“In Jacob’s dream, the angels ascend first to indicate the ideal way to approach Hashem: by arousing ourselves from below. If we feel that we are unable to motivate ourselves sufficiently, we need to pray to Hashem to arouse us. However, sometimes, Hashem does not wait for us to make the first move; rather, He sends us unmistakable signs or messages that arouse us to new levels of spiritual awareness.

As Jacob lay and dreamt that night, he was receiving Divine instruction from the ‘angels of Hashem’. His dream was a projection from below of his hopes and fears, his thoughts and anxieties, as he faced the future. From above, Hashem was sending messages of comfort and revelation.”