Kabbalah Library

65. It is written, “the land on which you lie.” This teaches that He folded for him the Land of Israel. It was the actual Temple, and he was told about it. He lied on it, as it is written, “and he lied down in that place.”

66. Of the three patriarchs, not one of them was told about the Temple, except for Jacob, the third patriarch. Corresponding to these three: Yishai [Jesse], David, Solomon, the third one built it.

67. Jacob, the third one, was told about Solomon, the third one, that he would build it. One loved women, and the other loved women; one maintained his innocence, and the other did not maintain his innocence, as it is written, “For when Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart.”

68. It is written, “Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.” “Beautiful in elevation” is Jerusalem, which is sweet to the soul and a healing to the bone, as it is written, “Your lips drip sweet honey.”

69. All the beauty in the land of Egypt were Nof [Memphis] and Tahpanes. Nof was the best of all, as it was in 395 decorations of beauty. But Zion was greater in beauty and majesty than Nof. Why was its name called Zion? It is like the Tziun [mark] that stands as a miracle to look at.

70. She was greater in beauty than Nof, as it is written, “Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, Mount Zion on the north side,” for anyone who saw it was glad. A person never entered Jerusalem and was sad, to observe what is written, “the joy of the whole earth.”

71. When Jacob lied down on it, his mind was at ease, and the Shechina was revealed to him and spoke with him, which was not so before. Until Jacob stood in that day, the Shechina was had not been revealed to him.

72. When Jacob saw this, he knew that the place had caused him and he awoke from his sleep, and feared that it was another thing, and he lied down as before. The Creator said to him, “Jacob, this is not so, I am the Lord, God of Abraham your father, and God of Isaac. Also, the land on which you lie, to you I will give it, and to your descendants, and I will not be revealed to another nation, in the revelation of the Shechina on the earth.”

73. What is “on which you lie”? As you lie down on it and prophesy is with you, so will prophesy be with your descendants, and not with another nation.

74. It is written, “Should the wicked be pardoned without learning justice?” Woe if the wicked is pardoned in this world. This is the progeny of wicked Esau. And why do they have favor and mercy? It is because Jacob’s descendants did not learn justice, as it is written, “In the land of uprightness he will deal unjustly,” which is Jerusalem, a land of uprightness.

75. The air of the Land of Israel is waiting, and it implies a prophesy. Esau’s descendants will corrupt the air and the prophesy because the descendants of Jacob did not see the pride of the Creator and do not engage in Torah. This is why the wicked will be pardoned and will corrupt the goodness of the land and the prophesy. “The wicked will be pardoned” are the nations of the world that have governance in this world because Israel did not learn justice.