פרשת שמות - שמותיו של הקב"ה

(13) Moses said to God, “When I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers’ [house] has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is [God’s] name?’ what shall I say to them?” (14) And God said to Moses, “Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh,” continuing, “Thus shall you say to the Israelites, ‘Ehyeh sent me to you.’”

(1) AND THEY SHALL SAY UNTO ME: WHAT IS HIS NAME? WHAT SHALL I SAY UNTO THEM? This verse calls aloud for an explanation. It is incomprehensible that Moses should say, And they shall say unto me: What is His name? meaning that this will be a sign to them to believe in him. The asking for His Name and Moses’ telling it to them are no sign to anyone who did not believe in Moses to begin with. If Israel knew that Name, Moses likewise knew it, and thus his knowledge thereof was equivalent to theirs and it would be no sign or wonder at all. If they had not heard of it previously, what proof would that be that they should believe in his words altogether? And now even after He informed him of the Great Name, Moses still said, But, behold, they will not believe me, and then He gave him the various signs! Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that Moses asked which of G-d’s Names he should mention to Israel, for the Name of E-il Sha-dai (G-d Almighty) does not signify the performance of miraculous signs; only the Great Name, [i.e., the Tetragrammaton], indicates that. But this interpretation does not appear correct to me. Moses had not yet been told that He would make great and wondrous signs and portents at the going forth from Egypt. Rather, he was told that He would save them from the hand of the Egyptians and bring them up to the land of Canaan, and for that — to strike at the heart of Pharaoh, as well as to be victorious over the seven nations — the name E-il Sha-dai suffices. Sarah was taken out from Pharaoh’s house with great plagues, and Abraham alone subdued the great kings — all with the help of E-il Sha-dai, the Divine Name known to the patriarchs, and so likewise He would do to their descendants. Moreover, Jacob had said, And ‘Elokim’ (G-d) will be with you, and bring you back unto the land of your fathers, and Joseph also said, ‘Elokim’ (G-d) will surely remember you. Thus the remembrance is by Elokim! In my opinion, Moses even at that time was already the father of wisdom, great in achievement of the heights of prophecy, and inherent in his question was the request that He inform him Who is sending him, that is to say, by what Divine attribute is he sent to the Israelites, just as Isaiah said, And now the Eternal G-d hath sent me, and His spirit. Thus Moses said: “They will ask me concerning my mission whether it is with the attribute of E-il Sha-dai which stood by the patriarchs, or with the high attribute of mercy with which You will do signs and wonders which will be new phenomena in creation.” [Moses was obliged to ask] this question because He had said to him, I am the G-d of thy father, the G-d of Abraham, and He did not elucidate to him at all any of His sacred Names. Moses then heard that He assured him of the Revelation on Mount Sinai and the Giving of the Torah, and he knew that the Torah would not be given with the Name of E-il Sha-dai mentioned in connection with the patriarchs, but would be given with the Great Name with which the world came into existence. Therefore he asked, What shall I say unto them? Our Rabbis have alluded to this interpretation. Thus they said: “And Moses said unto G-d, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel.” Rabbi Shimon related in the name of Rabbi Simon that Moses said: ‘I am destined to become the agent between Thee and them when Thou wilt give them the Torah and say unto them, I am the Eternal thy G-d.’ “And I shall say unto them: The G-d of your fathers hath sent me unto you. At that moment, Moses desired to be elucidated concerning his activities, for he feared lest the children of Israel ask him, What is His name? What shall I say unto them? At that moment Moses desired that the Holy One, blessed be He, inform him of the Great Name, [i.e., the Tetragrammaton].” This was the purport of Moses’ question. (2) And G-d answered him, “‘I WILL BE THAT WHICH I WILL BE. I will be with you in this sorrow, and I will be with you in other sorrows.’ Thereupon Moses said to Him, ‘Master of the universe! Sufficient is the evil in its time, [and why should I mention to them other sorrows in store for them in the future].’ G-d replied to him: ‘You have spoken correctly. Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel: I WILL BE hath sent me unto you.’” Thus the language of Rashi quoting the words of our Rabbis. Their intent in this Agadah is as follows: Moses had said before Him, blessed be He. And they shall say unto me: What is His name?, meaning that G-d should tell him the Name which wholly teaches His existence and His providence. The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him: “Why should they ask for My Name? They need no other proof, for I will be with them in all their affliction. They shall call, and I will answer them.” This is the great proof that there is a G-d in Israel near to us whenever we call upon Him, and verily there is a G-d that judgeth in the earth. This is a correct interpretation of this Agadah (homily). In a similar way it is said in a Midrash Agadah: “And what is the meaning of I WILL BE THAT WHICH I WILL BE? ‘As you are with Me, so I am with you. If they open their hands and give charity, I also will open My hand, as it is said, The Eternal will open unto thee His good treasure the heaven to give the rain of thy land in its season. And if they do not open their hands, what is written there? Behold, He withholdeth the waters, and they dry up.’” In a similar vein the Rabbis expounded: “Rabbi Yitzchak said that the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: ‘I am He Who has been, Who is now, and Who will be in the future.’ This is why Eh’yeh is written here three times.” The explanation of Rabbi Yitzchak’s opinion is that since with respect to the Creator, past and future times are conceived completely in terms of the present — for there is no host succeeding host with regards to Him, and nothing of His time has passed — hence all times with reference to Him are called by one name, signifying a Being Whose existence is absolute. Now Onkelos translated the first two names, [i.e. ‘Eh’yeh Asher Eh’yeh’], as “I will be with him that I will be,” but he did not translate the third name Eh’yeh expressed in the verse, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel: ‘Eh’yeh’ hath sent me unto you. It appears that Onkelos’ opinion is that the glorious Name of which He informed Moses was this four-letter Name of which He commanded him, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel: ‘Eh’yeh’ hath sent me unto you. But He first informed him of the purport thereof, for Moses’ request had been to know the ways of G-d through His Name, just as he was once again to request [later on]: Let me know Thy ways, that I may know Thee. And just as He answered him then, And I will proclaim the name of the Eternal before thee, and I will be gracious unto whom I will be gracious — meaning that with this glorious Name which He will proclaim before him, He will be gracious and will show mercy, and no man can fathom the profundity of His ways — in the same vein He said to him now: “I will be with him that I will be,” meaning, “with My Name that you will tell them, namely, Eh’yeh, with that Name I am gracious and show mercy to man.” And the Gaon Rav Saadia wrote that its explanation is as follows: “[He is the Being] Whose existence has never ceased and will never cease, for He is the first and the last.” The opinion of the Gaon is not far from the opinion of Rabbi Yitzchak, [i.e., that the name Eh’yeh indicates eternity, as explained above]. And the Rabbi [Moshe ben Maimon] has said in the Moreh Nebuchim (Guide of the Perplexed) that the meaning of Eh’yeh Asher Eh’yeh is: “He is the existing Being which is the existing Being, that is to say, Whose existence is absolute. The proof which Moses was to give to the elders of Israel consisted in demonstrating that there is a Being of absolute existence, that has never been and never will be without existence.” Now according to these Sages, it is necessary to explain that the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses that he should tell them this Name and teach them its import. That is to say, Moses was to inform them of this Name and show the rational proofs by which His eternal being or existence would be firmly established among their wise men. The mere mention of the Divine Name — be it whatever it may —is no proof in itself to eradicate the doctrine of the eternity [of matter] from among them, or the calculated heresy of denying the existence [of the Supreme Being] altogether. But this is not the sense of the verse! Rather, [it clearly implies] that the very mention of the Name to them will be the proof, sign and token on the matter they will have asked of Moses. In my opinion, the elders of Israel never doubted the existence of the Creator, as the Rabbi [Moshe ben Maimon] said — Heaven forbid! But this Name does contain the answer to [Moses’ question of G-d], as we have explained it to you. He informed Moses that he is being sent to them with the attribute of justice, which is within the attribute of mercy, [suggesting that the miracles which will be done on behalf of their deliverance from the bondage will at the same time be acts of judgment against the Egyptians. This is the sense of Eh’yeh Asher Eh’yeh: “I will be in judgment that which I will be in mercy].” And then G-d said to Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel: ‘Eh’yeh’ sent me unto you, thus teaching the unity [of the two attributes, which explains why the Divine Name is not mentioned here twice]. It is for this reason that G-d commanded Moses yet further, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel: The Eternal… hath sent me unto you, for this Name, [i.e., the Tetragrammaton], indicates the attribute of mercy, and thus they will know that He hath caused His glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses and He will make new signs and wonders in the world. Thus G-d explained to Moses that the Name Eh’yeh which He commanded him to tell the children of Israel corresponds to this Great Name [the Tetragrammaton] and that they are alike in language, [as both signify eternal existence], and in letters, for the two final letters of the first Name [Eh’yeh] constitute the first ones in the Tetragrammaton. And may the Holy One, blessed be He, show us wonders in His Torah.

אהיה אשר אהיה I AM THAT I AM — I will be with them in this sorrow — I Who I will be with them in the subjection they will suffer at the hands of other kingdoms (Berakhot 9b). Whereupon Moses said to him: Lord of the Universe! Why should I mention to them other sorrows: they have enough with this sorrow! God replied to him: You have spoken rightly — כה תאמר THUS SHALT THOU SAY etc.… Ehyeh, “I am” — without the addition of אשר אהיה which has reference to future sorrows — has sent me unto you”.

ואמרו לי מה שמו? מה אומר אליהם? “when they will say to me: “what is His name? What shall I say to them?” Actually, Moses should have assumed that the people would ask him for a sign that he had been sent by G’d to be their redeemer. Deut. 13,13 describes the legitimization of a man claiming to be a prophet to be that he promises that a certain event or events would occur and that after these events have occurred he uses this as his legitimization as a prophet. Seeing Moses wanted the people to follow him out of Egypt, he most certainly would have to perform some very impressive miracle or miracles. When Moses asked G’d which of His names (attributes) he was to invoke to prove that he was a legitimate messenger this would not be considered a miracle or proof at all. If the people were familiar with such a name of G’d there was no reason why Moses should not also be familiar with it. It would prove nothing. If, on the other hand, the people were not familiar with that name of G’d, what proof would mention of that name be that the man in front of them had been appointed by their G’d to be their redeemer? We can therefore well understand Moses’ reaction: “but they will not believe me.” This is why G’d had to equip Moses with the ability to perform certain miracles to help convince the people that he was no charlatan. The plain meaning of the words “what is His name?” is: “what is the proof of His existence?” Moses wanted to know how to convince the people that G’d exercised supervision both of the universe and the fate of His people, something which had been sorely absent for so many years. He wanted that G’d reveal to him an attribute which would be adequate to convince the leaders of the people that He was real and took a real interest in them. This is the reason G‘d replied אהיה אשר אהיה, “I shall be whoever I shall be”, i.e. that He was the only true existence of this universe, that all other phenomena in this world are transient, bound to expire sooner or later. G’d meant for Moses to explain this concept to the elders of the people. Nachmanides explains the words as הנמצא אשר הוא נמצא which is Maimonides’ way of explaining the name אהיה אשר אהיה in his Moreh Nevuchim. It means that G’d’s Presence is capable and likely to become manifest. Not only had He never been absent, but He would never be absent in the future either (though His Presence might not always be manifest). According to the explanations provided by both Maimonides and Nachmanides, Moses’ question had been addressed to G’d’s being manifest and His providing proof of His intervention in the fate of man. If that were really so, we have to express our amazement that the elders of Israel at the time should have had the slightest doubt about such fundamental tenets of our faith. Why would they require proof and reassurance of something so basic? Moreover, how would the revelation of a name of G’d they had not heard before serve to strengthen their belief in His involvement in their fate? If there had been any heretics amongst them denying G’d’s existence, telling people like that of another name of G’d would hardly impress them. Rabbi Bachya Ibn Pakuda, author of the work חובות הלבבות, “duties of the heart,” writes in the tenth chapter of שער היחוד that when Moses quoted the Jewish people as asking him “what is His (G’d’s) name,” he meant that they would want to know something about G’d’s Essence. We always describe G’d in terms such as “the G’d of heaven and earth,” or “the G’d of the winds,” always comparing G’d to phenomena with which we are familiar. The reason we have to do this is because we have no idea of G’d’s Essence. It is something beyond our comprehension. Moses was quite astute therefore in asking: “what shall I tell them if they want to know Your Essence?” The fact is that knowledge about G’d may be acquired by two methods. It can be attained through tradition or it may be attained by means of an intellectual process of reasoning and observation. When G’d told Moses that אהיה אשר אהיה, He addressed people who looked for knowledge of Him by means of their intellect. In addition, He also informed Moses that He was the G’d of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, i.e. there was a long tradition of knowledge about Him and about what He had done for the patriarchs. He did so because the common people would not be able to arrive at valid conclusions about G’d by using only their intellectual powers. The cognition of G’d via the process of קבלה, history, tradition, is described in Job 15,18 in the following words: “that which wise men have transmitted from their fathers and have not withheld.” A Midrashic approach to the above (based on Shemot Rabbah 3,6). Moses actually had asked to know G’d’s “great” name, i.e. His Essence. Thereupon G’d said to Moses: “You want to know My name? I am known according to My deeds. When I am busy judging My creatures, I am known as “elohim.” When I am preoccupied in fighting against the wicked, I am known as “tzeva-ot.” When I am suspending judgment of man’s sin temporarily, I am known as “shaddai.” When I am seated on the throne of Mercy I am known as ‘‎Hashem.’” What the sages of the Midrash wanted to convey to us by means of these illustrations is אין רבוי ביחוד, that there is no such thing as a “plural which can be applied to the Unique One, to G’d.” The fact that G’d enjoys being known by a multiplicity of “names” does not mean that each name represents a different deity or even a different “power.” G’d is One. The reason He is known by many names is that man cannot express in his language all the attributes of G’d which combine to make up His Essence in a single word or expression. The nearest thing we can do is to describe facets of G’d’s Essence in terms reflecting His activities. It is important that you, the reader, appreciate that in our verse (14) the attribute (name) אהיה is mentioned three times. This is meant to reflect G’d’s existence on three levels. It is a hint that G’d is supreme in three time zones. He is and was supreme in the past; He is and remains supreme in the present; He is and will remain supreme in the future. The reason this is so is because “time” does not effect G’d as it does any of His creatures. G’d is the “constant.” The creatures are the ones effected by the concept of time. If we would have to translate the words אהיה אשר אהיה, we would have to say: “I am the One who has not only been the same in the past as in the present, but I will continue to be the same in the future for all time.” Whenever we use the tetragram, the eternal nature of G’d is also meant to be part of that name. There is no need to elaborate on this further. A rational/scientific approach: The study of the permutations of the name or names of G’d yields the result that the letters in the name אהיה symbolise the existence of G’d in all three time zones. The letter א relating as it does to a “beginning,” is reminiscent of the “past;” the middle letter ה is reminiscent of something which is “in between,” i.e. the הוה the present. The letter י, the last one of the single digits (1-0) and the objective of all calculations is reminiscent of the future, i.e. יהיה. The last letter ה teaches that G’d’s existence during all the three time zones described is that of an ever-present one. He is no more or no less distant from the past than He is from the future. He relates to all time zones as if they were the present, the “here and now.” The spelling of the tetragrammaton (י-ה-ו-ה) alludes to the same thing. The reason it commences with the letter י is that the letter א is the head of all numbers beginning with the digit 1. When we think of the number 9 which is the last of the single-digit numbers for instance, and we then think about the number 10, we need to use the letter א)) in its capacity as the digit 1. It is impossible to write the number 10 in numbers without resorting to the digit 1. It follows that the letter א serves both as the beginning in the sequence 1-10 as well as at its end. In a similar manner the Creator (represented by the א) is also both beginning and end of all things, of all existence. The letter י then is to be viewed as being a combination of the two digits 9+1 respectively. It is the first letter of the Ineffable Name in order to preempt the inquiry of what had been prior to the beginning, prior to “number 1,” and what would come after the “end.” א represents the beginning, whereas ט represents the last digit. By placing the letter י (combining 1+9) at the beginning, the Torah wishes to forestall such questions. One may therefore conceive of the tetragrammaton as a combination of היה and יהיה. It teaches that G’d was “before” anything and will continue to exist “after” everything. His name will remain unchanged. A kabbalistic approach to the words: “they will say to me: ‘what is His name?’” Moses meant they would ask him in what capacity, i.e. which of G’d’s names (attributes) had communicated with him? Nachmanides writes as follows concerning all this: “I do not believe that the elders of the Jewish people at the time had the slightest doubt about the continued existence of the G’d of their forefathers as suggested by Maimonides. Moses was also sufficiently knowledgeable as befits someone appointed as a prophet to be aware of the intellectual and theological level of the elders of the Jewish people (compare Sifri Deut. 1). He simply exploited this opportunity to present G’d with a theoretical situation which might face him when trying to legitimize himself in the eyes of these elders, in order for him personally to obtain additional insights from G’d as to whether G’d would bring the redemption in His capacity as the attribute of Mercy or in His capacity as the attribute of Justice. During the lives of the patriarchs G’d manifested Himself by means of נסים נסתרים, miracles which did not openly contradict the laws of nature. Moses assumed that the elders might ask him if G’d were now going to perform נסים גלויים, visible miracles, i.e. phenomena which demonstrate His mastery over the laws of nature. The former type of miracles are usually performed by the attribute of Justice whereas the latter type are the domain of the attribute of Mercy. When Moses asked G’d what “name” he should tell the people about, he meant under what heading the forthcoming redemption would take place. G’d’s reply that He is אהיה אשר אהיה, meant that He intended to perform only “hidden miracles,” that He did not intend to upset the laws of nature in order to bring about the release of the Israelites. G’d made this plain when He told Moses that he should tell the people אהיה שלחני אליכם, “the One who is called אהיה has sent me to you.” Had G’d wanted to inform the people that He intended to employ both the attribute of Justice and the attribute of Mercy, He would have instructed Moses to present himself as the messenger from the One Who calls Himself אהיה אשר אהיה, and would have had to answer the inquiry by the elders with the words אהיה אשר אהיה שלחני אליכם. When, in verse 15, G’d gives additional instructions to Moses how to speak to the people by telling him to refer also to the fact that He had been both Hashem and elohim for the patriarchs, this is to teach the people that though the element of Mercy, i.e. י-ה-ו-ה had played a role in His dealing with the patriarchs, this element had not been manifest to them. It was important that now the people understand that even though this element might manifest itself in front of their very eyes it was but another facet of the unique and indivisible G’d. He wanted Moses and the people to understand that even the letters in the name אהיה which we have explained as pointing at the attribute of Justice are (basically) the same as the letters in the Ineffable Name, the only difference being that the letter א at the beginning sums up the idea that G’d is both ”first” and ”last,” as we explained earlier. G’d informed Moses and had him inform the people that the attributes represented by both names would accompany him and enable him to discharge his mission successfully. The letters א and י respectively reflect the wisdom of Solomon and the wisdom of G’d respectively. The prophet in Kings I 5,26 wrote וי-הוה נתן חכמה לשלמה “and the Lord (tetragrammaton without the letter א in front) had granted wisdom to Solomon.” The verse commences with the conjunctive letter ו to show that this wisdom of Solomon was “secondary” to that represented by the name אהיה with the letter א in front. At this point the author digresses and explains the significance of the letters א-י at the beginning and end of the name of G’d which we use most of the time and which is spelled א-ד-נ-י. That name is also a combination of the attribute of Mercy and the attribute of Justice, seeing that when you subtract the letters א-י which represent the “Mercy” aspect you are left with the letter דן, “judged.” [I believe that Solomon’s wisdom consisted primarily in knowing how to judge truly when the evidence available to him was not adequate according to most yardsticks. This may be why our author uses this whole verse to mention Solomon. The author continues in this vein for some considerable length pointing out that such expressions by David (Psalms 138,2) as כי הגדלת על כל שמך אמרתך, “because You have exalted Your name, Your word above all,” can all be understood in terms of what G’d revealed in our verse. I have decided to condense the remainder of his comments on the mysticism involved here. Ed.] When the Torah emphasizes G’d saying to Moses כה תאמר אל בני ישראל a second time in verse 15, the words אל-בני, etc., which are quite unnecessary, may be an allusion to לבנים “the bricks” i.e. the same letters as אל-בני. The people making the bricks under intolerable conditions qualified for the attribute of Mercy. Actually, we find that the message of the Torah here is divided into four parts. Section one was addressed to Moses alone. Section two was addressed to the people making the bricks. Section three was addressed to the Israelites who were neither bricklayers nor elders. Section four was addressed to the elders. They were mentioned last as G’d revealed to them elements of the emanations which by definition grants the student of this discipline an insight into the relationship between the beginning and the end.

Moses said unto God: Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel and I shall say to them the God of your fathers sent me. What shall I say to them (Exod. 3:13)? Moses pleaded with the Holy One, blessed be He, to divulge His great name to him. He said: If they should ask me, What is His name?, What shall I answer? He answered Moses: Do you desire to know My name? I am known according to My works. When I judge mankind, I am called God; when I take revenge upon the wicked, I am called Hosts; when I consider the sins of man, I am called Almighty God; and when I sit in merciful judgment, I am called Merciful One. My name conforms to My deeds. I urge you, however, to say to them: The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob has sent me unto you; this is My name forever, and this is My memorial unto all generations (ibid., v. 15).

“God said to Moses: 'I will be what I will be,' and He said: 'So shall you say to the children of Israel: I will be has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:14). “God said to Moses” – Rabbi Abba bar Mamal said: The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: You seek to know My name? I am named according to My actions. At [different] times I am named God Almighty [El Shaddai], [Lord of] Hosts [Tzevaot], God [Elohim], the Lord [Y-H-V-H]. When I judge [My] creatures, I am called Elohim. When I wage war against the wicked, I am called Tzevaot. When I abide a person’s sins, I am called El Shaddai. When I have mercy on My world I am called Y-H-V-H, as Y-H-V-H is nothing other than the attribute of mercy, as it is stated: “Y-H-V-H, Y-H-V-H, merciful and gracious God” (Exodus 34:6). That is, “I will be what I will be,” I am named based on My actions. Rabbi Yitzḥak says: The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘Say to them: It is I who have been with you in the past, and it is I now, and it is I in the future;’ therefore, “I will be” is written three times. Another interpretation: “I will be what I will be,” – Rabbi Yaakov son of Rabbi Avina said in the name of Rabbi Huna of Tzipporin: The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘Say to them: In this servitude I will be with them and into servitude they are going and I will be with them.’ He said before Him: ‘Is that what I should say to them? The present trouble is sufficient.’ He said to him: ‘No, “so shall you say to the children of Israel: I will be has sent me to you.” I am informing you, but I am not informing them.’ Another interpretation: “I will be [ehyeh]” – Rabbi Yitzḥak said in the name of Rabbi Ammi: They are standing with mortar and bricks, and to mortar and bricks they are going. Likewise, regarding Daniel: “I, Daniel, was stricken [niyeti] and became ill” (Daniel 8:27). He [Moses] said before Him: ‘Is that what I should say to them?’ He said to him: ‘No, but rather “Ehyeh has sent me to you.”’ Rabbi Yoḥanan said: I will be for whom I will be for individuals; but for the masses, even against their will, not for their well-being, while breaking their teeth, I will rule over them, as it is stated: “As I live, says the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with outpoured fury, I will rule over you” (Ezekiel 20:33). Another matter, as Rabbi Ananiel ben Rabbi Sason said: The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘When I wish, one of the angels, who is one-third the size of the world, extends his hand from the heavens and touches the earth, as it is stated: “He extended the form of a hand and took me by a lock of my head” (Ezekiel 8:3). And when I wished, I made three of them sit under a tree, as it is stated: “And recline under the tree” (Genesis 18:4). And when I wish, My glory fills the entire world, as it is stated: “Don’t I fill the heavens and the earth? – the utterance of the Lord” (Jeremiah 23:24). And when I wished, I spoke to Job from the tempest, as it is stated: “The Lord answered Job from the tempest” (Job 38:1); and when I wish, from the midst of the bush.’