance of the Torah meant that the full significance of “Anochi” – the lead-off word of the Aseres Hadibros – became rooted and fixed in their souls. In the worst of times, and among people distant from observance of mitzvos, a profound emunah will survive, based on that moment at Sinai when they heard and understood Anochi.
With this, we see a new level of meaning in the verse,[7] “I / Anochi am with you!…I will not forsake you until I will have done what I have spoken about you.” Previously, Hashem used “ani” to mean “I.” He switches to anochi to allude to the anochi that would be internalized for all time by the Jewish people. This clinging to Anochi would ensure that they could still be worthy of geulah even in the worst of times. He also uses the roundabout phraseology of “until I will have done,” rather than “until I will do.” The point is that at this moment of Yaakov’s dream, which invited the scrutiny of the angels, and their questioning the sustainability of his closeness to HKBH, He provided the answer. Right up front, He announced that the Anochi of Yaakov’s descendants would provide ironclad assurance of their redeemability. This was not left to the future; providing this answer is something that He “will have done” already.
This is also alluded to in Hashem’s reassurance to Yaakov before he left for Egypt. “I / Anochi will descend with you to Egypt, and I / Anochi will surely bring you up.”[8] The profound impact of Anochi will follow the Bnei Yisrael into galus, and will guarantee that they shall rise out of it.
Lastly, this message is also alluded to in the words of Boaz to Rus:[9] “In the morning, if he will redeem you, then fine. Let him redeem. But if he does not want to redeem you, then I / Anochi will redeem you.” In other words, the time will come for morning, for the light of a new day: the day of redemption. If your actions will be worthy of that redemption, so be it. But if not, it is Anochi that will guarantee your redemption.
- Adapted from Be’er Moshe, by the Ozharover Rebbe zt”l ↑
- Bereishis 28:12-13 ↑
- Chulin 91b ↑
- Tikunei Zohar 65b ↑
- Bereishis Rabbah 69:3 ↑
- Zohar Chadash 23a ↑
- Bereishis 28:15 ↑
- Bereishis 46:4 ↑
- Rus 3:13 ↑