(א) וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר אֱלֹהִ֔ים אֵ֛ת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִ֥ים הָאֵ֖לֶּה לֵאמֹֽר׃ (ס) (ב) אָֽנֹכִ֖י֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑֔יךָ אֲשֶׁ֧ר הוֹצֵאתִ֛יךָ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם מִבֵּ֣֥ית עֲבָדִֽ֑ים׃
(1) And God spoke all these words, saying: (2) I am the LORD thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
(טו) וְכָל־הָעָם֩ רֹאִ֨ים אֶת־הַקּוֹלֹ֜ת וְאֶת־הַלַּפִּידִ֗ם וְאֵת֙ ק֣וֹל הַשֹּׁפָ֔ר וְאֶת־הָהָ֖ר עָשֵׁ֑ן וַיַּ֤רְא הָעָם֙ וַיָּנֻ֔עוּ וַיַּֽעַמְד֖וּ מֵֽרָחֹֽק׃ (טז) וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה דַּבֵּר־אַתָּ֥ה עִמָּ֖נוּ וְנִשְׁמָ֑עָה וְאַל־יְדַבֵּ֥ר עִמָּ֛נוּ אֱלֹהִ֖ים פֶּן־נָמֽוּת׃ (יז) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֣ה אֶל־הָעָם֮ אַל־תִּירָאוּ֒ כִּ֗י לְבַֽעֲבוּר֙ נַסּ֣וֹת אֶתְכֶ֔ם בָּ֖א הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וּבַעֲב֗וּר תִּהְיֶ֧ה יִרְאָת֛וֹ עַל־פְּנֵיכֶ֖ם לְבִלְתִּ֥י תֶחֱטָֽאוּ׃ (יח) וַיַּעֲמֹ֥ד הָעָ֖ם מֵרָחֹ֑ק וּמֹשֶׁה֙ נִגַּ֣שׁ אֶל־הָֽעֲרָפֶ֔ל אֲשֶׁר־שָׁ֖ם הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃ (פ) (יט) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה כֹּ֥ה תֹאמַ֖ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אַתֶּ֣ם רְאִיתֶ֔ם כִּ֚י מִן־הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי עִמָּכֶֽם׃
(15) And all the people perceived the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the voice of the horn, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled, and stood afar off. (16) And they said unto Moses: ‘Speak thou with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.’ (17) And Moses said unto the people: ‘Fear not; for God is come to prove you, and that His fear may be before you, that ye sin not.’ (18) And the people stood afar off; but Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was. (19) And the LORD said unto Moses: Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel: Ye yourselves have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.
III. The Unity of God's Identity
MEKHILTA D’RABBI ISHMAEL BAHODESH 5 [BASED ON EXODUS 20:2] I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD. Why is this said? Because at the sea he appeared to them as a mighty hero doing battle, as it is said: “The Lord is a man of war [Exodus 15:3].” At Sinai he appeared to them as an old man full of mercy. It is said: “And they saw the God of Israel etc. [Exodus 24:10].” And of the time after they had been redeemed, what does it say? “And the like of the very heaven for clarity [Exodus 24:10].” Again it says: “I looked until thrones were placed [Daniel 7:9].” And it also says: “A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him etc. [Daniel 7:10].” So as to ensure the nations of the world do not claim that there are two authorities, the Torah states: “I am the Lord your God. I am the One who was in Egypt, and I am the One who was at the sea. I am the One who was at Sinai. I am the One who was in the past and I am the One who will be in the future. I am the One who is in this world and I am the One who will be in the world to come, as it is said, ‘See now that I, even I, am he’ etc [Deuteronomy 32:9].” And it says: “Even to old age I am the same [Isaiah 46:4].” And it says: “Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his redeemer the Lord of Hosts: I am the first and I am the last [Isaiah 44:6].”
IV God's Capacity to Address Each Individual
PESIKTA D’RAV KAHANA 12:25 [BASED ON EXODUS 20:2] I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD…Rabbi Levi said that the Holy Blessed One appeared like one of those icons which has faces everywhere; a thousand people can look at it, and it looks back at each one. In the same way, when God spoke, each individual could say, “the speaker is speaking to me!” It does not say “I am the Lord your God” with “you” in the plural; it says “you” in the singular. Rabbi Yosi bar Hanina said: God’s speech came to each individual according to their capacity. Do not be surprised at this: when the manna descended for Israel, each person tasted it according to their own capacity. Infants tasted it according to their capacity, the young according to theirs, elders according to theirs. To infants according to their capacity it tasted like their mothers’ milk, as it says: “It tasted like rich cream [Num. 11:8].” To the young it tasted according to their capacity, as it says: “My bread, which I gave you: bread, and oil, and honey [Ezekiel 16:19].” To elders it tasted according to their capacity, as it says: “The taste of it was like wafers made with honey [Ex. 16:31].” In the same way as the manna tasted in each person’s mouth according to their capacity, so each individual heard God’s speech according to their capacity
V. God's Unity and Multiplicity
The Shema-- rendered by Marcia Falk, Contemporary Theologian and Poet
Sh’ma, yisrael—
La’elohut alfey panim,
M’lo olam sh’khinatah,
Ribuy paneha ekhad.
Hear, O Israel---The divine abounds everywhere
And dwells in everything: the many are one.
Divinity has a thousand faces
The world is full with her Shekhinah (feminine indwelling force)
The multiplicity of Her face is one.
(Translation by RDCE)
VI. The Ever Disappearing God
God’s love for His people Israel is an upside-down love.
First crude and physical, with a strong hand and an outstretched arm:
Miracles, ten plagues and ten commandments,
Almost violent, on a no-name basis.
Then more: more emotion, more soul
But no body, an unrequited ever-longing love
For an invisible god in the high heavens. A hopeless love.
A Selection from "Open, Closed, Open" by Yehuda Amichai, 2006