Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah

Ibn Ezra on Exodus 6:3/אבן עזרא על שמות ו׳:ג׳

אוארא. נבואת האבות היתה במראות הלילה, על כן מלת וארא:

1AND I APPEARED. The patriarchs received their prophesies in visions of the night, hence the term And I appeared.⁴) and the word for, and I appeared (va-era) come from the same root, resh, alef, heh.

במלת "שדי" קשה בפירוש, והגאון אמר כי השי"ן נוסף כשי"ן "שאתה מדבר עמי" (שופ' ו יז) והטעם שאמר לעולם די, ולא אדע טעם לפי' זה, כי איך יקרא שם אשר די רק להיותו תואר כמו "טוב וסלח" (תה' פו ה) "עלי לבי דַוָי" (ירמי' ה יה) והנגיד רב שמואל פי' בו בלשון ערבי אלקהאר, ופי' מנצח ותקיף והיו"ד תחת אות הכפל כיו"ד "דַלְיוֹ שֹּׁקַיִם מִפִסֵח" (משלי כו ז) ואל"ף "אשר בזאו נהרים" (ישעי' יח ב) וכמוהו "כקול שדי" (יחז' א כד), "והיה שדי בצריך" איוב כב כה) ויפה פירש:

2[ALMIGHTY.] It is difficult to explain the word Shaddai (Almighty).⁵ Saadiah Gaon says that the shin of Shaddai is a preposition, like the shin prefixed to she-attah (that it is thou) in that it is thou that talkest with me (Jud. 6:17). The meaning of Shaddai is: Who said to the world, enough.⁶ is composed of two words, she-dai (who is enough). He further explained that she-dai is short for she-amar le’olam dai. Saadiah Gaon apparently interprets Shaddai as meaning the one who controls or sets a limit on nature. See Hagigah 12a, “What is the meaning of ani El Shaddai (Gen. 17:1)? Its meaning is: I am (ani) the God (El) who said to my world dai (enough). Resh Lakish said: When the Holy One created the sea, it went spreading on until the Holy One rebuked it and made it dry (i.e., said to it, enough).” However, I cannot see any meaning in this interpretation. How can God be called by the name “Who is enough?”⁷) (Krinsky). Shaddai therefore can only be taken as an adjective, like the words tov (good) and sallach (ready to pardon) in good, and ready to pardon (Ps. 86:5) and davvai (faint)⁸ in Shaddai is not a prefix but an integral part of the word, like the dalet in davvai and the samekh in sallach. in My heart is faint within me (Jer. 8:18). Now Rabbi Samuel the Nagid explains Shaddai with the Arabic word al kahar, which means victorious and mighty. He further notes that the yod in Shaddai is in place of the double letter,⁹ is shin, dalet, dalet. (Cf. I.E. on Gen. 17:1 and the notes thereto.) Shaddai is spelled shin, dalet, yod. Thus one dalet is missing. Rabbi Samuel says that the yod takes the place of the dalet. like the yod in dalyu (hang limp)¹⁰. A lamed is missing in dalyu and is made up by the yod. in The legs hang limp from the lame (Prov. 26:7) and the alef in baze’u (divide)¹¹ is bet, zayin, zayin. A zayin is missing in baze’u and is made up by the alef. in Whose land the rivers divide (Is. 18:2). Shaddai (mighty) in like a mighty voice (Ezek. 1:24)¹² and Shaddai (mighty) in And mighty shall he thy silver (Job 22:25)¹³ are similar. The Nagid explained it well.¹⁴ means mighty or the Almighty.

גומלת נודעתי מבנין נפעל, ואיננו כמו הודעתי כדברי מנחם:

3[I MADE ME NOT KNOWN TO THEM.] The word nodati (I made Me known) is in the nifal.¹⁵ It is not like hodati (I made known)¹⁶. According to Menachem ben Saruk, a tenth-century Sephardic philologist, the meaning of our clause is: but My name YHVH I made not known to them. See note 18. as Menachem maintains.¹⁷. However, there are many verses that show that the patriarchs were aware of this divine name. Cf. Gen. 15:2; 22:14.

דורבי מרינוס אמר, כי ושמי ד' שבועה כי בלשון ערבי יש וי"ו לשבועה, וטעם לא נודעתי להם כמו שנודעתי לך וכוי"ו הזה לא מצאנו בלה"ק וככה דקדוקו, יש מלות מושכות עצמן ואחרות עמם, גם כן אותיות כמ"ם "מאל אביך ויעזרך, ואת שדי" (ברא' מט כה) שהוא מאת שדי וככה בי"ת באל שדי, כאילו כתוב ובשמי ד' לא נודעתי להם:

4[BUT BY MY NAME YHVH.] Rabbi Merinus says that u-shemi YHVH (But by my name YHVH)¹⁸ I made Me not known to them. The latter is grammatically incorrect, as it lacks the preposition “by” before “My name,” and it presents a problem for it implies that the patriarchs were not aware of the name YHVH. However, it is clear from the book of Genesis that Abraham and Jacob were acquainted with this name. The commentaries which follow try each in his own way to solve this problem. is an oath, as in Arabic there is a vav which indicates an oath.¹⁹ can be interpreted as an oath, its meaning being: I swear by My name YHVH. Rabbi Merinus explains the meaning of I made Me not known to them as: I made Me not known to them as I made Me known to you.²⁰. The meaning of the entire verse is: I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, as God Almighty, and I swear by My name YHVH that I made Me not known to them as I made Me known to you. However, we never find a vav with this meaning in Scripture.²¹ indicating an oath. Thus we can’t interpret u-shemi YHVH as: I swear by My name YHVH. This then is its grammatical explanation.²². There are words that are to be read as if written twice.²³ The same applies to letters.²⁴ For example, the mem prefaced to me’el (From the God) in From the God of thy father, who shall help thee, and the (ve-et) Almighty, who shall bless thee (Gen. 49: 25)²⁵ is also to be placed before ve-et (and the) and be read as if written u-me’et (and from the).²⁶ Similarly the bet of be’el Shaddai (as God Almighty).²⁷. Our phrase is thus to be read as if written: but by My name YHVH (u-vi-shemi) I made Me not known to them.²⁸ I made Me not known to them. I.E. will later elaborate on his explanation. See note 40.

האמר רב סעדיה הגאון כי תחסר באחרונה מלת לבדו, כאילו אמר ובשמי ד' לבדו לא נודעתי להם, רק פעם באל שדי ופעם בשם ד' וכמוהו לפי דעתי לא יעקב לבדו יאמר עוד שמך כי אם ישראל משתתף עמו, ואין צורך לתקון הזה, כי ידענו כי אל שדי הוא הש"י הנכבד, ואין ביניהם הפרש, רק ששם שדי הוא תואר והשם הנכבד פעם שם עצם ופעם שם תואר כאשר פירשתי והנה מצאנו כתוב באברהם "אני ד' אשר הוצאתיך מאור כשדים" (ברא' טו ז), וביעקב אני ד' אלהי אברהם אביך (שם כח יג), ור' ישועה אמר כי אברהם ויעקב לא ידעו זה השם, רק משה כתב ככה, ולא דבר ר' ישועה נכונה, כי איך יכתוב משה שם לא הזכירו השם, ואין ספק כי האבות ידעו זה השם שהוא שם העצם רק זה השם הוא התואר לא ידעו:

5Rabbi Saadiah Gaon says that the word le-vado (only) has been omitted from the end of our clause. Our text should be read as if written: but I made Me not known to them only by My name YHVH.²⁹ should be interpreted as if written, u-vi-shemi YHVH le-vado. On the contrary, I at times appeared to them with the name El Shaddai (God Almighty) and at other times with the name YHVH. In my opinion, thy name shall not be called any more only Jacob, but Israel shall be used with it (Gen. 35:10)³⁰. is similar.³¹, although missing, is implied in the text. Really, there is no need for Saadiah Gaon’s reconstruction³². because we know that El Shaddai and the blessed and glorious Lord are one and the same,³³ and El Shaddai. So what sign of divine favor is there in God telling Moses that He appears to him only as YHVH while He appeared to the patriarchs sometimes as El Shaddai and sometimes as YHVH? As to the question raised by our verse, I.E. answers it at the end of his comment. except that the term El Shaddai is an adjective and the glorious and revered name³⁴. is, as I have explained,³⁵ sometimes a noun and sometimes an adjective. Now we find it written with regard to Abraham, I am the Lord (YHVH) that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it (Gen. 15:7). We similarly find with regard to Jacob, I am the Lord (YHVH), the God of Abraham thy father (Gen. 28:13).³⁶. Rabbi Joshua says that Abraham and Jacob did not know the name YHVH.³⁷ literally. Moses used it when writing the Torah.³⁸ However, Rabbi Joshua is incorrect, for how would Moses dare to write a name that God did not utter.³⁹ who brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees,” would Moses deliberately dare to write, “I am YHVH that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees” (Gen. 15:7). There is no doubt that the patriarchs knew the name YHVH as a proper name. However, they did not know it as an adjective.⁴⁰ means, they did not know the adjectival meaning of YHVH; that is, they did not experience the adjectival meaning of My name YHVH, viz., My suspending the laws of nature (Krinsky).

וועתה אגלה לך קצת סוד אל שדי, ידענו כי השם ברא ג' עולמות שהזכרתי והעולם השפל יקבל כח מעולם התיכון כל אחד מהפרטים כפי מערכת העליונה, ובעבור כי נשמת האדם גבוה מן העולם האמצעי, אם היתה הנפש חכמה והכירה מעשה השם שהם בלא אמצעי וע"י אמצעי והניחה תאות העולם השפל, והתבודדה לדבקה בשם הנכבד, אם יש במערכת הככבים בעת ההריון רעה שתבא עליו ביום ידוע, השם שדבק בו יסבב סבות להצילו מרעתו, וככה אם יש במערכה שיהיה עָקר, השם יתקן לו כח תולדתו ויוליד, על כן אמרו חז"ל שהשם אמר לאברהם צא מאצטגנינות שלך וקרוב מזה הטעם אין מזל לישראל, ועוד אבאר זה בפ' כי תשא על כן אמר השם לאברהם קודם וארבה את זרעך "אני אל שדי" (ברא' יז א) שפירושו מנצח המערכות העליונות, לא שהמערכה תשחת רק שידע הדבק בשמו שיחדש לו טוב שלא יהיה במערכתו על כן אמר יעקב "המלאך הגואל אותי מכל רע" (שם מח) שהיה נכון לבא עלי, וזה הוא סוד כל התורה כאשר אפרש עוד, והנה האבות לא הגיעה מעלתם לדבקה בשם כמשה אשר ידעו השם פנים בפנים, על כן היה יכול משה לשנות תולדות עולם השפל, ולחדש אותות ומופתים שלא יכלו האבות לחדשם, והנה משה אמר שני דברים האחד "למה זה שלחתני" (למעלה ה כב) והשני "והצל לא הצלת את עמך" (שם שם כג), והשיב על האחרון "עתה תראה אשר אעשה לפרעה" (למעלה ו א), ועל הראשון ויאמר אליו אני ד' (למעלה ו ב) והטעם כי על ידי האבות נודע שמי שהוא אל שדי ועל ידך יודע שמי ד' הנכבד בעולם כאשר אמר לכן אמור לבני ישראל אני ד', והנה שלחתיך להודיע זה השם:

6I will now reveal to you part of the secret meaning of the name El Shaddai. We know that God created the three worlds that I have previously noted.⁴¹ Everything in the lowest world receives power from the middle world according to the arrangements⁴² in the higher world. Due to the fact that man’s soul comes from above the middle world, if it is wise and recognizes the works of God, both those done without an intermediary⁴³ and those done via an intermediary⁴⁴ and if the soul forsakes the pleasures of this lowest world and separates itself from them to cleave to God the glorious, should there be at the time of the birth of such a person an arrangement of the stars indicating that evil will befall this man on a certain day, the God to whom this man cleaves will set the chain of events in such a way that this man is saved from the evil that was destined to befall him. Similarly, if it is in the arrangement of the stars that this man be sterile God will make him virile and he will sire children. Therefore our sages said that God told Abraham, “Leave your astrological calculations.”⁴⁵ 156a, “Abraham said before the Holy One Blessed Be He…I have searched my constellation and have found that I am incapable of having a son. Leave your astrological calculations, said the Lord to him, for Israel has no star.” Also see Nedarim 32a and Rashi on Gen. 15:5. The statement “Israel has no star” is close in meaning to the latter.⁴⁶ I will yet explain this in the Torah portion Ki Tissa.⁴⁷ Therefore, before God said to Abraham, and I will multiply thy seed, he told him, I am God Almighty (El Shaddai) (Gen. 17:1), the meaning of which is: I overcome the upper arrangements. The aforementioned does not mean that the arrangements are destroyed. It rather means that the one who cleaves to God knows that God creates good things for him that are not in keeping with what the stars have determined for him.⁴⁸ Jacob therefore said, the angel who hath redeemed me from all evil (Gen. 48:16), i.e., all evil that was destined⁴⁹ to come upon me. This is, as I will explain, the secret of the whole Torah.⁵⁰ Now the patriarchs did not reach the level where they were able to cleave unto God as Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face,⁵¹ did. Moses was therefore able to change the laws governing the lower world⁵² and produce signs and wonders⁵³ that the patriarchs were incapable of. Now Moses said two things to the Lord. One, why is it that Thou hast sent me (Ex. 5:22)? Two, neither hast Thou delivered Thy people (Ex. 5:23). God answered the latter with, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh (v. 1). He answered the former⁵⁴ with, I am the Lord (v. 2).⁵⁵ known in the world. The meaning⁵⁶ is that via the patriarchs My name El Shaddai⁵⁷ was publicized, but through you My revered name YHVH⁵⁸ will be known in the world. As God said, Wherefore say unto the children of Israel: I am the Lord (YHVH) (v. 6), the meaning of which is, behold, I have sent you to make this name known.