“He encountered the place and spent the night there because the sun had set; he took from the stones of the place, which he placed beneath his head, and lay down in that place” (Genesis 28:11). “He encountered [vayifga] the place” – Rav Huna said in the name of Rabbi Ami: Why do they change the name of the Holy One blessed be He and call Him the Omnipresent [hamakom]? It is because He is the place [mekomo] of the world, and His world is not His place.
From what is written: “Behold, there is a place [makom] with Me” (Exodus 33:21) – the Holy One blessed be He is the place of the world, and His world is not His place.11God is not contained in the world, he does not "live" there. He is the "place" of the world. The world exists because of Him. Rabbi Yitzḥak said: It is written: “An abode of the God of eternity” (Deuteronomy 33:27).
We do not know whether the Holy One blessed be He is the abode of the world, or whether the world is His abode. From what is written: “You are an abode for us” (Psalms 90:1) – that is, the Holy One blessed be He is the abode of the world, but His world is not His abode. Rabbi Abba bar Yudan said: This is analogous to a warrior who was riding on a horse, and his garments were flowing to both sides.
The horse is secondary to the rider, but the rider is not secondary to the horse, as it is stated: “You will ride on Your horses” (Habakkuk 3:8). Another matter, what is vayifga? He prayed. “In the place” – he prayed in the Temple.
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: The early patriarchs instituted three prayers: Abraham instituted the morning prayer, as it is stated: “Abraham arose early in the morning to go to the place where he stood…” (Genesis 19:27), and standing is nothing other than prayer, as it is stated: “Pinḥas stood and prayed” (Psalms 106:30). Isaac instituted the afternoon prayer, as it is stated: “Isaac went out walking [lasuaḥ] in the field” (Genesis 24:63), and siḥa is nothing other than prayer, as it is stated: “I will pour out [eshpoḥ] my woe before Him” (Psalms 142:3).
Jacob instituted the evening prayer, as it is stated: “He encountered [vayifga] the place,” and pegia is nothing other than prayer, as it is stated: “You, do not raise a cry [or a prayer] on their behalf, and do not plead with [tifga] Me” (Jeremiah 7:16). Likewise it says: “If they are prophets, and if the word of the Lord is with them, please, let them plead [yifge’u] with the Lord of hosts” (Jeremiah 27:18).
Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: It is corresponding to the three times that the day changes. In the evening, a person must say: ‘May it be Your will, Lord my God, to take me out from darkness to light.’ In the morning, he must say: ‘I give thanks before You, Lord my God, that You have taken me from darkness to light.’ In the afternoon, a person must say: ‘May it be Your will, Lord my God, that just as you accorded me the privilege of seeing the sun in its rising, so You will accord me the privilege to see it in its setting.’
Another matter, “he encountered the place” – the Rabbis say: It is corresponding to the daily offerings.12The midrash is giving an alternative source for the three daily prayers. The morning prayer, corresponding to the daily morning offering; the afternoon prayer, corresponding to the daily afternoon offering; the evening prayer is not obligatory. Rabbi Tanḥuma said: Even the evening prayer is obligatory – corresponding to the limbs and fats that were consumed in the fire on the altar.13The limbs and fats were also consumed in the fire at night.