In Parshas Vayeitzei, Yaakov Avinu finds himself running away from Eisav who wants to kill him. After receiving the brachos from his father first (Bereishis 27), and Eisav vowing to kill Yaakov (27:41), Yaakov’s parents command him to run away. They instruct him to flee to the house of Lavan, his uncle, where he will both escape the wrath of Eisav, as well as marry his wives and build his family.
The parsha begins with Yaakov alone, at night, in a place (Mt. Moriah, according to the Sages) where he encounters G-d. As night has fallen, because the sun has set before its time (in order that he should remain at this place), Yaakov first prays the evening prayer. The pasuk tells us that: הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בָא-כִּי שָׁם וַיָּלֶן בַּמָּקוֹם וַיִּפְגַּע, and he encountered the place, for the sun had set (28:11). On this verse, Chazal teach us that Yaakov established tefilas arvis (Brachos 26b), the prayer of nighttime. מְרַאֲשֹׁתָיו וַיָּשֶׂם הַמָּקוֹם מֵאַבְנֵי וַיִּקַּח - Yaakov then takes from the stones of the place, and constructs an enclosure around his head, for protection. He then lays down and goes to sleep - הַהוּא בַּמָּקוֹם וַיִּשְׁכַּב.
It is then that he has his famous dream of the “Sulam Yaakov”, Yaakov’s ladder, and it is then that G-d speaks to him for the first time. The pasuk tells us: וְרֹאשׁוֹ אַרְצָה מֻצָּב סֻלָּם וְהִנֵּה ,וַיַּחֲלֹם בּוֹ וְיֹרְדִים עֹלִים ,יםקאֱלֹ מַלְאֲכֵי וְהִנֵּה ;הַשָּׁמָיְמָה מַגִּיעַ - and he dreamed, and behold there was a ladder standing on the ground, with its top reaching to the heavens; and behold, angels of G-d were going up and down it (28:12).
Why were the angels described as first ascending the ladder, and then descending the ladder? Rashi explains that the angels of Eretz Yisrael were going back up to the heavens (for they were not permitted to accompany Yaakov outside of the Land); while the angels of chutz la’aretz were coming down the ladder, to escort him on his way once he left the Land.
G-d speaks to Yaakov for the first time, and promises him: 1. the Land, 2. children, and 3. that He will guard him and be with him and return him to this place (28:13-15).
When Yaakov wakes up, he is seemingly stunned to discover than not only is Hashem found in yeshivas Shem v’Ever (where he spent the last fourteen years, Rashi to 28:9), but even here, on a lonely, dark mountaintop, G-d can be found! Yaakov declares: וְאָנֹכִי הַזֶּה בַּמָּקוֹם ’ה יֵשׁ אָכֵן יָדָעְתִּי לֹא - surely, Hashem is in this place, and I did not know! And he is afraid and he says: הַשָּׁמָיִם שַׁעַר וְזֶה אֱלֹקים בֵּית-אִם כִּי ,זֶה אֵין הַזֶּה הַמָּקוֹם ,נּוֹרָא-מַה - how awesome is this place, this is none other than the house of G-d, and this is the gateway to heaven (28:16-17).
In this encounter we have the solitude of Yaakov; the experience of prayer; the ladder with angels going first up - ascent - and then down - descent; the prophecy of G-d Who speaks to our forefather Yaakov for the first time; and Yaakov’s reaction to discovering the holiness and Divinity of this place.
