Meeting with God – Vayyetzei
Jacob praying for protection, from Doré’s English Bible, 1866
A rabbinic interpretation of the Hebrew is “He encountered God”, since HaMakom is one of ninety-odd rabbinic names for the Almighty.
Literally it means “The Place”, since it indicates that there is no place where God cannot be found. He is Omnipresent, always there, present in every moment of life and every corner of the universe.
The Bible says (Isa. 55:6), “Seek the Lord b’hi’matz’o – wherever He may be found”. Some say that the Hebrew does not indicate “wherever” but “whenever”. Both alternatives mean much the same thing, i.e. that God is always accessible.
