GENESIS 28:16 – TRANSCENDING THE ‘I’ · Sukkat Shalom B'nei Noach

Discovering Hashem’s Presence through Humility

“Jacob awoke from his sleep, and said: Behold, Hashem is in this place and I did not know” (Genesis 28:16).

According to the Tifferes Shlomo, Jacob is exclaiming that he was able to sense the presence of Hashem in this place because he didn’t recognize or give importance to his “I”. When he took his ego out of the way, there was more space available in his consciousness for the Almighty.

This is how the Maggid of Mezeritch explained the verse (Deuteronomy 5:5) where Moses said: I was standing before Hashem and you at that time…” It is the “I”, the ego, the focus on self, which causes a separation between man and His Creator.

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