It is written: “Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand…? He who has clean hands…. He will receive the blessing from the Lord…” (Psalms 24:3–5).2These phrases are all interpreted as applying to Jacob.
The first, “who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?” is an allusion to the verse: “Arise, ascend to Bet El” (Genesis 35:1) (Etz Yosef; see Midrash Tehillim 24:9). It is written: “So said the Lord of hosts, God of Israel: They will again say…the Lord will bless you, abode of righteousness, mountain of sanctity…” (Jeremiah 31:23).3The blessing mentioned in this verse, which refers to the God of Israel, is understood as applying to Jacob, also known as Israel (Etz Yosef).
It is written: “A man of faith will abound with blessings” (Proverbs 28:20) – this is Jacob. “And one who hastens to become rich will not be absolved” (Proverbs 28:20) – this is Esau. It is written: “The blessing of the Lord, it will enrich” (Proverbs 10:22). “And one who hastens to become rich will not become rich” is not written here, but rather, “will not be absolved” – this is the wicked Esau, who married Yehudit, Basmat, and Maḥalat in order to increase wealth; he will never be cleansed.
It is written: “I will cleanse; their blood I will not cleanse” (Joel 4:21) – that is what is written: “For his pursuit of his brother with the sword; and suppressing his mercy” (Amos 1:11). “God appeared to Jacob again, upon his arrival.” Rabbi Yitzḥak began: “You shall craft for Me a stone altar…[I will come to you and I will bless you]” (Exodus 20:21) – the matters can be derived a fortiori: If one who crafts an altar to My name, I appear to him and bless him, Jacob, whose image is fixed on My throne, all the more so.
“God appeared to Jacob.” Rabbi Levi began: “And a bull and a ram for a peace offering…[for today the Lord shall appear to you” (Leviticus 9:4) – the matters can be derived a fortiori: If one who sacrifices a ram to my name, I appear to him and bless him, Jacob, whose image is fixed on My throne, all the more so. “God appeared” – “Blessed are you upon your arrival, and blessed are you upon your departure” (Deuteronomy 28:6).
Upon his arrival at his father-in-law’s house, he was laden with blessings: “May God Almighty bless you…” (Genesis 28:3), and upon his departure from his father-in-law’s house, he was laden with blessings: “God appeared to Jacob…[and He blessed him].” “Who confirms the word of His servant and fulfills the counsel of His messengers” (Isaiah 44:26) – Rabbi Berekhya said in the name of Rabbi Levi: When He “confirms the word of his servant,” do we not know that He “fulfills the counsel of His messengers”?
It indicates that one angel appeared to Jacob our patriarch and said to him: ‘The Holy One blessed be He is destined to appear to you in Beit El and change your name, and I am destined to be standing there.’ That is what is written: “In Beit El He will find us and there He will speak with us” (Hosea 12:5) – “will speak with you” is not written here, but rather, “there He will speak with us.” The Holy One blessed be He appeared to him to fulfill the angel’s words; [and for] Jerusalem, in whose regard all the prophets prophesy, all the more so that He will fulfill the words of His prophets.