AND HE BUILT THERE AN ALTAR, ETC. There is no mention here of libation or offering. The reason is that Jacob’s intention was only to complete the grade which required completion, to wit, to join the lower grade, referred to by the word “altar”, to the upper, referred to by the word “Lord”. Hence he only built an altar and did not offer drink-offerings or burnt-offerings. AND CALLED THE PLACE EL-BETH-EL : a name analogous to the Most High Name, inasmuch as when there is a plenitude of light, then “like mother, like daughter, the two becoming one.
BECAUSE THERE GOD WAS (lit. were) REVEALED UNTO HIM : the word Elohim (God) here is an allusion to the seventy who are always attendant on the Shekinah, there being seventy thrones round the Shekinah. Hence: “there God was revealed unto him”, indicating the same place of which it is written: “And behold, the Lord stood beside him” (Gen. XXVffl, 13).
וַיִּבֶן שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ וְגו', תָּא חֲזֵי, כְּתִיב וַיִּבֶן שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ, וְלָא כְּתִיב (בהני מדבחן) דְּאַסִּיק עֲלֵיהּ נִסְכִין וְעֲלָוָון, אֶלָּא בְּגִין דְּאַתְקִין הַהוּא דַרְגָּא דְּאִתְחֲזֵי לְאִתְתַּקְּנָא. מִזְבֵּחַ לַיְיָ, לְאַתְקָנָא דַּרְגָּא תַּתָּאָה לְחַבְּרָא לֵיהּ בְּדַרְגָּא עִלָּאָה, וְעַל דָּא וַיִּבֶן שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ דָּא דַרְגָּא תַּתָּאָה. לַיְיָ דָּא דַרְגָּא עִלָּאָה. וַיִּקְרָא לַמָּקוֹם אֵל בֵּית אֵל, שְׁמָא דָא כִּשְׁמָא עִלָּאָה. בְּגִין דְּכַד אִתְנַהֲרָא כְּדֵין כְּאִמָּה בִּתָּהּ וְכֹלָּא חַד.
AND HE BUILT THERE AN ALTAR, ETC. There is no mention here of libation or offering. The reason is that Jacob’s intention was only to complete the grade which required completion, to wit, to join the lower grade, referred to by the word “altar”, to the upper, referred to by the word “Lord”. Hence he only built an altar and did not offer drink-offerings or burnt-offerings. AND CALLED THE PLACE EL-BETH-EL : a name analogous to the Most High Name, inasmuch as when there is a plenitude of light, then “like mother, like daughter, the two becoming one.
כִּי שָׁם נִגְלוּ אֵלָיו הָאֱלהִים, בְּגִין דְּאִינוּן לָא אִשְׁתַּכָּחוּ אֶלָּא בִּשְׁכִינְתָּא, דְּהָא שִׁבְעִין הֲווּ דְּאִינוּן מִשְׁתַּכְּחֵי תָּדִיר בַּהֲדֵי שְׁכִינְתָּא, וְשִׁבְעִין קַתַּדְרָאֵי סַחֲרָנִיהּ דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא. וְעַל דָּא כִּי שָׁם נִגְלוּ אֵלָיו הָאֱלֹהִים בְּאַתְרָא דָא דְּאִתְגַּלְּיָא, דְּהָא כְּתִיב וְהִנֵּה יְיָ נִצָּב עָלָיו:
BECAUSE THERE GOD WAS (lit. were) REVEALED UNTO HIM : the word Elohim (God) here is an allusion to the seventy who are always attendant on the Shekinah, there being seventy thrones round the Shekinah. Hence: “there God was revealed unto him”, indicating the same place of which it is written: “And behold, the Lord stood beside him” (Gen. XXVffl, 13).