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[soondak]

שמע ישראל יהוה אלהינו יהוה אחד

Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad

Adon-i is plural.

Ask him why this is so.
G-d Bless
Miryam Bat Bara

[John Goddard]

It refers to God being the only true God of all assumed gods. Much as Jesus is King of kings, Lord of lords among human rulers.

[soondak]

Ahh.
But what about "Let us make man in our image."
Again G-d bless.

[John Goddard]

Ahh.
But what about "Let us make man in our image."
Again G-d bless.

God used angels for all kinds of tasks in the Bible, like deliver messages, though sometimes He did it directly like with Moses. Same thing here.

Also the beings in Ezekiel and Revelation had a face and hands like a man, so this could also refer to physical as well as mental/spiritual likeness.

[sylvius]

שמע ישראל יהוה אלהינו יהוה אחד

Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad

Adon-i is plural.

Ask him why this is so.
G-d Bless
Miryam Bat Bara

My teacher said that "elohim" is plural of "eleh" = this.

So this and this and this and this,

all these are one God.

[sylvius]

http://ohr.edu/ask_db/ask_main.php/41/Q1/

Grammatically, the root word of Elokim is "eleh" the demonstrative pronoun "these". In the plural, "these" connotes the binding unity between each of the individual items

(for Sparko:)

http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q...s/srhirsch.jpg

[Menachem]

שמע ישראל יהוה אלהינו יהוה אחד

Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad

Adon-i is plural.

Ask him why this is so.
G-d Bless
Miryam Bat Bara

The Word Adonai is simply a substitute in this for the divine name. Also in Hebrew grammar words must agree in gender and number. If a noun is plural in form but the verbs are all singular. Guess what the noun is singular despite the plural form.

the "let us make man" argument doesnt cut it either because G-d is singular here also. It just happens to use a plural cohortative when saying "make."

Here is the phrase in question:וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם בְּצַלְמֵנוּ כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ

The first phrase "Vayomer Elohim" The word Vayomer is a singular verb and is the action of Elohim making Elohim singular as the rule of hebrew grammar states. Na'asoh happens to be what we call a plural cohortative in Hebrew. meaning that it is being said to an audience. Really G-d is speaking to more than one person not that G-d has a multiple personality disorder. he is simple speaking to the angels as part of his heavenly court.

[sylvius]

Really G-d is speaking to more than one person not that G-d has a multiple personality disorder. he is simple speaking to the angels as part of his heavenly court.

that doesn't explain it.



But Rashi

http://www.chabad.org/library/articl.../Chapter-1.htm

Since man was created in the likeness of the angels, and they would envy him, He consulted them.

[John Goddard]

that doesn't explain it.

But Rashi

http://www.chabad.org/library/articl.../Chapter-1.htm

"Since man was created in the likeness of the angels, and they would envy him, He consulted them."

Though most Jews I know believe angels don't feel things like envy or have freewill, they just obey God.

[sylvius]

Though most Jews I know believe angels don't feel things like envy or have freewill, they just obey God.

but they can have opposing viewpoints:

Midrash Rabbah B'rei[color=red]EDITME[/color][color=red]EDITME[/color][color=red]EDITME[/color][color=red]EDITME[/color] 8:5

http://www.scheinerman.net/judaism/ideas/angels.html

R. Simon said: When the Holy One, blessed be God, came to create Adam, the ministering angels formed themselves into groups and parties, some of them saying, "Let him be created," while others urged, "Let him not be created." Thus it is written, Love and Truth fought together, Righteousness and Peace combated each other [Psalm 85:11]: Love said, "Let him be created, because he will dispense acts of love"; Truth said, "Let him not be created, because he is compounded of falsehood"; Righteousness said, "Let him be created, because he will perform righteous deeds"; Peace said, "Let him not be created because he is full of strife." What did the Lord do? God took Truth and cast it to the ground. Said the ministering angels before the Holy One, blessed be God, "Sovereign of the Universe! Why do You despise Your seal? Let Truth arise from the earth!" Hence it is written, Let truth spring up from the earth [Psalm 85:12].

All our rabbis say the following in the name of R. Chanina, while R. Phinehas and R. Hilkiah say it in the name of R. Simon: Me'od [very] is identical with Adam, as it is written: And God saw everything that God had made, and behold it was tov me'od [very good] [Genesis 1:31], that is, and behold Adam was good. R. Huna the Elder of Sepphoris, said: While the ministering angels were arguing with each other and disputing with each other, the Holy One, blessed be God, created him. God said to them: What can you avail? The human has already been made!"

[John Goddard]

but they can have opposing viewpoints:

Midrash Rabbah B'rei[color=red]EDITME[/color][color=red]EDITME[/color][color=red]EDITME[/color][color=red]EDITME[/color] 8:5

http://www.scheinerman.net/judaism/ideas/angels.html

Similar to the Quran account:

The ministering angels formed themselves into groups and parties, some of them saying, "Let him be created," while others urged, "Let him not be created."

While the ministering angels were arguing with each other and disputing with each other, the Holy One, blessed be God, created him. God said to them: What can you avail? The human has already been made!"

Quran 2:30 And when thy Lord said unto the angels: Lo! I am about to place a viceroy in the earth, they said: Wilt thou place therein one who will do harm therein and will shed blood, while we, we hymn Thy praise and sanctify Thee? He said: Surely I know that which ye know not.

[sylvius]

שמע ישראל יהוה אלהינו יהוה אחד

Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad

Adon-i is plural.

Ask him why this is so.
G-d Bless
Miryam Bat Bara

Isaiah 40:26,

שְׂאוּ-מָרוֹם עֵינֵיכֶם וּרְאוּ מִי-בָרָא אֵלֶּה הַמּוֹצִיא בְמִסְפָּר צְבָאָם לְכֻלָּם בְּשֵׁם יִקְרָא מֵרֹב אוֹנִים וְאַמִּיץ כֹּחַ אִישׁ לֹא נֶעְדָּר

Lift up your eyes on high and see, who created these, who takes out their host by number; all of them He calls by name; because of His great might and because He is strong in power, no one is missing.


מִי-בָרָא אֵלֶּה --

"mi bara eleh" - "who created these" , that is the Name of God "elohim"

[sylvius]

http://aish.com/torahportion/moray/The_Golden_Calf.asp

It follows, then, that the question "Who created these?" must always remain a question, a rhetorical, unanswerable question. The Jew understands that there are certain mysteries which are impenetrable. The essence of God is one such mystery. The transcendental, essential aspect of God remains elusive, for it harks back to the idea of Elohim, which contains the mi, (who) as a perpetual question.

Man may contemplate creation, and just at the point that we think the question is answered, and we attempt to point a finger at God, we run into trouble.

The Jews who stood at Mount Sinai pointed a finger at the calf of gold which they formed, and declared "These, Israel are your lords/gods." They wished to understand and experience God in their own terms, wished to provide a concrete answer for the unanswerable question.

[soondak]

I LOVE all of you.

[Chavak]

The Word Adonai is simply a substitute in this for the divine name. Also in Hebrew grammar words must agree in gender and number. If a noun is plural in form but the verbs are all singular. Guess what the noun is singular despite the plural form.

Exactly.