What is the significance of the new name that Yaakov gave to Luz (Beis El)?
Rashi: He added the Name of Hashem (Kel) to Beis El, 1 meaning that Hashem had appeared to him in Beis El (on his way to Charan twenty-two years earlier), as the Pasuk goes on to explain.
Seforno: It was not the town that he renamed, but the inn where he stayed on that earlier occasion. 2 And Kel Beis El means the One Who sanctified Beis El. 3
Rashbam: The town was originally called Luz and Yaakov changed its name to Beis El; and it was not the town but the area outside the town (where he had dreamt of the ladder) that he now called Kel Beis El, because up until now Hashem had been with him and helped him.
Refer to 28:19:152:1 and 28:19:152:2.
Malbim: Earlier, Yaakov called the name of his Mizbe'ach, "Kel Elokei Yisrael," for he [mistakenly] thought that he himself causes Shechinah to dwell, wherever he is. Now he understood that the place causes Shechinah to dwell; Hashem would not have appeared to him elsewhere. This is why it says here that he called the place Kel Beis El.
Ha'amek Davar: Kel is the Midah of mercy of Supreme Hashgachah (Mechilta). This is the place where Hashem conducted with him with mercy.
Why is the word "Niglu" written in the plural?
Rashi: We find nouns of authority that are considered plural [regarding people], e.g. 'Adonei ha'Aretz ' and 'Ba'alav.' "Elokim," meaning Master or Judge, is the only Name of Hashem written in the plural. 1
Targum Yonasan: Because it refers (not to Hashem, but) to the angels of Hashem who appeared to him there. Ha'amek Davar - the angels were to oversee and protect him at a time of affliction, when he fled due to Esav - therefore he hopes for salvation also now that he is in affliction.
See, for example, Bereishis 39:20 and Shemos 22:14. Gur Aryeh - Rashi is proving that it is the expression of authority and mastery that causes this Name [Elokim] to be referred to in the plural.
QUESTIONS ON RASHI
Rashi writes: "'Kel Beis El' - Ha'Kadosh Baruch Hu... the revelation of His Presence is in Beis El." Why doesn't Rashi explain that he named the place in order to mention Hashem upon it [as we found earlier, in Rashi to 33:20]?
Gur Aryeh: In 33:20, the Mizbe'ach was named 'Hashem is G-d of Yisrael'; to recall the miracles that Hashem had done for Yisrael. But here, we cannot explain it as 'G-d is [of] Beis El.' Rather, the letter Beis prefix is missing but implied; it means 'G-d is in Beis El.'
