Meeting The Place

"And he encountered the place" (Genesis 28:11). Rav Huna in the name of Rabbi Ami said: Why do they call the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, by the name "Place"? Because He is the place of the world, but His world is not His place. From what is written, "Behold, there is a place with Me" (Exodus 33:21), the Holy One, blessed be He, is the place of the world, but His world is not His place. Rabbi Yitzchak said: It is written, "a dwelling is the God of old" (Deuteronomy 33:27). We do not know whether the Holy One, blessed be He, is the dwelling of His world or His world is His dwelling. From what is written, "O LORD, You have been a dwelling place for us" (Psalms 90:1), the Holy One, blessed be He, is the dwelling of His world, but His world is not His dwelling. Rabbi Abba bar Yudan said: This is like a mighty man who rides upon a horse, with his gear hanging down on this side and that side. The horse is subordinate to the rider, and the rider is not subordinate to the horse, as it is said, "when You ride upon Your horses" (Habakkuk 3:8). Another interpretation: What is "and he encountered"? It means he prayed. "At the place" means he prayed at the Temple. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: The early patriarchs instituted three prayers. Abraham instituted the morning prayer, Isaac instituted the afternoon prayer, Jacob instituted the evening prayer, as it is said, "and he encountered the place," and "encountering" means nothing other than prayer.