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Meir Leibush ben Yehiel Michel Wisser (March 7, 1809 – September 18, 1879), better known as the Malbim (Hebrew: מלבי”ם), was a rabbi, master of Hebrew grammar, and Bible commentator. The name Malbim was derived from the Hebrew initials of his name. He used this acronym as his surname in all his published works, and became known by it in common usage.
Malbim was born in Volochysk, Volhynia to Yehiel Michel Wisser. His father educated him in Hebrew and the Talmud. After being orphaned as a child, Meïr was cared for and educated by his stepfather, Rabbi Leib of Volochysk.
At the age of 13, he went to study in Warsaw where he became known as “the iluy from Volhynia.” He showed talent from his early childhood, and his works indicate that he had a considerable knowledge of secular sciences and history. From 1838 to 1845 he served as rabbi of Wreschen. In the latter year he was called to the rabbinate of Kempen, where he remained until 1859. He was thereafter also known as der Kempener Magid.
In 1859, Malbim became chief rabbi of Bucharest, Romania. He had disagreements with the upper class and educated Jews there, some of them Austrian citizens (called in Romanian sudiţi), led by the noted Dr. Iuliu Barasch. They wanted to introduce changes in the spirit of modern European life into the life of the local Jewry, as was done in some Reform congregations. Malbim defended the traditional style of Orthodox Judaism, which demanded strict adherence to Jewish law and tradition. He rejected almost all suggestions to edit the Siddur, give up beards or make other changes in exterior appearance, or to make other changes in observance.
Malbim opposed construction of the big Choral Temple, to be equipped with a choir and organ, similar to the Great Synagogue of Leopoldstadt in Vienna. He thought this was too Christian in style. In 1864 the Choral Temple became the main neo-orthodox synagogue in Romania. He also condemned the founding (before he arrived) of the first two elementary schools in Bucharest for Jewish children to offer a general knowledge curriculum. In this period Romanian officials encouraged such efforts to integrate the Jews into mainstream Romanian life.
Malbim’s insistence on adhering to the halakha resulted in portions of the religious personnel (shochtim, dayanim) to become hostile to him. By their frequent complaints, his opponents almost succeeded in having him sent to prison. Malbim was freed through the intervention of Sir Moses Montefiore, but it was upon the condition that he leave Romania.
Malbim went to Constantinople and complained to the Turkish government, but obtained no satisfaction. After staying six months in Paris, he went to Lunshitz, in Russian Poland, as successor to his deceased father-in-law, Hayyim Auerbach (1866). Shortly afterwards he became rabbi at Kherson, and thence was called to the rabbinate of Mogilev, on the Dnieper (1870). There, too, he was a staunch supporter of Judaism and was resented by the richer Jews; they denounced him as a political criminal, and the governor of Moghilev forced him to leave the town.
Malbim went to Königsberg as chief rabbi of the Polish community, but he continued to have conflict with Reform Jews. Malbim visited Vilna in 1879, where the community would have appointed him rabbi, but the governor of Vilna opposed the election. He did not want to sanction the appointment of a rabbi who had been expelled from Moghilev as a political criminal. Malbim declined an offer to be chief rabbi of the Orthodox in New York City.[1] In September 1879, Malbim was traveling to Kremenchuk, where he had been called as rabbi, when he fell sick. He died on Rosh HaShanah, 1 Tishrei 5640 at Kiev.
Main Text
Concerning heaven kissing earth:
ויירא. על כן התירא מאד מקדושת המקום, ואמר מה נורא המקום הזה, ומזה ידע שהסולם רומז ג”כ למקום המקדש, כמ”ש חז”ל במד’, והוא המקום שהראה ההוא טעיא לרבב”ח (רבה בר בר חנה) תא אחוי לך היכא דנשקי ארעא ורקיעא אהדדי שהוא המקדש שהוא הסולם המוצב ארצה וראשו מגיע השמימה. ושם אמר חזינא דעביד כוי כוי שהם חלוני שקופים אטומים, שהיו מוציאין את האור האלהי לחוץ על כל העולם, עד שמלאכי אלהים השלוחים מאתו לפרנס את העולם כולו עולים ויורדים בו, כי מערכת הרקיע עולה ויורד, שע”ז המליץ במאמר הזה מ”ש אזילנא ואנחנא לסלתאי ביני גלגלא אדמצלינא בעיתא ולא אשכחא א”ל מאי האי א”ל גלגלא דרקיעא הוא דהדר, ר”ל שנסה למצוא מזונותיו ע”י הגלגלים והמערכת, וראה שהגם שהתפלל על הפרנסה לא מצא פרנסתו, כי בני חיי ומזוני לאו בזכותא תליא אלא במזלא תליא, וא”ל הטעיא משום שהגלגל חזר במסבתו, כמ”ש גלגל הוא שחוזר בעולם, וכמ”ש שהקב”ה עושה סולמות ברקיע מוריש לזה ומעשיר לזה, שהוא הסולם שע”י הגלגל והמערכת שהוא חוזר תמיד ועליונים יורדים למטה. אבל סולם של יעקב שהוא המקדש שבו נושקים ארעא ורקיעא אהדדי יתנהג ע”י מלאכי ה’ ושלוחיו ההשגחיים שהם עולים תחלה ע”י מעשה העבודה הנעשה בבית הנבחר, ומורידים אח”כ השפע למטה. וע”כ אמרמה נורא המקום הזה אין זה כי אם בית אלהים ששם ישב אלהים על הארץ, ונגדו פתוח שער השמים שדרך שם יעלו התפלות והמע”ט לשמים להריק ברכת ה’* וכבר בארנו כמה פעמים שכל מה שאירע להאבות היה סימן לבניהם, כי כל מה שיקרה לענפים היה בכח בהשרש, וכמ”ש חז”ל להראות שכל מה שקרה להאבות היה מורה אל העתידות העתידים עורר לויתן או שמחה וגיל לבניהם, ואחרי שישראל היו מעותדים להיות בגולה בארצות אויביהם בג’ גליות. והגלות האחרון יחסו ליעקב כמ”ש הרמב”ן וחכמי לב, שנפשו משוטטת עם זרעו בגלותם, כמ”ש הנני מושיעך מרחוק ואת זרעך כמ”ש חז”ל, נרשם גלות זה מראש צורים בגלותו אל פדן ארם. ורמז זה במ”ש ויצא יעקב וילן שם כי בא השמש. כי גלות זה היה לילה ארוכה ואפלה מנודח, כמ”ש אלי קורא משעיר שומר מה מלילה. ושם נפחה נפשה, באה שמש הצלחתה בעוד יומם, וכן שקעה לו חמה שלא בעונתה. וכן אמר במדרש ריב”ל פתר קריא בגלות ויצא יעקב הה”ד ויצא מבת ציון כל הדרה. ויען שגלות זה היה בעון שנאת חנם, ואי אפשר שיגאלו רק עד שיתאחדו לגוי אחד כמ”ש לקח עץ אחד וכו’ וקרב אותם אחד אל אחד וכו’, לזה עשה לו סימן אם יתאחדו האבנים אבני שבטי יה לאבן אחד. וישכב במקום ההוא לרמז שנשמת יעקב תהיה עמם בגלותם, והראו לו בחלומו בית השלישי נכון בראש ההרים עד שסולם ההשגחי יהיה עקרו בארץ, כמ”ש והתהלכתי בתוככם, ומלה”ש יקחו שפעם מן העולם התחתון, וע”ז מלאכי אלהים עולים תחלה אח”כ יורדים, וה’ נצב עליו בקביעות שלא יחרב עוד, והודיעו לו שהארץ הזאת תהיה מתנה עולמית מבלי הפסק, גם הודיע שתבא עת שיהיה זרעך כעפר הארץ, היינו שיהיו בתכלית השפלות, וזה יהיה לטובתם שע”י כן יתפזרו בכל רוחות העולם וכל משפחות האדמה יתברכו על ידם, שבעודם בארץ גלותם יודע לכל העמים על ידם אמונה האמתיית ויקראו כולם בשם ה’ אל עולם. והנה אנכי עמך ושמרתיך בל תכלה בין האומות, ולבסוף והשיבותיך אל האדמה הזאת כשתגיע עת דודים ותור הגאולה, וע”ז אמר יעקב, אכן יש ה’ במקום הזה אין זה כי אם בית אלהים, לא כאברהם ויצחק שקראו לשני הבתים הראשונים הר ושדה על שעתידים ליחרב, כי זה נקרא בית כי יהיה מכון לשבתו עולמים, והוא יהיה שער השמים, ואז ראה שיתאחדו כל האבנים לאבן אחד, ועז”א ויקח את האבן::
Source: Sefaria
English Translation
Here’s the translation into Yeshivish Normal English:
And he was afraid – That’s why Yaakov was very nispael from the kedusha of the place and said, “How awesome is this place!” From here, he realized that the sulam (ladder) also hints to the Makom HaMikdash, as Chazal say in the Midrash. This is the same place that the Arab traveler showed Rabbah bar bar Chana, saying, “Come, I’ll show you where shamayim and aretz kiss each other”—which refers to the Beis HaMikdash. That’s the sulam that is “mutzav artza v’rosho magia hashamayma” (set on the earth with its top reaching the heavens).
Over there, Rabbah bar bar Chana said that he saw it appearing “like ko’i ko’i”—meaning, he saw chalonei shkufim atumim (transparent yet opaque windows), which spread the ohr Eloki (Divine light) out to the entire world. This is how the malachim of Hashem, who are the shluchim to be mashpia parnassah to the world, were going up and down on it—because the ma’areches of the heavens is constantly moving up and down.
This is what was meant in that famous aggadeta, where someone was looking for parnassah and didn’t find it, and the Arab explained to him that the galgal of the heavens is what turns, and not everything comes from zechus but rather from mazal. The idea is that the mazal is what turns everything around—“Hashem makes sulamos in the heavens, lowering one and raising another.” That’s the regular sulam—where things go in cycles, one up, one down.
But Yaakov’s sulam, which is the Beis HaMikdash, is different. That’s where shamayim and aretz truly kiss each other—where the hashgacha pratis runs things. Over there, the malachim first go up—meaning, the avodah done in the Beis HaMikdash is what starts the process—and only then they come down, bringing the shefa down from shamayim.
That’s why Yaakov said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of Hashem!” Meaning, this is the place where Hashem sits on this world. And opposite it, the Shaar Hashamayim is open—through which tefillos and ma’asim tovim go up to bring bracha down.
And like we’ve explained many times, whatever happened to the Avos was a siman for the Banim—since everything that happens to the anafim (branches) was already there in the shoresh (roots). Chazal already said that whatever happened to the Avos is a remez for the future—whether it’s about galus, or simcha and geulah.
Now, since Klal Yisroel was destined to go into Galus, into the lands of their enemies, in three separate galuyos, and the final galus is uniquely connected to Yaakov Avinu—as the Ramban and other chachmei lev explain that his neshama is mashgiach on Klal Yisroel in galus—Hashem already showed him this in advance, right here when he left for Padan Aram.
That’s why it says “Vayeitzei Yaakov…” and that he slept there because the sun had set—because this galus would be a long and dark night, a time of exile and suffering. Like the pasuk says, “A voice calls out from Se’ir: ‘Shomer, what will be with this night?'” This is where Klal Yisroel’s strength faded, where their sun set before its time.
That’s why Rabi Yehoshua ben Levi explained this whole parsha as referring to galus—where Yaakov leaving hints to the pasuk, “The glory of Bas Tzion has left”.
Since this galus came because of sinas chinam, and the only way out is through achdus—as it says, “Take one piece of wood and bring it close to the other, until they become one”—Hashem made it a siman for Yaakov: If the twelve stones of the Shivtei Kah would unite into one stone, then Klal Yisroel would eventually unite too.
That’s why he slept there—as a remez that his neshama would be with them throughout their galus. And in his dream, Hashem showed him the third Beis HaMikdash, standing firm on top of the mountains—where the sulam of hashgacha would be firmly rooted in this world, as it says, “I will walk among you.”
The malachim would be taking the shefa from below, from the avodah of Yisroel, and then bringing it back down as bracha. That’s why the malachim first go up, then come down—and Hashem Himself is standing over the sulam permanently, since this Beis HaMikdash will never be destroyed.
Hashem also promised him that Eretz Yisroel will remain ours forever, never to be taken away. And that even though Klal Yisroel will hit rock bottom—“Your children will be like the dust of the earth”—this will ultimately be for their benefit, because it will cause them to spread across the world and bring knowledge of Hashem to all nations.
Hashem promised: “I am with you, and I will protect you so that you will never be lost among the nations”—and in the end, “I will bring you back to this land”, when the time of Geulah arrives.
That’s why Yaakov said: “Achein yesh Hashem bamakom hazeh!” This Beis HaMikdash will be different from the first two. Unlike Avraham, who called it a mountain, or Yitzchak, who called it a field—terms that hinted to their eventual destruction—Yaakov called it a “Bayis”, because this one will last forever.
And this Beis HaMikdash will be the true Shaar Hashamayim—the gate to heaven. That’s when Yaakov saw that all the stones had become one—a remez to the unity of Klal Yisroel in the future.
And that’s why it says “Vayikach es ha’even…”—because now it was one stone, not many.
