When our patriarch Jacob leaves Beersheba towards Haran, we are told he comes to a “place.” Various commentators explain that this was certainly a place of God. After Jacob dreams about a ladder upon which angels ascend and descend, he remarks, “Surely God is present in this place, and I did not know it!”
But the question remains: how did Jacob know that God was there?
The great Hasidic teacher Sfat Emet expounds, “Through the power of a Jewish soul, holiness can be awakened in the world and time, aligning them with the will of the tzadik.” He conveys that it wasn’t obvious that God was present where Jacob slept. Rather, Jacob’s prayers and internal yearnings opened a window for God to enter, causing even mundane rocks under Jacob’s head to be infused with God’s spirit. The lesson we are meant to internalize is that we have the power to reveal God’s messages wherever we are.
Many wonder when God will speak with them. But the story of Jacob reminds us that God begins to enter the soul when we begin to speak with God. Whether it is before our eyes close to sleep or immediately when we awake, invite God in. God may be everywhere, but it is the unlocking of our own souls that allows Gods presence to be felt.
God is where you are, but it is up to you to let God in.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Nicole Guzik is senior rabbi at Sinai Temple. She can be reached at her Facebook page at Rabbi Nicole Guzik or on Instagram @rabbiguzik. For more writings, visit Rabbi Guzik’s blog section from Sinai Temple’s website.
