Illustration Credit: Chaim File
Commentary פַּרְשָׁנוּת
What does it mean to know God?
(ג) וָאֵרָ֗א אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֛ם אֶל־יִצְחָ֥ק וְאֶֽל־יַעֲקֹ֖ב בְּאֵ֣ל שַׁדָּ֑י וּשְׁמִ֣י יהוה לֹ֥א נוֹדַ֖עְתִּי לָהֶֽם׃
I appeared to Avraham, Yitzhak, and Yaakov as El Shaddai.
But I did not make Myself known to them by My name (the one spelled י-ה-ו-ה).
What does God mean, in saying that our אָבוֹת (avot, forefathers) did not know the name of God? Didn’t they have a close relationship with God when God spoke directly to them?
לֹא נִכַּרְתִּי לָהֶם בְּמִדַת אֲמִתּוּת שֶׁלִּי, שֶׁעָלֶיהָ נִקְרָא שְׁמִי ה', נֶאֱמָן לְאַמֵּת דְּבָרַי, שֶׁהֲרֵי הִבְטַחְתִּים וְלֹא קִיַּמְתִּי.
I was not known to them in My attribute of total truthfulness, which is represented by My name י-ה-ו-ה, and which means that I am certain to keep My promises.
I made promises to the avot, but I did not fulfill them for the avot.
According to Rashi, God is pointing out to Moshe that Moshe is having a special experience that even the avot weren’t able to have. God made promises to the avot that their descendents, Benei Yisrael, would eventually be saved from Egypt, but they didn’t live long enough to see those promises come true. Moshe is privileged to see God make that salvation happen before his own eyes.
- What does it say about God that God’s special name (י-ה-ו-ה) is about truthfulness and fulfilling promises? How can we apply that in our own lives?
- How does Moshe seeing the redemption of Benei Yisrael change Moshe’s relationship with God?
- Do you think you have a relationship with God that is different from your parents or grandparents? How so?
-------------------
-------------------
