<b>He dreamed, and behold, a ladder set upon the earth; and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold, the angels of God ascending and descending on it (Gen. 28:12).</b> R. Samuel the son of Nahman declared: These were the guardian angels of the idolatrous nations. He explained further: This verse teaches us that the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Jacob, our father, the guardian angel of Babylon ascending seventy rungs of the ladder and descending, the guardian angel of Media ascending fifty-two rungs of the ladder and descending, the guardian angel of Greece ascending one hundred rungs of the ladder and descending, and the guardian angel of Edom ascending the ladder.<sup class="footnote-marker">2</sup><i class="footnote">The ascent and descent of the guardian angels foretold the rise and fall of the nations they represented. Note that the text does not depict the guardian angel of Edom, i.e., Rome, as descending.</i> Jacob did not know how many rungs of the ladder the guardian angel of Edom mounted, and he therefore cried out in terror: Perhaps Edom will never be compelled to descend. The Holy One, blessed be He, then said to him: <i>Fear thou not, O Jacob, My servant; neither be dismayed, O Israel</i> (Jer. 30:10), for even though you see him ascending unto My throne as though that were possible, I will cast him down, as is said: <i>Though thou wert to rise as high as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the Lord</i> (Obad. 4).
R. Berechiah, in the name of R. Helbo, and R. Simeon the son of Yosinah maintained: This verse indicates that the Holy One, blessed be He, who showed our patriarch Jacob the guardian angel of Babylon ascending and descending, the guardian angel of Media ascending and descending, the guardian angel of Greece ascending and descending, and the guardian angel of Edom also ascending and descending. The Holy One, blessed be He, then said to Jacob: Why do you not ascend? Whereupon our patriarch Jacob became distressed and asked: Shall I too be forced to descend just as these are? The Holy One, blessed be He, responded: If you ascend, you will not be compelled to descend. Nevertheless, he did not ascend, for his faith was not sufficiently strong.
R. Simeon the son of Yosinah interpreted the verse <i>For all this they sinned still, and believed not in His wondrous works</i> (Ps. 78:32) as follows: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Jacob: If you had ascended and trusted Me, you would never have been compelled to descend, but since you did not have faith, your descendants will be oppressed by these four kingdoms with imposts, taxes on their crops, and poll-tax. Will this oppression continue forever? Jacob cried out. And the Holy One, blessed be He, replied: <i>And thou, do not fear, O My servant Jacob; neither be dismayed, O Israel; for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return and sit in quiet and ease, and none shall make him afraid</i> (Jer. 30:10). <i>I will save thee from the land of thy captivity</i>, from Gaul, Spain, and its neighbors. <i>And Jacob shall return</i> from Babylon; <i>and sit in quiet</i>, from Media; <i>and ease</i>, from Greece; <i>and none shall make him afraid</i> refers to Edom, <i>for I will make an end of all the nations, whither I have scattered thee, yet of thee I will not make an end</i> (ibid., v. 11). That is to say, <i>I will make an end of all the nations</i> that reap their fields completely, but since (the people of) Israel do not reap their fields completely,<sup class="footnote-marker">3</sup><i class="footnote"><i>Thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of your field</i> (Lev. 19:9–10).</i> of thee <i>I will not make an end</i>. However, I will punish you, O Israel, in this world in order to cleanse you of your iniquities for the sake of the world-to-come. Hence it is said: <i>And he dreamed</i>.