A Divine Place

What can we learn from Jacob’s Dream?

One of the most famous stories in the Book of Genesis, is Jacob’s dream where angels ascend and descend a ladder to heaven. It begins with these words, “He came to a certain place and stopped there for the night, for the sun had set” (Gen. 28:11). In Hebrew, “place” is makom (מקום). Where is this place? It is strange that the Torah, which is usually full of geographical details, does not specify the location. 
   

Place Transcending Space

According to an ancient Jewish interpretation of this verse, the makom which Jacob encountered is not a physical location, but God’s presence itself. The rabbis of the Talmud famously explained, “God is the place of the world, and the world is not His place.” In other words, God cannot be limited to one individual spot. Rather, God transcends space, and he is accessible to all people in all places. 

Discover the depths of the Bible

To this day, it is common to hear Jews refer to God as Ha-Makom (“the place”) in prayer. This name captures God’s eternal vastness, while emphasizing his intimate imminence. We invite you to encounter the Spacious One, by entering the fascinating world of the Hebrew Bible in the original Hebrew. Enroll in our live online Biblical Hebrew course and discover the depth of the Scriptures.