Va'era

Names of God

Rabbi Laura Duhan Kaplan

The book of Shemot (names) begins with a list of names of the Israelites who settled in Egypt. As the book unfolds, however, it turns into a book about the names of God.

In Chapter 3, as Moshe stands at the burning bush, we learn that God wants to be called "I will be that which I will be."

In Chapter 6, as God is giving Moshe a pep talk, we learn that God appeared to Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya'akov under the name "El Shaddai" but did not make known to them the ineffable name "YHWH."

In Chapter 20 God makes the ineffable name known to all the Israelites at Mount Sinai with the words "I am YHWH your God, who brought you out of the land of Mitzrayim from the house of slavery."

In Chapter 34, after the incident of the golden calf, we learn more about the name YHWH, as the text says "YHWH is a God who is merciful, gracious, slow to anger, and filled with love and truth."

How should we, as readers, think about this thread about the names of God? At the very least, we can think about how each name might speak to us - or not speak to us. These names seem to express infinity, flexibility, historical diversity, justice, equality, love, and comfort. We can also think about how the progression from one name to another speaks to us. We can ask why, in the context of the Exodus story, does Moshe need to know these names. We can ask why the Israelites need to know. And we can ask what we, as participating readers, interpreters, and heirs to the story, might learn from the names.

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