Is This True?

If you want to see the brilliance of the Torah, look no further than the names of G-d Himself. And if you want a single pasuk that makes clear that G-d's names carry depth and meaning — look no further than the opening of this week's parsha:

וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֵלָ֖יו אֲנִ֥י יְהֹוָֽה׃ וָאֵרָ֗א אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֛ם אֶל־יִצְחָ֥ק וְאֶֽל־יַעֲקֹ֖ב בְּאֵ֣ל שַׁדָּ֑י וּשְׁמִ֣י יְהֹוָ֔ה לֹ֥א נוֹדַ֖עְתִּי לָהֶֽם׃

And E-lokim spoke to Moshe and He said to him: "I am Y-K-V-K, And I presented myself to Avraham, to Yitzchak and to Yaakov as E-l Sh-Dei But my name Y-K-V-K, I did not make known to them.

Shemos · 6:2-3

Let's note how striking (and interesting) this verse is.

For starters, "Who" is speaking with Moshe Rabbeinu? E-lokim (א‎-לקים‎). This is one of the two primary names used to describe G-d in the Chumash. It is the name used exclusively in the story of creation — and appears countless times afterwards.

And what does E-lokim want Moshe to know — that He is Y-K-V-K (יקוק‎). This is the second of the two primary names used to reference G-d in the Chumash.

And it is interesting that G-d — revealing Himself to Moshe from the perspective or aspect of His being E-lokim wants to communicate to Moshe that He is the entity best known as Y-K-V-K.

In essence, G-d is telling Moshe his "real" name. What does that mean? Well — that's kind of what this article is all about. Meaning, we'll get there shortly enough.

But there is more — after informing Moshe about his "real" name, *E-lokim *has another message for Moshe — namely; that He (E-lokim) appeared to the forefathers by yet a third name: *E-l Sh-Dei *(א‎-ל ש‎-די‎).

But E-lokim is not revealing this name to Moshe. Rather, he is noting that he only appeared to the Avos as E-l Sh-Dei and not by the name Y-K-V-K — the name that he just revealed to Moshe is His "essential" name.

Now — as interesting (or confusing) as all of this is — it seems to also be false. Indeed, the very first time that HaKadosh Baruch spoke with Avraham (as recorded in the Chumash), He did so as Y-K-V-K:

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־אַבְרָ֔ם לֶךְ־לְךָ֛ מֵאַרְצְךָ֥

And Y-K-V-K said to Avrahm, Go (for your own benefit) from your land...

And later, when Avraham arrived in Eretz Yisrael, He appeared to him as Y-K-V-K:

וַיֵּרָ֤א יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־אַבְרָ֔ם וַיֹּ֕אמֶר

And Y-K-V-K appeared to Avrahm and He said...

Avraham's response is equally telling. He builds an altar and publicly calls out in the name of Y-K-V-K:

וַיִּֽבֶן־שָׁ֤ם מִזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ לַֽיהֹוָ֔ה וַיִּקְרָ֖א בְּשֵׁ֥ם יְהֹוָֽה

And he built an altar to Y-K-V-K and he called out in the name of Y-K-V-K

Bereishis · 12:8

These verses describe Avraham's very first recorded encounters with HaKadosh Baruch Hu. But they are far from the last.

Let us move on to Bris Bein HaBesarim. There we are told that the "word of Y-K-V-K came to Avram". And during that encounter, HaKadosh Baruch Hu explicitly identifies Himself as Y-K-V-K:

וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֵלָ֑יו אֲנִ֣י יְהֹוָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר הוֹצֵאתִ֙יךָ֙ מֵא֣וּר כַּשְׂדִּ֔ים

And He said to him: "I am Y-K-V-K, who took you out from Ur Kasdim...

Bereishis · 15:7

Now this line is familiar — quite similar to the very words that HaKadosh Baruch Hu says to Bnei Yisrael at Har Sinai:

אָֽנֹכִ֖י֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑֔יךָ אֲשֶׁ֧ר הוֹצֵאתִ֛יךָ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם מִבֵּ֣֥ית עֲבָדִ֑͏ֽים׃

I am Y-K-V-K, who took you out from the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

At Sinai, the very first thing G-d wanted Bnei Yisrael to know was His name: Y-K-V-K. And here is G-d using (seemingly) the exact same language to make the exact same point.

But we aren't done yet.

Later on, after forming a covenant with Avimelech, Avraham once again calls out in the name of Y-K-V-K — this time adding a crucial phrase:

וַיִּ֨קְרָא־שָׁ֔ם בְּשֵׁ֥ם יְהֹוָ֖ה אֵ֥ל עוֹלָֽם

And he called out in the name of Y-K-V-K, the E-l of the world

Bereishis · 21:33

That word *E-l is rather similar to E-lokim. *Indeed, it is essentially the same word (or name) in singular form. So here we have Avraham noting that Y-K-V-K is the E-l of the world — similar to how *E-lokim *in our verse let's Moshe know that He (E-lokim) is Y-K-V-K.

And finally, we have the Akeida itself, where E-lokim tests Avraham. And there, once Avraham passes the test, he (Avraham) gives a name for that very place:

וַיִּקְרָ֧א אַבְרָהָ֛ם שֵֽׁם־הַמָּק֥וֹם הַה֖וּא יְהֹוָ֣ה ׀ יִרְאֶ֑ה אֲשֶׁר֙ יֵאָמֵ֣ר הַיּ֔וֹם בְּהַ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה יֵרָאֶֽה

And Avraham called the name of that place Y-K-V-K will see

Bereishis · 22:14

All in all, it seems rather hard to argue that Avraham did not know Y-K-V-K. After all,

  • G-d first appeared to Avraham as Y-K-V-K

  • Avraham made public proclamations in the name of Y-K-V-K

  • G-d Himself "informed" Avraham that He (G-d) is Y-K-V-K

  • G-d named the very place of the Akeida after Y-K-V-K

So how is it possible for E-lokim to state that He did not make His name Y-K-V-K known to the avos?