Exodus 6:3 - Parashas Va’eira (5762)
But My name 'Hashem' I was not known to them. Rashi: It is not written here "[ My name 'Hashem'] "lo Hodati" I did not make known [to them]" Rather [it says] "[ My name 'Hashem'] "lo Nodati" I was not known [ to them]." I was not recognized by them with My attribute of "keeping faith" by reason of which my name is called 'Hashem,' that I am faithful to substantiate my promise. For indeed I promised them but I have not [yet] fulfilled [my promise].
This is a complex comment; Rashi is addressing two difficulties in our verse. We will our begin analysis by clarifying what he is saying.
WHAT IS RASHI SAYING?
Rashi differentiates between the meaning of two conjugations of the word "to know." The two are:
1. 'lo Nodati' being the passive form, means "I was not known."
2 'lo Hodati' being the active form, means "I did not make known."
Rashi points out that, of these two, our verse says "I was not known."
In addition, Benno Jacob further reinforces his view that we are dealing with the manifestation of G-d’s ways in the world and not with His name by pointing to the fact that nowhere in Scripture does the root y–d–‘ (to know) denote making a new name known, rather it always indicates a deeper sort of understanding or a greater awareness (this word, awareness, uses the same Hebrew root, y-d-‘; pp. 144-145). One outstanding example out of the many that he cites comes from the continuation of our parasha: “And you shall know that I, the Lord (Y-H-W-H), [am your G-d]” (Ex. 6:7). According to Jacob, this verse reverberates in contrast to what was said several verses earlier, “but I did not make myself known to them [the patriarchs] by My name Y-H-W-H.”
Moreover, if we were truly dealing with revelation of a name that had not previous been known (as Bible criticism tries to maintain), then the root g-l-h, to reveal, would have been used, and not y-d-‘, to know (p. 148). According to Benno Jacob, the distinction between the name El Shaddai and the tetragrammaton in our parasha is also reflected in the verbs that are used in conjunction with these two names: “appeared” and “made myself known:”
These verbs do not denote a greater or lesser intimacy in G-d’s revelation to the individual human being. It is a fact that Numbers 12:6 states with respect to the lower degree of prophecy, “I make Myself known to him in a vision” (using both the roots, r-a-h, to see, and y-d-‘, to know)… This is not the sense in which G-d’s revelation to the patriarchs differed from His revelation to Moses; rather, here one sort of revelation is contrasted with another, where the second kind of revelation [that given to Moses] could not yet have occurred [in the time of the fathers], insofar as it is destined only for an entire people and not for individuals. This sort of revelation necessitates that the Lord’s might be revealed in deeds of such magnitudes that only the name Y-H-W-H suits them.
In contrast to the verb “to see,” here the verb “to know” (vida’atem) is interpreted as pertaining to realization of something, in the current case realization of the deeds necessary for the promise to be fulfilled. Benno Jacob rests his argument on such verses as: “But I acted for the sake of My name, … For it was before their eyes that I had made Myself known to them [Israel] to bring them out of the land of Egypt” (Ezek. 20:9) and “when I made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt, I gave my oath to them” (Ezek. 20:5). In these verses, G-d’s making Himself known (root y-d-‘) to His people finds expression in the deeds which He wrought for them to take them out of the land of Egypt.
But My name 'Hashem' I was not known to them. Rashi: It is not written here "[ My name 'Hashem'] "lo Hodati" I did not make known [to them]" Rather [it says] "[ My name 'Hashem'] "lo Nodati" I was not known [ to them]." I was not recognized by them with My attribute of "keeping faith" by reason of which my name is called 'Hashem,' that I am faithful to substantiate my promise. For indeed I promised them but I have not [yet] fulfilled [my promise].
This is a complex comment; Rashi is addressing two difficulties in our verse. We will our begin analysis by clarifying what he is saying.
WHAT IS RASHI SAYING?
Rashi differentiates between the meaning of two conjugations of the word "to know." The two are:
1. 'lo Nodati' being the passive form, means "I was not known."
2 'lo Hodati' being the active form, means "I did not make known."
Rashi points out that, of these two, our verse says "I was not known."
In addition, Benno Jacob further reinforces his view that we are dealing with the manifestation of G-d’s ways in the world and not with His name by pointing to the fact that nowhere in Scripture does the root y–d–‘ (to know) denote making a new name known, rather it always indicates a deeper sort of understanding or a greater awareness (this word, awareness, uses the same Hebrew root, y-d-‘; pp. 144-145). One outstanding example out of the many that he cites comes from the continuation of our parasha: “And you shall know that I, the Lord (Y-H-W-H), [am your G-d]” (Ex. 6:7). According to Jacob, this verse reverberates in contrast to what was said several verses earlier, “but I did not make myself known to them [the patriarchs] by My name Y-H-W-H.”
Moreover, if we were truly dealing with revelation of a name that had not previous been known (as Bible criticism tries to maintain), then the root g-l-h, to reveal, would have been used, and not y-d-‘, to know (p. 148). According to Benno Jacob, the distinction between the name El Shaddai and the tetragrammaton in our parasha is also reflected in the verbs that are used in conjunction with these two names: “appeared” and “made myself known:”
These verbs do not denote a greater or lesser intimacy in G-d’s revelation to the individual human being. It is a fact that Numbers 12:6 states with respect to the lower degree of prophecy, “I make Myself known to him in a vision” (using both the roots, r-a-h, to see, and y-d-‘, to know)… This is not the sense in which G-d’s revelation to the patriarchs differed from His revelation to Moses; rather, here one sort of revelation is contrasted with another, where the second kind of revelation [that given to Moses] could not yet have occurred [in the time of the fathers], insofar as it is destined only for an entire people and not for individuals. This sort of revelation necessitates that the Lord’s might be revealed in deeds of such magnitudes that only the name Y-H-W-H suits them.
In contrast to the verb “to see,” here the verb “to know” (vida’atem) is interpreted as pertaining to realization of something, in the current case realization of the deeds necessary for the promise to be fulfilled. Benno Jacob rests his argument on such verses as: “But I acted for the sake of My name, … For it was before their eyes that I had made Myself known to them [Israel] to bring them out of the land of Egypt” (Ezek. 20:9) and “when I made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt, I gave my oath to them” (Ezek. 20:5). In these verses, G-d’s making Himself known (root y-d-‘) to His people finds expression in the deeds which He wrought for them to take them out of the land of Egypt.
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