Yaakov awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely Hashem is present in this place, and I did not know it!”Genesis 28:16 (The Israel Bible™)וַיִּיקַץ יַעֲקֹב מִשְּׁנָתוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר אָכֵן יֵשׁ יְהוָה בַּמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה וְאָנֹכִי לֹא יָדָעְתִּיHear the verse in Hebrewva-YEE-ketz ya-a-KOV mee-shna-TO va-YO-mer a-KHEN yesh a-do-NAI ba-ma-KOMha-ZEH ve-ano-KHEE lo ya-DA-tee
The House of the Lord
The above verse describes Yaakov's (Jacob) arrival in Beit El (Bethel). When Yaakovarrives in Beit El, the city near which his grandfather Avraham (Abraham) called to Hashem (God) for the first time in the Land of Israel (Genesis 12:8), he recognizes its unique spiritual character. From that moment on, Beit El appears throughout the Bible as a special location for prayer. The Hebrew name Beit El means “The House of the Lord,” and signifies its powerful purpose. A home protects a person from the elements, extreme temperatures and rain. Similarly, we are meant to view “The House of the Lord” as a safe haven, protecting us from danger and therefore an ideal location for coming close to Hashem.
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