Bread Ladder - Vayeitzei
וַיֵּצֵא יַעֲקֹב מִבְּאֵר שָׁבַע וַיֵּלֶךְ חָרָנָה. וַיִּפְגַּע בַּמָּקוֹם וַיָּלֶן שָׁם כִּי בָא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וַיִּקַּח מֵאַבְנֵי הַמָּקוֹם וַיָּשֶׂם מְרַאֲשֹׁתָיו וַיִּשְׁכַּב בַּמָּקוֹם הַהוּא. וַיַּחֲלֹם וְהִנֵּה סֻלָּם מֻצָּב אַרְצָה וְרֹאשׁוֹ מַגִּיעַ הַשָּׁמָיְמָה וְהִנֵּה מַלְאֲכֵי אֱ-לֹקִים עֹלִים וְיֹרְדִים בּוֹ. (בראשית כח, י-יב)
The dream of the ladder is the first time that HKB"H appears to Yaakov in a prophecy. What did Yaakov see in this dream?
HKB"H revealed to him everything concerning Am Yisrael, from the beginning of time (the Creation of the world), to the end of time (the Mashiach).
A few examples (from hints in the psukkim). HKB"H showed Yaakov –
In this shiur we will bring some chiddushim regarding Yaakov's Ladder from sefer Meir Panim (2nd edition) to show that from beginning to end, the main focus of this prophecy centered around the Twelve Tribes and the Shulchan Lechem Hapanim.
Let's begin climbing the ladder rung by rung.
The passuk says וַיִּקַּח מֵאַבְנֵי הַמָּקוֹם וַיָּשֶׂם מְרַאֲשֹׁתָיו, that Yaakov took stones (to use as a pillow) under his head, before he fell asleep. The Midrash (Breishit Rabba 68, 11) brings a debate between R' Yehuda, R' Nechemya and the Rabbanan regarding how many stones there were.
According to R' Yehuda there were twelve stones because Yaakov would give birth to Twelve Tribes. Yaakov said to himself "Avraham did not give birth to the Twelve Tribes. Neither did Yitzchak. If these twelves stones coalesce into one single stone, this will be a sign that I (Yaakov) will give birth to the Twelve Tribes". The twelve stones coalesced into one.
According to R' Nechemya there were three stones. Yaakov said to himself "HKB"H designated (יִחֵד) His name on Avraham. He designated His name on Yitzchak. If these three stones coalesce into one, I will know that HKB"H has designated His name on me too". The three stones coalesced into one.
According to the Rabbanan (including R' Meir) there were two stones. There is a principle that when a number is not specifically stated in the passuk (as in this case) - מִעוּט רַבִּים שְׁנַיִם, the minimum for plural is two. Yaakov said "In addition to pure offspring Avraham gave birth to impure offspring, Yishmael and the sons of Keturah. Yitzchak gave birth to Eisav. If these two stones coalesce into one, I will know that none of my offspring will be impure". The two stones coalesced into one.
The above are the same participants in a different debate in the Gemara (Brachot 40a) – the debate regarding what kind of tree the עֵץ הַדַּעַת was. R' Meir (2 stones) says grapes, R' Nechemya (3 stones) says figs and R' Yehuda (12 stones) says wheat! In other words, R' Yehuda's שִׁיטָה that the fruit of the tree was wheat (bread according to Meir Panim) is consistent with his interpretation that there were twelve stones/Tribes and we will soon see why.
After the vision of the ladder, Yaakov makes a vow - אִם יִהְיֶה אֱ-לֹקִים עִמָּדִי וּשְׁמָרַנִי בַּדֶּרֶךְ הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי הוֹלֵךְ וְנָתַן לִי לֶחֶם לֶאֱכֹל וּבֶגֶד לִלְבֹּשׁ (שם, כ). On a simple pshat level, one might interpret this passuk literally. Eliphaz, the son of Eisav has just robbed Yaakov of all his possessions, including his food and clothing. Yaakov is therefore asking HKB"H to feed and clothe him.
However, the Yalkut Shimoni on that passuk, brings a very interesting interpretation. The Yalkut Shimoni says לֶחֶם is referring to the Lechem Hapanim and בֶגֶד לִלְבֹּשׁ is referring to the bigdei Kehuna.
In other words, according to the Yalkut Shimoni, with the vision of the ladder fresh in his mind and all the many things that HKB"H revealed to him, the one thing that most stands out in Yaakov's mind and over which he makes a vow, is - the Lechem Hapanim (and the Kohanim who switch them on the Shulchan every Shabbat).
Yaakov continues וְשַׁבְתִּי בְשָׁלוֹם אֶל בֵּית אָבִי וְהָיָה ה' לִי לֵא-לֹקִים (שם, כא), "I will return in peace to the 'house of my father' (the Beit Hamikdash) and HKB"H will be my G-d". וְהָאֶבֶן הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר שַׂמְתִּי מַצֵּבָה יִהְיֶה בֵּית אֱ-לֹקִים וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר תִּתֶּן לִי עַשֵּׂר אֲעַשְּׂרֶנּוּ לָךְ (שם, כב), "And this stone that I have laid as a monument will be a 'house of G-d' (Beit Mikdash) and everything You give me, I will take ma'asrot from".
The Midrash on Tehillim (mizmor 81) says that the three Avot each called the Beit Hamikdash a different name. Avraham called it הַר, as the passuk says בְּהַר ה' יֵרָאֶה (בראשית כב יד). Yitzchak called it שָׂדֶה, as it says רְאֵה רֵיחַ בְּנִי כְּרֵיחַ שָׂדֶה (בראשית כז, כז). Yaakov called it בַּיִת, as it says אֵין זֶה כִּי אִם בֵּית אֱ-לֹקִים (שם, יז).
From this we see that a central theme of the vision of the ladder was the Lechem Hapanim and the question is why?
Let us progress to the next rung on the ladder.
Rabbeinu Bachyei (ibid. 18), says that HKB"H took the "coalesced" stone that Yaakov was sleeping on and embedded it in the depths of the earth and this became the אֶבֶן שְׁתִיָּה, the central point in the Beit Hamikdash, upon which the Aron Habrit rests.
The passuk says וְהִנֵּה סֻלָּם מֻצָּב אַרְצָה וְרֹאשׁוֹ מַגִּיעַ הַשָּׁמָיְמָה (שם, יב), one end of the ladder was on the ground, (where Yaakov was sleeping), and the other end was in Heaven. And indeed, the gematriya of וְהִנֵּה סֻלָּם מֻצָּב אַרְצָה וְרֹאשׁוֹ מַגִּיעַ הַשָּׁמָיְמָה is וַיֹּאמֶר אֱ-לֹקִים יְהִי רָקִיעַ בְּתוֹךְ הַמָּיִם וִיהִי מַבְדִּיל בֵּין מַיִם לָמָיִם (בראשית א, ו), referring to the second day of Creation when HKB"H separated the Heaven and the earth.
David Hamelech in Tehilim (122, 3) says יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִים הַבְּנוּיָה כְּעִיר שֶׁחֻבְּרָה לָּהּ יַחְדָּו and Rashi there says that there are in fact two Batei Mikdash, the מִקְדָּשׁ שֶׁל מָעֲלָה up in Heaven and the מִקְּדָשׁ שֶׁל מַטָּה down here on earth and the two are connected as one. The ladder Yaakov saw, stretched from the earthly Beit Hamikdash to the Heavenly Beit Hamikdash.
If you look at the Lechem Hapanim stacked on the Shulchan, it resembles a ladder with rungs, one loaf of Lechem Hapanim resting on each rung.
The component of the Shulchan that resembles the ladder (with the rungs) is referred to in the Gemara (Menachot 94b) as סְנִיפִּין. For each stack of six loaves there are two סְנִיפִּין, one on either side of the stack, standing on the long end of the Shulchan. Each of these two סְנִיפִּין have protrusions radiating inward (resembling rungs), upon which the loaves rest.
סֻלָם מֻצָב in gematriya is ב' סְנִיפִּין.
סֻלָם מֻצָב in gematriya including the כּוֹלֵל (adding one to the total) is לֶחֶם הַפָּנִים.
סֻלָּם מֻצָּב אַרְצָה in gematriya is וּפְנֵיהֶם אִישׁ אֶל אָחִיו. The two stacks (of six loaves in each) are facing each other on the Shulchan, each loaf smiling (the shape of the bread is a smiling mouth) at the other.
Let's ascend to the next rung.
The number 12 is a cornerstone of Creation.
The Maharal (סֵפֶר גְּבוּרוֹת ה', פרק יג) says that any 3-D object is made up of 6 directions – front, back, left, right, up and down and consists of 12 boundaries גְּבוּלִין –
In a Magen David, the lines intersect at 12 points –
This is just a small sample of the many, many fundamental building blocks based on the number 12. Mathematics is rife with myriad more examples, e.g the sum of the sides of the lowest integral Pythagorean triangle – 3,4,5 = 12. Western music is based on a 12-tone scale, etc. etc.
The purpose of בְּרֵאשִׁית, the Creation of the world was for a number of concepts called רֵאשִׁית. The Torah is called רֵאשִׁית, Am Yisrael are called רֵאשִׁית (so too are Hafrashat Challah, Bikkurim, Shtei Halechem, Ma'asrot, Amalek).
When HKB"H created Am Yisrael, He decided to use the building block of 12, in gematriya זֶה, i.e Twelve Tribes. HKB"H originally intended that Adam Harishon would give birth to the Twelve Tribes, as it says זֶה סֵפֶר תּוֹלְדֹת אָדָם (בראשית ה, א). When Adam sinned, the role was passed onto Noach, as it says זֶה יְנַחֲמֵנוּ מִמַּעֲשֵׂנוּ וּמֵעִצְּבוֹן יָדֵינוּ (בראשית ה, כט). When Noach did not meet expectations, the task fell to Avraham and Sarah, but Sarah scoffed לָמָּה זֶּה צָחֲקָה שָׂרָה (בראשית יח, ג). Next in line were Yitzchak and Rivka, but Rivka complained וַיִּתְרֹצֲצוּ הַבָּנִים בְּקִרְבָּהּ וַתֹּאמֶר אִם כֵּן לָמָּה זֶּה אָנֹכִי (בראשית כה, כב). Finally, along comes Yaakov and after the vision of the ladder he says וַיִּירָא וַיֹּאמַר מַה נּוֹרָא הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה אֵין זֶה כִּי אִם בֵּית אֱ-לֹקִים וְזֶה שַׁעַר הַשָּׁמָיִם (בראשית כח, יז). As a result, HKB"H gave him 12 sons, all tzaddikim and thus the circle was complete.
Two more rungs to go.
With all the possible things that are related to 12, why davka did HKB"H show Yaakov the Shulchan Lechem Hapanim?
The answer is in the following passuk Yaakov said as part of his vow - וְשַׁבְתִּי בְשָׁלוֹם אֶל בֵּית אָבִי וְהָיָה ה' לִי לֵא-לֹקִים. The word וְשַׁבְתִּי has a dual meaning. Literally, it can mean "I will return", from the root לָשׁוּב. It can also mean "I will reside", from the root of the word לָשֶׁבֶת. I will reside in the house of my Father (HKB"H), meaning the Beit Hamikdash – in peace.
There is no element in the Beit Hamikdash that reflects peace amongst the Twelve Tribes of Am Yisrael more than the Shulchan and the Lechem Hapanim.
If you were to ask me, a mere mortal, "What fairer way could there be to arrange 12 symbols of the Twelve Tribes (one loaf per tribe) in front of the Parochet and the Aron Habrit?" I would say "Take one long table and line up all twelve loaves in one straight line, equidistant to and right in front of the Parochet, all directly on the table at the same level". Total equality, no favoritism to any of the loaves!
However, that is not the way the Shulchan is arranged. First of all, the 12 are split into two groups of 6. One group is closer to the Parochet while the second is further away. Next, the two groups are organized in vertical stacks, which means that only the lowest loaf in each stack is directly on and touching the surface of the Shulchan, the remainder are suspended above it, some in the middle, some at the top.
Have you ever taken a road trip with three kids in the back seat under the age of ten? "I want to be by the left window!" "No, I want to be by the left window!" "Abba, tell Shmulik to move over, he is digging me in the ribs!" What worse recipe for coexistence could there be than the way the loaves of Lechem Hapanim are arranged on the Shulchan. You will have Shimon's loaf complaining why Yissachar's loaf is touching the Shulchan and Shimon's isn't. Binyamin will be complaining that he is in the center of the stack and can't breathe, being closed in from above by Zevulun and below by Naftali.
But it doesn't happen. The gematriya of שֻׁלְחָן is שָׁלוֹם י"ב. You know why there is no fighting on the Shulchan? Because there is no equality on the Shulchan. The Twelve Tribes coexist and live in idyllic peace with one another, not because they are all equal, all the same – but davka because they are not all equal and not all the same. Some are more spiritually elevated than others, each has a different set of tribal customs, different nusach tefila, different geographical inheritance in Eretz Yisrael. So how does this eclectic potpourri work?
It works because each tribe is happy with who they are and what they have. None of the tribes looks at the other tribes and says "Why does Zevulun get to take sea cruises every two weeks, while I have to break my back ploughing this field?" Nobody says "Why does Yissachar get to sit around all day and study Torah while I have to leave my family for six months on end and go overseas to trade and make money so that I can pay for Yissachar to sit around all day and study Torah?" Nobody says "Why do I have to have such a high-risk job doing the Avodah in the Mikdash, where at the slightest slip up I could die, like if I didn't wash my hands or feet properly, while Dan gets to sit pretty up there in the Banias springs, eating forel fish meals all day".
Have you ever wondered why the tribe of Naftali's נָשִׂיא was named אֲחִירַע בֶּן עֵינָן (במדבר א, טו)? What a horrible name to give your son אֲחִירַע, "bad brother". First of all, how did עֵינָן know that his son would become an אֲחִירַע even before he was born? What logic is there in that? First name him something like Tzuriel and wait and see if he becomes a bad brother or not! The Or HaChaim on that passuk says exactly the opposite – it was a very GOOD name and perfectly matched Naftali's character. אֲחִירַע doesn't mean "bad brother", it means "whatever my brother has is bad for me!" The tribe of Naftali were perfectly happy with who they were, they coveted nothing from the other tribes, they were שָׂמֵחַ בְּחֶלְקָם.
This is why the model of the Shulchan Lechem Hapanim is the ideal model for peace in Am Yisrael, because it doesn't matter which loaf you are or where you are on the Shulchan, you are always smiling (the shape of the bread is a smiley). You are always שָׂמֵחַ בְּחֶלְקֵךְ – this is the most important musar haskel of the Lechem Hapanim – to be happy with what you have. To accept that this is your purpose in the world and that everything that HKB"H has given you (and also everything He hasn't) is exactly what you need to fulfil your purpose in life.
Twelve Tribes like that on the "ladder" are equivalent to מַלְאָכִים, angels עֹלִים וְיֹרְדִים בּוֹ. Some are going up, some are going down, each one has a specific mission to accomplish, given to them by HKB"H Himself. You never find angels complaining about what they are or what mission they are charged with. Another name for Lechem Hapanim is לֶחֶם אַבִּירִים, food of the angels.
This is the vision that Yaakov saw. HKB"H told him, "You are going to have 12 sons, all tzaddikim. Not all equal – some are going to be Kohanim, some Levi'im, some are going to be kings, others Torah scholars, judges, warriors, etc. But they are all going to follow the model of the Shulchan Lechem Hapanim and coexist in peace, harmony and symbiosis.
When you have this kind of "ladder", one end up in Heaven and the other end down here on earth – the ladder connects Heaven and earth as one integral unit. When you have the Twelve Tribes behaving like the Shulchan Lechem Hapanim, it is the gateway that binds Heaven and earth. וְזֶה שַׁעַר הַשָּׁמָיִם (בראשית כח, יז), this kind of 12-based construct זֶה, is the vision.
Now for the final rung.
If only this idyllic vision would have in fact been fully implemented. It rarely was and when it was it was for a brief, fleeting moment. From the moment they were born, almost, the Twelve Tribes, did not implement this vision. Some brothers considered themselves superior to their other brothers (sons of the שְׁפָחוֹת). They were jealous that one of their brothers had a כְּתֹנֶת פַּסִּים and they didn't. Instead of becoming the vision, they became dysfunction. This resulted in גָּלוּת מִצְרַיִם. That's how it began.
Since then, it has been an ongoing series of dysfunctions. Once, only once, for a very brief instant did we, Am Yisrael, achieve that vision – at Har Sinai וַיִּחַן שָׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל - כְּאִישׁ אֶחָד בְּלֵב אֶחָד. At that moment we were mamash like מַלְאֲכֵי אֱ-לֹקִים on the ladder. סֻלָּם in gematriya is סִינַי. A short time later, we fell from grace, with the egel.
The fact that we are now 5784 years since the Creation of the world and we have still not managed to achieve that vision – means that it is not a simple task, to put it mildly.
It is always easy to criticize past generations, but we need look no further than our current generation. Look at how we were a short two months ago, on Yom Kippur תשפ"ד. It is difficult to imagine being more distant from the vision, than how we were then. HKB"H gave a "klap" and steered many of us back to the path, but already now the cracks are starting to reemerge – even though we got such an enormous "klap".
Am Yisrael, we, are an עַם קְשֵׁה עֹרֶף, we give our Father a really hard time! Worse than that – we give ourselves a really hard time. We are constantly and repeatedly self-inflicting this suffering on ourselves.
However, HKB"H is merciful, He will not allow us to fight in the back seat, like ten-year-olds, ad-infinitum. He will step in, intervene and forcibly end it and realize the vision despite our lack of cooperation.
Yaakov's primary impression of the חֲלוֹם הַסֻּלָּם was of this vision of the perfect ladder, the Shulchan Lechem Hapanim, but this was not the only thing HKB"H showed him. HKB"H also showed him the entire process, from beginning to end. The gematriya of וְהִנֵּה מַלְאֲכֵי אֱ-לֹקִים עֹלִים וְיֹרְדִים בּוֹ is תַּאֲרִיךְ הַגְּאוּלָּה. HKB"H told Yaakov that the story ends well! That is the נֶחָמָה and that is the faith that has kept us going for 5784 years.
Yes, we wake up every morning to bad news – more soldiers died chas vechalila, more hostages discovered dead chas vechalila, the government doesn't seem to be doing what we think is the right thing to do, the world is hypocritical beyond belief and antisemitic, the left hasn't woken up yet and changed disks, the right is still stirring and using their gut instead of their head, etc. etc. It is very difficult to see and imagine how all this is going to end well.
Our parsha guarantees us – IT IS GOING TO END WELL!
We are very, very close to the happy end. The gematriya of סֻלָּם in milui format (סמך למד מם) is עַזָּה בְּקֵץ.
So, what should we be doing right now? What should we be concentrating on?
How does the vision of the ladder end? It ends with Yaakov saying - וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר תִּתֶּן לִי עַשֵּׂר אֲעַשְּׂרֶנּוּ לָךְ (בראשית כח, כב). How do we ensure the happy end? By doing chessed. "Whatever You, HKB"H have given me, I will give some of it to tzedakka, to chessed".
HKB"H does not need our tzedakka or our chessed, WE need to give tzedakka and do chessed, for ourselves, not even for others. By taking the focus away from ourselves – always me, me, I, I - we desperately need now to redirect our focus on helping others – using altruism to conquer egocentricity. This is how we merit a place on the Shulchan Lechem Hapanim, how we achieve the vision of the ladder and arrive safely at our destination and the happy end.
