Vayeitzei 5782 - God was here

(יג) וְהִנֵּ֨ה יְהֹוָ֜ה נִצָּ֣ב עָלָיו֮ וַיֹּאמַר֒ אֲנִ֣י יְהֹוָ֗ה אֱלֹהֵי֙ אַבְרָהָ֣ם אָבִ֔יךָ וֵאלֹהֵ֖י יִצְחָ֑ק הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֤ר אַתָּה֙ שֹׁכֵ֣ב עָלֶ֔יהָ לְךָ֥ אֶתְּנֶ֖נָּה וּלְזַרְעֶֽךָ׃ (יד) וְהָיָ֤ה זַרְעֲךָ֙ כַּעֲפַ֣ר הָאָ֔רֶץ וּפָרַצְתָּ֛ יָ֥מָּה וָקֵ֖דְמָה וְצָפֹ֣נָה וָנֶ֑גְבָּה וְנִבְרְכ֥וּ בְךָ֛ כׇּל־מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת הָאֲדָמָ֖ה וּבְזַרְעֶֽךָ׃ (טו) וְהִנֵּ֨ה אָנֹכִ֜י עִמָּ֗ךְ וּשְׁמַרְתִּ֙יךָ֙ בְּכֹ֣ל אֲשֶׁר־תֵּלֵ֔ךְ וַהֲשִׁ֣בֹתִ֔יךָ אֶל־הָאֲדָמָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את כִּ֚י לֹ֣א אֶֽעֱזָבְךָ֔ עַ֚ד אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִם־עָשִׂ֔יתִי אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי לָֽךְ׃ (טז) וַיִּיקַ֣ץ יַעֲקֹב֮ מִשְּׁנָתוֹ֒ וַיֹּ֕אמֶר אָכֵן֙ יֵ֣שׁ יְהֹוָ֔ה בַּמָּק֖וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה וְאָנֹכִ֖י לֹ֥א יָדָֽעְתִּי׃ (יז) וַיִּירָא֙ וַיֹּאמַ֔ר מַה־נּוֹרָ֖א הַמָּק֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה אֵ֣ין זֶ֗ה כִּ֚י אִם־בֵּ֣ית אֱלֹהִ֔ים וְזֶ֖ה שַׁ֥עַר הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃

Genesis 28:13-17

(13) And the LORD was standing beside him and He said, “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac: the ground on which you are lying I will assign to you and to your offspring. (14) Your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All the families of the earth shall bless themselves by you and your descendants. (15) Remember, I am with you: I will protect you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” (16) Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the LORD is present in this place, and I did not know it!” (17) Shaken, he said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the abode of God, and that is the gateway to heaven.”

Jacob has not been a good guy. Rabbi Amy Scheinerman in VOT: V2 explains "Jacob has been grasping, snatching, and seizing from the moment he emerged from Rebekah's womb holding the heel of his brother....Jacob is demanding: 'Sell me your birthright' (Gen. 25:31). 'Sit up and eat my game so you can give me your innermost blessing' (27:19). 'Give me my wife' (29:21). 'Give me my wives and my children...that I may go' (30:26)." While this dream sequence occurs in the middle of the demands Rabbi Scheinerman points out, I think it is important to look at the impact the dream had on him.

וַיֹּ֕אמֶר אָכֵן֙ יֵ֣שׁ יְהֹוָ֔ה בַּמָּק֖וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה

Surely God was in this place

אור החיים על בראשית כ״ח:ט״ז:ג׳

ואומרו יש ה' פי' שם הוא מקום שבו ה' מצוי תמיד יותר מכל המקומות, ואשר לזה רצה ה' לדבר אתו שם מדי עוברו שמה, ואמר ואנכי לא ידעתי קודם טעם הדבר כי אם היה יודע היה מכין עצמו לנבואה כי הנבואה צריכה הכנה כידוע. ואפשר אם היה מכין עצמו היה מתנבא בהקיץ ולא בחלום ידבר בו, ולזה מתאונן על מה שלא השכיל על דבר. ורש"י ז"ל פי' ואם ידעתי לא ישנתי במקום קדוש ע"כ. ואם לזה לבד נתכוין נאמר אליו ואם לא ישנת לא היית חולם חלום נבואיי בכל ההבטחות, ובהכרח להשלים הכוונה במה שפירשתי:

Or HaChaim on Genesis 28:16:3

When Jacob said: that God is in this place, he meant that God is present at this site all the time, in contrast to other sites. This is why God wanted him to spend the night there in order to communicate with him there. Jacob apologized for not having prepared himself for a divine revelation; had he been aware of the significance of that site he would surely have done so....

אבן עזרא על בראשית כ״ח:ט״ז:א׳

אכן יש ה'. הטעם בעבור שימצאו מקומות יראו שם נסים. ולא אוכל לפרש למה זה כי סוד מופלא הוא:

Ibn Ezra on Genesis 28:16:1

The meaning of Jacob’s statement is that there are places where miracles are seen...

ואנכי לא ידעתי

And I did not know it

רש"י על בראשית כ״ח:ט״ז:א׳

ואנכי לא ידעתי. שֶׁאִם יָדַעְתִּי, לֹא יָשַׁנְתִּי בְּמָקוֹם קָדוֹשׁ כָּזֶה:

Rashi on Genesis 28:16:1

— for had I known it I would not have slept in such a holy place as this.

ספורנו על בראשית כ״ח:ט״ז:ב׳

ואנכי לא ידעתי שאלו ידעתי הייתי מכין עצמי לנבואה ולא כן עשיתי:

Sforno on Genesis 28:16:2

if I had realized the special distinction of this site I would have prepared myself mentally for receiving these Divine insights.

ויירא ויאמר

Shaken, he said

רד"ק על בראשית כ״ח:י״ז:א׳

ויירא ויאמר, ירא בעצמו על אשר שכב שם, אולי לא התנהג בענוה ובצניעות בשכבו שם:

Radak on Genesis 28:17:1

he was concerned for himself fearing that he might have done something which one is not allowed to do in a holy place. Perhaps while he had been asleep and unable to control his movements, he had behaved in a manner unbefitting such a sacred location.

ספורנו על בראשית כ״ח:י״ז:א׳

ויירא על שגגתו:

Sforno on Genesis 28:17:1

He was afraid. Because of the disrespect he had inadvertently shown by sleeping there.

Was Jacob really scared because he hadn't prepared himself? Or was Jacob scared that he actually encountered God?
I believe that it is the latter. He is scared because Jacob knows that God is aware of all the bad things he has done prior. But Jacob thinks God is only in that one location so continues with his not great behavior and, in many ways, is punished. Think of his staying at Laban's house for extra time; marrying Leah, the sister of his love before he could marry Rebecca; his favorite son, Joseph, getting sold (he thinks killed); his other sons getting in trouble (by Joseph); etc.
I think this dream is a reminder that God is everywhere, not just this one site and that Jacob didn't take it seriously and should really be scared. God gives him the opportunity to change his ways. Jacob doesn't take it.