EE & R, 2_2: Knowing Hashem: The Profound Meanings within the Simple Narratives of the Torah

(For the previous installment of "Exodus, Exile and Redemption," click here. For ToC, click here.)

The most fundamental teachings of Tanach lie hidden in plain sight, its deepest secrets intricately woven within those unassuming and straightforward narratives crafted with such deceptive simplicity that unless care is taken to deliberately slow down, observe and contemplate their significance, one might read through them quickly and carelessly in a haste to get to the seemingly more interesting, captivating stories, while a careful and astute reader who approaches the externally mundane passages with mindful reflection and careful observation will be richly rewarded with access to the divine secrets of Judaism.

Within the following 3 passages lies the key to comprehending the history of Judaism. In them, Hashem introduces Himself to humanity by name, saying “I am Hashem.”¹ The first passage is His introduction to Avraham, the second, to Yaakov, and the third is His introduction again to Moshe and through him to the whole Jewish nation:

And He said to him, “I am Hashem who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess it.” And he said, “Lord Hashem, how can I know that I will possess it?” (Genesis 15:7-8).

And he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven… And behold, Hashem was standing above it, and He said, “I am Hashem… the land on which you lie, to you I will give it and to your seed” … And Yaakov awoke from his sleep and said, “Indeed, Hashem is in this place, and I did not know” (Ibid., 28:12-16).

God spoke to Moshe and said to him, “I am Hashem. And I appeared to Avraham, to Yitzchak and to Yaakov as El Shaddai, but by my name, Hashem, I was not known to them… Therefore, say to the children of Israel, ‘I am Hashem. I will bring you out from under the burdens of Egypt… You will know that I am Hashem… I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, and I will give it to you as a possession. I am Hashem’” (Exodus 6:2-8).

Note that all 3 passages deal with the subjects of the revelation of Hashem’s unique name, the land of Israel and knowledge.² Let us embark on a journey of exploration into these passages and attempt to uncover the profound meaning behind Hashem’s introduction by name and its connection to the Promised Land and to knowledge.³

(For the next installment of "Exodus, Exile and Redemption," click here.)

1. In these passages, Hashem introduced Himself by revealing His unique name spelled yod, he, vav, he. He said: “I am YHVH.” This is known as Hashem’s “explicit name,” in Hebrew – השם המפורש.

2. Da’as; see the previous chapter.

3. Of equal importance with contemplating what is written in Tanach for divining its hidden secrets is noticing and contemplating what is not written therein; the omission of a divine introduction to Yitzchak similar to that which the other patriarchs experienced is of the utmost significance. We will return to this point further in this work.