Shemos - Israel's Relationship with G-d

you're listening to the weekly partial podcast with Ari goldwag recorded with hashem's never ending assistance in rap Israel 5784 2024 this six para is para shamos we have completed the foundation of the Jewish people we've completed the stories of the AO as they went to the land of Israel they went down into exile to Egypt and now we have the story of the Jewish people's Exile and their Redemption and that's the book of shamos it's called Exodus in English which means leaving the land of Egypt and Moshe Ru Moses is our protagonist he is the one who will be the Messiah of his time the Messiah of his Generation The Go hasem sends the Redemption through his hands and in a conversation with god he says to him something which we'll study together in the Mish try to understand what it means but he says to hasem is trying to convince him finally he does convince him that he should go and redeem the Jewish people he's going to be God's representative and Moshe says to behold I'm going to come to the children of Israel and I will say to them the god of your for fathers has sent me to you the Jewish people are going to ask what is his name what should I tell them now it's a very interesting uh back and forth here between Moshe and hasem the Jewish people are going to ask what's his name what does this mean exactly what is his name what is God's name God is God you know what I'm saying what's his name what is the meaning of this question we're going to we're going to examine this this question about what is this question now I'm going to read this in a way you may not be used to the the Hebrew word for I will be is I will be I will be with you in a moment as we would say in Hebrew but when it's used in reference to Hashem when it's used in reference to God so this word is actually a holy name it's actually in fact the holiest name the highest name of God and represents the sphere of ker the Transcendent aspect of God we know that God's name the one that we don't pronounce the ineffable name is the letters y and then hey and then V and then hey we don't pronounce it the way it's written it's only pronounced the way it's written in the Holy Temple in The Bash but you'll notice that the last two letters of this word of the word I will be which hasm refers to himself as and I'm going to say it as e the last two letters are Y and he which are the first two letters of the name yud and then he and then V and then he so it's important to know I've heard I've heard this name used you know as particular Prayer by a certain makal by a certain cabalist and he was careful to say which means I will be that I will be but I'm I'm intentionally respecting God's name by now pronouncing it the way that it's written but we're going to talk about what does this name mean what does it represent it represents as we said the Transcendent aspect of God it means I will be that I will be doesn't mean I am that I am which is perhaps a more maybe common translation of the name but it means I will be that I will be in response to M's question what am I to tell the Jewish people who who are you who is this God what is his name hasem says I want you to tell him I will be that I will be is excuse me Hashem says this is what you shall say to the children of Israel I will be I will be has sent me to you so in the middle of the PK the name of Hashem changes there is I will be that I will be and then there is just the name I will be we need to understand why does the PK change why does Hashem in the middle of the sentence change the way he refers to himself and the way that the Jewish people are to be told that God is referred to so the these are the questions that I'd like to address and try to understand as we study together the med the magish talks about the fact that Hashem has many different names right God has many different names we refer to him as elim we refer to him as the Lord of hosts refer to him as y v each of these names have different connotations and as we'll see just like I Ari goldwag am referred to by my children as ABA which means father and I'm referred to as my parents son I'm referred to as a singer as a teacher of Torah depending on the context the name that we have for someone denotes the relationship and the way that that person is interacting with those he's interacting with if I'm teaching you Torah I'll be called perhaps a rabbi I'm not an official Rabbi but I might be called that uh I'll be called a singer Etc when we talk about God so there are different names of God which denote the way that God is interacting with us and therefore teach us what is going on what is going on in that interaction so let's read the meas together God says to Moses [Music] says says to Moses I'm sorry you would like to know my name hasem says to Moshe I am called based on my actions we see that God is referred to as kakai as he says to I was called by the a the name that I used to interact with them was the name kak is the Lord of hosts elim God of judgment you the god of Mercy it's going to explain when I judge mankind when I judge my Creations I'm called I'm referred to as elim the god of judgement when I fight when I wage battle against the wicked I'm called the Lord of hosts right is an Army and the lord of the army and when when I when I I am looking at or more precisely as the atph explains when I am waiting I don't want to give I don't want to judge a person and I don't want to bring out his bring out his punishment immediately I want to give him a chance to repent so I use the I use the name Kel shakai the name Kel shakai means The God Who says enough meaning he holds himself back he withholds his anger when I have compassion on my world I'm referred to as this name the name of compassion we find in the 13 attributes of Mercy which we invoke during so it uses the name twice and it says that he is the god of compassion this is what it means when hasem says I will be that I will be God is coming to teach Moshe Ru when Moshe says what is your name Hashem says my name depends on the situation it depends on the particular interaction that I'm having with my creation I need I'm called based on my actions my Deeds my interactions with mankind so it's very interesting because mosha is saying what's your name and hasm says I have many names I will be what I will be which really means which is the aspect we mentioned it's the aspect of CER it's the aspect of the crown of God as it were aspect of crown just like a king wears a crown because he is the all inclusive the the individual who represents all the people and cares about all the people in his kingdom so to God when we speak about the name eash I will be that I will be it represents the allinclusive aspect that God is Not Just onedimensional God is not an Angry God right as we could say in a certain sense the Muslims understand God as an angry God or judging God he's not a loving God only as the Christians understand him God is all of these and more God is an all-inclusive God God has many many ways that he interacts with us that's very interesting idea I'm not going to really get into so much this particular point but it's worth thinking about why is this something that he mentions here why is this something that he mentions here and it could be that it's important as the Jewish people become a nation as they experience the the challenges of gullis of Exile and as they're about to be redeemed from that they need to know that everything that happens to them in life the negative things the positive things the challenges the redemptions they're all coming from the same singular God they're all calling from one God manifesting in the world in different ways it's not like Hashem has split personalities heaven forbid it's that hasem has different ways of manifesting in the world and all of them are an expression of God's Unity somehow and in the moment of gula we could say in the moment of redemption we get a Moment of clarity where we see the whole picture it's like a person who goes through a challenging difficult time and he comes out on the other side he has his personal Redemption and he looks back and he recognizes that he needed that particular challenge that particular experience to grow from and he doesn't look back and say I wish I didn't have that experience he might say I'm not interested in having that going forward but he doesn't look back and say you know the person recognizes that it was all part of his growth So In This Moment hasem says I am I will be I I am all of these things and all of these aspects okay that's the first point in the M says another understanding of what this name means and by the way all of these understandings are parallel understandings we need to know there there are 70 different aspect there are 70 different facets or aspects of ways of understanding every single Concept in the Torah so we're going to talk about another aspect ECT doesn't contradict the previous aspect says I want you to tell them it says the name three times right hasem says I will be that I will be and then he says tell them I will be sent them and he leaves that the I will be that I will be right so it says it three times in the same verse says an amazing thing I'd like to share with you also what the says to explain it Hashem says there's an aspect here in saying that I will be that there there are three right there are three times one denotes the fact that I was I was revealed previously the second denotes the fact that I am revealed presently and the third time it says I will be represents the fact that I will be revealed in the future time in in the Redemption and explains that there were three points in history that we that we know for sure that Hashem was openly revealed completely revealed the first was when Hashem created adish the first human being Hashem revealed himself openly manifestly Harish had a full experience of hasem interactive experience with hem speaking as it were face to face the second experience of mankind when Hashem revealed himself openly was at this point in time at the moment of redemption God reveals himself to the Jewish people they walk through the yamu they see an awesome revelation of God's highest spheres they see Hashem as it were sitting on his throne and that continues till Mount Si at Mount Si they all hear the voice of God the entire Jewish people hear that Revelation open Revelation manifest that's called for for them the present moment and then in the future time says the there's going to be a full manifestation of full revelation of God in the world and that's talking about the times of Messiah the Messianic age where we return as our sages teach us we return to the state of the first man before the where hasem was openly revealed we get to a state of G Redemption what does it mean Messiah what does it mean the Messiah what does it mean Redemption it means god is openly manifest and revealed in the world so Hashem was saying this is a moment is this is the moment where we return to that state if but for a moment he says I will be three times referencing that the ultimate goal I as I understand that the ultimate goal is that Hashem will be revealed and seen in the Messianic age but it was that way once and it is that way now in the Redemption as they leave uh Egypt as they experienced The Exodus and it will be that way again in the future which is our ultimate goal so in using this name when m says what is your name Hashem responds and says I will be that I will be I will be which means I'm going to openly reveal myself right now and don't think that it's a onetime occurrence we're going to get there eventually for the whole world to experience that's where we're headed so it's a it's a powerful statement of where we are and where we're going the next in the Mish is a little bit more more famous because it's one that Rashi himself quotes says to Moses you want to know what my name is my name is the god who will be with you I am the god who is with you in your troubles I am the god who stands next to you as you go through your challenging times so he says it three times I will be with you now and I will be with you in the future times when you have challenges in the future when you go through your future Exiles again em says to to tell them I want you to say I will be with them in this current difficulty in this current subjugation that they're experiencing they're going to experience future subjugations they're going to live through future Exiles and future challenges and difficulties I will be with them then as well this is not a one-time occurrence so that explains two of the I will bees what's the third [Music] one says do you want me to say to them they're in the middle of such a terrible subjugation such a Terri terrible subservience to the people of Egypt do you want me to tell them about a future subjugations that they're going to experience future troubles it's enough to talk about the current trouble that they're in soem agrees to Mo and says look all right so don't tell don't tell them I will be with them now and I'll will be with them in the future just tell them I will be with them now let's not talk about the future I want you to know about it maybe after they're redeemed you can teach them this lesson but you're right let's just talk about the current challenge that they're facing now the measure says a similar idea another aspect of it they are currently serving they are currently subservient they are slaves they are building uh they are building with with brick and mortar as slaves it's going to be that way in the future as well well the challenges that they go through today perhaps we could say that this is like another aspect of it the challenges that they go through today there will be future challenges parallel challenges similar challenges the the prime example of the challenge is what happened in Egypt but it will happen again it will replicate in the future and the Jewish people need to go through that as we said the challenge itself is something which builds the person the challenge itself is something which makes a person greater uses the word the same root I became became sick there's a the word eya that Hashem is using to talk about himself is also a word which can be indicative of the troubles that that the Jewish people go through soem is speaking of himself again as being with them in their troubles identifying we could say identifying God is identifying himself as the one who manifests through the trouble you want to know how to experience God do you want to know how to get in touch with God we don't ask for troubles we don't ask for difficulties we say we don't want to be tested we don't want to go through embarrassing situations but and I've experienced it I'm sure that you may have experienced this as well when we go through a difficulty or challenge we we feel close to Hashem I'm reminded of a video that recently circulated of a particular woman who was waiting for her relative I don't if it was a child a daughter I think was her daughter to return from captivity and she in the middle of doing the Mitzvah of Kala I think I think for the first time she she bursts out hasem I love you right there's a connection inside of the challenge inside of the difficulty it's hard to explain if a person hasn't experienced it again in this explanation as well says I'm going to talk to them about a future challenge they're going to [Music] experience just talk about the one so God is with us in our Challenge and I and I would say that this this m is instructive about the way that we talk to people who are going through challenges just to be with a person in the current feeling the current issue just be with them where they are right now I'm going to read one more section here in the m and we're running out of time says a very interesting thing and this is also very instructive to understand what's going on currently in the world and the way Hashem generally deals with the Jewish people he says means I will be that which I will be which kind of means as we saw hasem we'll deal differently in different situations with us but another aspect of it as understands it is that hem is saying that depending on the person if it's an individual I am going to interact with them in a way which is merciful at times uh or I I I will interact with them directly sometimes and sometimes I will just step back from my interactions with them let's say a person decides that they want to be a be righteous so will interact with them let's say a person decid that they want to be Wicked they they don't want to they don't want to do that which God demands of them so Hashem will step back from an individual and not not force them to serve him properly very interesting when it comes as the H explains when it comes to the general populace of the Jewish people when we as a whole as a nation turn away from God there's no such thing that hasm steps back and says you know what they've turned away from me I don't care there's no such thing when they have broken their teeth that's the the expression the Mish uses when they have broken their teeth they they've turned away from me they're not serving me proper properly I can't allow that to continue I will rule over them I will in a certain sense force them to be under my dom says 20:33 God swears he says I I I vow that I will use a powerful hand an outstretched hand tremendous anger to rule over you if you turn away from me Hashem says as a nation an individual who turns way hasem will let them go but as a nation when we heaven forbid turn away from God God does not let us so to speak get away get away with it God does something in order to wake us up in order to draw us back to him in order to make sure that we as a nation are serving him this is a very powerful statement of the m is saying sometimes I'll be what I am I may or may not deal with you may or depending on you but then there's a third eya a third I will be which says it doesn't just go by however the winds blow it goes very simply if you're doing what's right that's great if you're not as a nation I'm going to be there I will be your king I will rule over you and it may be tough love that's what the me says so I'd like to conclude and say that this is an incredible lesson the whole the whole discussion here is just like who is God how does he relate to us we asked at the beginning MOS says how do I who who what is your name which really means what is your relationship with us going to look like you're going to redeem us you're the Redeemer how do I express that to them and there are many aspects of the expression of that that has answers but all of them denote the fact that God Wants To Be Our Redeemer he wants to be our King he is with us in our troubles and as a nation he will not let us go he will not let us go so I want to bless you and ask you to bless me hasem should help us that we should recognize in our individual lives and in our national lives that Hashem is with us that Hashem is guiding us and that we we get to interact with hem we don't want challenges we don't ask for them but when they happen we touch God we we we sense him in the pain in the in the challenge he is there with us and he's also there with us in the awesome Redemption that comes at the other side of the challenge and as a nation we need to know should help us to understand that the experiences that we have as a nation the tough ones the good ones they're all there for us to be drawn back into our relationship with God thank you so much for listening have a wonderful shabis this podcast was made possible through the gracious donations of listeners like you for more podcasts like this please visit www.wag.com or search on iTunes Ari goldwag