Chullin 91b (צא:) — the Talmud in English

As it is written, Naomi said to Ruth:

“Behold, he is winnowing the barley threshing floor

tonight ... and it shall be, when he lies down.” For after Boaz finished winnowing the barley, he would not go home; rather, he would lie down in the field, because a Torah scholar does not go out alone at night.

Rabbi Abbahu said: From here:

As it is written:

“And Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his

donkey,” and he did not go out at night.

And the Rabbis say: From here:

As it is written:

“Go now, see the welfare of your brothers and the welfare of

the flock,” indicating that the journey should take place at a time when it is possible to see.

Rav said: From here:

As it is written:

“And the sun rose for him

when he passed Penuel.”

Rabbi Akiva said: I asked Rabban Gamliel and Rabbi Yehoshua in the marketplace of Emmaus,

when

they went to purchase an animal for the wedding feast of Rabban Gamliel’s son:

This is what is written:

“And the sun rose for him” -

Did the sun rise for him alone,

for Jacob?

Did it not rise for the entire world as well?!

Rabbi Yitzḥak said:

This is what the verse is saying; this is what the verse is saying:

The sun, which had set for him,

having previously set for him before its proper time,

rose

now

for him

before its proper time!

And where do we find that the sun set for him?

As it is written: “And Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran,”

which indicates that he had already reached Haran.

And

afterward

it is written: “And he encountered the place,”

which is Beit El, indicating that he had still not reached Haran. How can this be understood?

Rather,

when he arrived at Haran, he said: Is it possible that I passed by

Beit El, which is

the place where my fathers prayed, and I did not pray?!

When he turned his attention to returning

to Beit El,

the earth sprang toward him

and he arrived there

immediately.

And this is the meaning of what is written:

“And he encountered the place,”

meaning that the place came toward him.

Like a person who encounters his fellow, who comes toward him. [And “he encountered” also connotes prayer, as it derives from the language of prayer].

When he prayed,

after completing his prayer,

he wished to return

to Haran.

The Holy One, blessed be He, said: This righteous man has come to My lodging place; shall he depart without lodging? Immediately, the sun set,

that is, it set before its proper time. And this is also indicated by what is written: “And he lodged there—for the sun had set,” for since the sun suddenly set, he was compelled to lodge there and could not continue on his way to Haran.

Now we return to the verses stated in “And Jacob left”:

“And Jacob took from the stones of the place,”

which indicates many stones,

and it is written

on the other hand,

“And he took the stone,”

which indicates one stone?

And we answer:

Rabbi Yitzḥak said: This teaches that all those stones gathered into one place, and each one said: Upon me shall this righteous man place

his

head!

And

it was taught: They were all swallowed up

into

one

stone; therefore it says, “And he took the stone,” for in the end they all became one stone.

“And he dreamed, and behold, a ladder set upon the earth.”

It was taught: How wide was the

ladder?

Eight thousand parasangs!

As it is written: “And behold, angels of God were ascending and descending upon it.”

“Ascending”

indicates

two

ascending simultaneously, side by side.

And

likewise

“descending”

indicates

two

descending simultaneously.

And when they encountered one another

when those ascending and those descending met in the middle of the ladder,

there were four

across the width of the ladder.

And it is written concerning the angel: “And his appearance—

like the appearance of Tarshish,”

for the angel’s dimensions were like those of the sea called “Tarshish.”

And it is a received tradition

that the sea

Tarshish

was two thousand parasangs wide!

It follows that the width of four angels was eight thousand parasangs, and that was the width of the ladder.

It was taught:

The angels were

ascending

the ladder,

and gazing at the image

of

the

patriarch Jacob engraved upon the Throne of Glory above, and

descending and gazing at the image of

Jacob

below.

They wished

the angels

to harm him

Jacob out of jealousy.

Immediately—

“And behold, the Lord stood over him”

to protect him.

Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: Were it not for a verse that is written, it would be impossible to say this!

The Holy One, blessed be He, stood to protect him

like a person who fans

with a fan

over his son,

to cool him from the heat.

And we raise a question concerning that which is written:

“The land upon which you lie

—to you I shall give it and to your descendants.”

What is its significance

in the promise to give him the small area upon which he was lying?!

And we answer:

Rabbi Yitzḥak said: This teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, folded the entire Land of Israel and placed it beneath our patriarch Jacob,

so that

it would be easy for his descendants to conquer,

as though it consisted only of the four cubits upon which he was lying.

It is written:

“He said to him: Release me, for dawn has risen.”

Jacob said to the angel: Are you

a thief or a kubiostos

a kidnapper

who are afraid of dawn?

He said to him: I am an angel! And from the day I was created, my time to recite song had not arrived until now,

and therefore I ask you to release me.

And this statement, that the angels recite song only once,

supports the statement of Rav Ḥananel in the name of Rav.

For Rav Ḥananel said in the name of Rav: Three divisions of ministering angels recite song every day. One says, “Holy,” one says, “Holy,” and one says, “Holy is the Lord of Hosts.”

The text raises an objection

to Rav Ḥananel from that which was taught in a beraita:

Israel are more beloved before the Holy One, blessed be He, than the ministering angels! For Israel recite song at every moment, whereas the ministering angels recite song only once a day.

And some say: Once a week,

during the week.

And some say: Once a month.

And some say: Once a year.

And some say: Once a week

every seven years.

And some say: Once in a Jubilee.

And some say: Once in all eternity!

And furthermore, Israel are more beloved than the ministering angels:

Israel mention the Name after only two words,

alone,

as it is stated: “Hear, Israel, the Lord.” And

whereas

the ministering angels mention the Name only after three words

of praise,

as it is written

in the angels’ song:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts.” And the ministering angels do not recite song above until Israel recite it below. As it is stated,

first:

“When the morning stars sang together,”

for these are Israel, who are compared to stars.

And afterward

it is written:

“And all the sons of God shouted for joy,”

for these are the angels.

Thus, the angels mention the Name only after three words, and this is difficult for Rav Ḥananel in the name of Rav, who said that they say, “Holy is the Lord of Hosts.”

And we answer:

Rather,

this is what Rav Ḥananel said in the name of Rav:

One says, “Holy,” one says, “Holy, holy,” and one says, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts.”

The difficulty still remains:

But there is “Blessed

be the glory of the Lord,” in which the angels mention the Name after only two words?