Talmud Bavli
Talmud Bavli

Musar for Chullin 182:20

תנא

For it is written: And behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 12. ahar,');"><sup>8</sup></span>

Mesilat Yesharim

In this way was all use they made of the things of this world. Since they were clinging to G-d's holiness, blessed be He, behold, it was an elevation and an enhancement for that thing which merited to be of use to a Tzadik (righteous person). Our sages already referred to the matter of the "stones at the place" which Yaakov took and put under his head: "Rabbi Yitzchak said: This tells us that all the stones gathered themselves together into one place and each one said: 'Upon me shall the righteous man rest his head'" (Chulin 91b).
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Shenei Luchot HaBerit

Let me now pursue my own path in explaining all the unusual phrasings in the text as listed earlier. According to the author of Bereshit Rabbah 74,4 the מלאכים sent ahead by Jacob were of the flesh and blood variety; unnamed other scholars claim that they were angels. Remember that the struggle between Jacob and his adversary occurred on two levels, the physical and the spiritual, with Esau in this world and with Samael in the Celestial Regions. The latter had an excuse to challenge Jacob's moral integrity for Jacob had married two sisters, as explained. We have mentioned that though Jacob had a legal excuse for what he did, it was not considered appropriate for a man of his stature, whose features were engraved on G–d's throne, to avail himself of such an excuse. Jacob's name on G–d's throne made a profound impression in the Celestial Regions. We know from the description in Chulin 91 that in Jacob's dream the two angels ascending and the two angels descending compared the features engraved on the throne of G–d with the features of Jacob on earth. They threatened Jacob's life because they found discrepancies between the respective features. As a result, G–d quickly intervened and placed Himself on top of the ladder in order to protect Jacob.
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Shenei Luchot HaBerit

To get back to the subject of דבקות, the affinity between us and G–d and the reciprocal relationship between Israel and G–d as portrayed by the ten, respectively 20 emanations we mentioned on page 638. Whereas the plain meaning of this statement in the Zohar remains unaffected, the story in the Yalkut adds a number of additional allusions to the mystical meaning of this דבקות. The numbers 200,000, 300,000, and 50,000 allude to three of the names of G–d i.e. א-ל, א-להים, י-ה-ו-ה. The word א-להים when spelled as follows: א-ל, א-לה, א-להי, א-להים, totals 199 plus the name itself =200. When you write א-להים using the word method you obtain the number 300, i.e. אלף, למד, הי, יוד, מם. You also obtain the equivalent of 300 when you apply the system of א"ת, ב"ש to the way you write the Ineffable four-lettered Name, thus: מצפץ=300. Since we are not allowed to even contemplate G–d as Essence, an alternate method of writing His name indicates the difference between G–d as Essence and G–d as a symbol of a concept that we may contemplate. The number 50 alludes to the letters י-ה of the Ineffable Name which we are allowed to contemplate. You view this name as a combination of the two letters i.e. 10 times 5=50. The Ineffable Name also includes within it the name א-ל, such as when you write the Ineffable name as the name that amounts to 63 instead of 72. The spelling then is 15=הי, 13=ואו, 15=הי, 20=יוד, total=63. The other letters of the heads of the 11 tribes in the Yalkut Shimoni also allude to concepts of G–d's management of our history, such as the letter ז which alludes to the mystical dimension of בנין, and the fact that G–d's “seven eyes” sweep the universe the letter ד to the four חיות supporting the throne of G–d, the letter ב, to the concept of ברכה, the letter ג to the three classes of angels who sing G–d's praises in the Celestial Regions. The three letters י and the letter א together account for the name א-ל.
דביקות ה', close affinity to G–d, is the reverse of idol worship. The angels singing G–d's praises in the Holy Tongue are the opposite of לשון הרע, slander. The letter ב stands for ברכה, blessing, which is the opposite of גזל, robbery, and is the reason the Torah does not start with the letter א which is short for ארור, "cursed." The letter א symbolises the union of man and wife, i.e. והיו לבשר אחד, "They shall become one flesh" (Genesis 2,24). This union is the opposite of גלוי עריות, indiscriminate mating between men and women. The reason that the names of the tribal heads are used for this parable is that they represent a strong affinity to G–d.
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