In the Biblical account of the story of Jacob`s fascinating dream in which he saw a ladder that was standing on Earth and reaching towards Heaven and Angels of Hashem (G-d) were going up and coming down, the verse states:

And he dreamt, and behold! A ladder was set earthward and its top reached heavenward [Beraishis (Genesis) 28: 12].

 The Jewish Bible commentator, Baal HaTurim, points out that the gematria (numerical value) of the word sulam- ladder, is equal to that of the word kol, voice, which is one hundred thirty. 

From this we may infer an interesting symbolism: Just as the ladder in Jacob`s dream connected the earth to heaven, allowing the angels to ascend and descend on it, so our voice is the vehicle which connects us to heaven, for our prayers ascend and are heard in heaven.

This same symbolism is strikingly expressed in the liturgy of the High Holy days. One of the best-known affirmations of Hashem`s mercy is a boldly simple statement consisting of seven words: U’Teshuvah U’tefilah u’tzedaka - Repentance, prayer and charity mitigate the evil decree. In most prayer books, each of the first three words has a word of explanation printed over it in small print. Over teshuvah, repentance, is the word tzom, fasting; over tefilah, prayer, is kol, voice; and over tzedaka, charity, is mammon, money. The numerical value of each of these explanatory words (without the vav, which may be omitted without changing the meaning) is the same: one hundred thirty! If we would appreciate the power that these means of expression have to convey our needs directly to Hashem, and to arouse His compassion for us, we would certainly approach them far more seriously. 

It should be noted that in order for the above equation to come out, the words must all be written without the Hebrew letter vav, since the Torah spells sulam, ladder, without a vav. We may speculate that the Torah gives this variant spelling so that the value of sulam will equal the word, Sinai, referring to Mt. Sinai – the mountain on which Hashem gave the Torah to the Jewish People. This, we may suggest, is an allusion to that glorious moment in our history when every Jew stood united and received the Torah directly from Hashem Himself. Just as Jacob`s ladder connected him directly to Hashem, the Revelation at Mount Sinai was also a ladder between Heaven and earth. 

(Rabbi Dovid Feinstein, Kol Dodi on the Torah, Mesorah Publications, Brooklyn, New York)