He came upon a certain place and stopped there for the night, for the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of that place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place.
וַיִּשְׁכַּב בַּמָּקוֹם הַהוּא, רַבִּי יְהוּדָה וְרַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה, רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר כָּאן שָׁכַב אֲבָל כָּל אַרְבַּע עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה שֶׁהָיָה טָמוּן בְּבֵית עֵבֶר לֹא שָׁכָב. וְרַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה אָמַר כָּאן שָׁכַב, אֲבָל כָּל עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה שֶׁעָמַד בְּבֵיתוֹ שֶׁל לָבָן לֹא שָׁכָב, וּמָה הָיָה אוֹמֵר, רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי אָמַר חֲמֵשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת שֶׁבְּסֵפֶר תְּהִלִּים, מַאי טַעְמֵיהּ (תהלים קכד, א): שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת לְדָוִד לוּלֵי ה' שֶׁהָיָה לָנוּ יֹאמַר נָא יִשְׂרָאֵל, יִשְׂרָאֵל סָבָא. רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן אָמַר כָּל סֵפֶר תְּהִלִּים הָיָה אוֹמֵר, מַה טַּעַם (תהלים כב, ד): וְאַתָּה קָדוֹשׁ יוֹשֵׁב תְּהִלּוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל, יִשְׂרָאֵל סָבָא.
"...and lay down in that place." Rabbi Yehudah and Rabbi Nechemia offer two interpretations: Rabbi Yehudah said, "Here he lay down, but the 14 years that he was immersed in the Yeshiva of Shem v'Ever, he never lay down [to sleep].
Rabbi Nechemia said, "Here he lay down, but for the entire 20 years that he spent in the house of Lavan, he never lay down [to sleep].
What did he say [during that time]? Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said that Yaakov recited the 15 chapters of "Shir Hamaalot" in Tehillim. Why? As the verse (Tehillim 124:1) states, "A song of ascents by David. Were it not for the Lord Who was with us-let Israel declare;" Israel refers to Israel/Jacob.
Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman said that Yaakov recited the entire Tehillim [during that time]. Why? As the verse (Tehillim 22:4) states, "Yet You, Holy One, are enthroned upon the praises of Israel;" Israel refers to Israel/Jacob.