(RNS) — You have, of course, heard many times the story of Jacob’s dream from this week’s Torah portion in the book of Genesis — the famous story of Jacob’s ladder. Jacob has fled from ...

Jacob has fled from the murderous anger of his brother, Esau. He comes to a certain place, and he falls asleep. As he sleeps, he dreams of a ladder that stretches from the earth to the heavens ...

Jacob’s “ladder” has long been an artistic inspiration, but it points to something far deeper. Just as Isaac on the sacrificial altar on Mount Moriah prefigures the future Christ, so, too ...

“The ladder is a symbol of Jacob’s attachment to God,” he explained in a 1966 sermon, “like a ladder, he can make his way, step by step, until he reaches the highest point of communion.” ...