13 HaMakom: Beyond Figure and Ground  One way to look at the
relationship between El and YHVH is that of figure/ground. You
know these images: a graphic that looks like a goblet one moment
and then two people looking at one another the next (to use but
one example). It all depends on how your brain is processing the
information you get from the graphic. What you see—goblet or
people—is figure, what you don’t see is ground. El is what you
see; YHVH is what you don’t. El is figure; YHVH is ground. But
what is the graphic when no one is looking at it?  What is the
graphic when you turn it over so you are no longer creating
figure or ground? This is what I call HaMakom, The Place.
HaMakom is another name for God our ancient rabbis invented, and
it is a brilliant one. God is not “a place” in the universe, but
The Place in which the universe happens. To me this is similar
to St. Paul’s definition of God as that “in whom I live and move
and have my being,” (Acts. 17:28). You can’t image this Place.
It has no shape,