1
AND JACOB WENT OUT PROM BEER-SHEBA AND WENT TOWARD HARAN. R. Hiya drew a parallel between this statement and the verse: The sun ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he ariseth (Eccles. 1, 5). ‘The sun arising’, he said, ‘is parallel to Jacob when in Beersheba; and “the sun going down” to Jacob on his way to Haran, when, as we read, “he tarried there all night, because the sun was set”; and as the “sun hasteth to his place where he ariseth”, so Jacob “lay down in that place to sleep”.
2
Observe that although the sun illumines all quarters of the world, yet he travels only in two directions, as we read: “He goeth toward the South, and turneth about unto the North” (Eccles. 1, 6), one being the right and the other the left. Every day, too, he emerges from the East, turns to the South, then to the North, then toward the Western side, and finally is gathered unto the West. As the sun emerges from the East, so Jacob went out from Beer-sheba, and as the sun turns toward the West, so Jacob went toward Haran.’
3
R. Simeon said that Jacob “went forth” from the ambit of the Land of Israel, and he “went into” another sphere, as is implied in the sentence, “and he went toward Haran” (lit. strange, alien).
4
According to Rabbi Yosi, this verse refers to the exile. For at first, the light descended from the supernal depth, and Jacob took it with him and went to (pour it) on Beer-Sheva. This is, "the well that the princes dug out" (Num. 21:18), here Jacob received his illumination, and perfected the well (Heb. beer) in all its wholeness. During the days of exile, he wanders from Beer-Sheva to Charan, as written, "and went toward Charan that is, to fierce indignation (Heb. Charon). What is the fierce indignation of the Holy One, blessed be He? It is the evil grade, the land of the dominion of another.
5
R. Hiya said: ‘When the sun goes down to the West, the West is called the place of the sun and his throne, the place in which he abides, and to which he gathers in all his radiance.
6
This accords with the Rabbinic dictum that God puts on phylacteries, that is, He takes up all the supernal crowns, to wit the emblem of the supernal Father and the emblem of the supernal Mother (these being the phylactery worn on the head), and then He takes up the Right and the Left, thereby carrying the whole.’
7
R. Eleazar said: ‘The “Beauty of Israel” takes up the whole, and when the Community of Israel is drawn toward the world on high, it also carries the whole, the male world of the Holy One as well as the female world of the Holy One; for just as all the lights radiate from the one, so the other carries the whole, one world being a representation of the other. Hence Beer-sheba (lit. well of seven) signifies the Jubilee year, be’er (well) symbolising a Sabbatical year; and the sun shines only from the Jubilee year. Hence “Jacob went out from Beer-sheba and went unto Haran”, that is toward the West, which is identical with the Sabbatical year.’
8
R. Simeon said: ‘Beer-sheba symbolises the Sabbatical year, and Haran the year of ‘orlah, inasmuch as he issued from the sphere of holiness into an alien sphere, since he was fleeing from his brother, as already explained.’ But when he arrived at Bethel, which is still within the holy sphere, it is written: AND HE LIGHTED UPON THE PLACE.
9
R. Hiya said: ‘This is the place mentioned in the verse, “and he hasteth to his place’ (Eccl. 1, 5). AND TARRIED THERE ALL NIGHT, BECAUSE THE SUN CAME , i.e. came to illumine it, as it says: “he hasteth to his place where he shines”.
10
AND HE TOOK OF THE STONES OF THE PLACE. This is an allusion to the twelve precious and wondrous stones of the upper layer, of which it is written, “Take you… twelve stones” (Josh. 4, 3), and underneath which there are thousands and myriads of hewn stones. Hence it says “of the stones”, and not simply “the stones.
11
AND PUT THEM UNDER HIS HEAD (lit. heads). The plural form shows that we should refer the “his” not to Jacob but to the place, and understand the “heads” to be the four cardinal points of the world: he arranged the stones three to the North, three to the West, three to the South, and three to the East, and that place or spot was above them so that it should be established on them.
12
Thereafter he LAY DOWN IN THAT PLACE TO SLEEP , for now that the couch was properly arranged, he, namely the sun, lay down on it. Thus the words “and he lay down in that place to sleep” are parallel to the text: “the sun ariseth and the sun comes in”.’