Seeing Hashem/2

Seeing Hashem

Exegetical Approaches

This topic has not yet undergone editorial review

Direct Revelation of Hashem

At times, Hashem directly reveals Himself, allowing humans to glimpse God Himself.

Sources:RashiShemot 24:10-11Vayikra 16:2Devarim 34:10Yechezkel 1:1About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki, RashbamBereshit 48:8Shemot 19:9Shemot 19:11Shemot 19:23Shemot 24:10-11Shemot 33:18Vayikra 9:23Vayikra 16:2About R. Shemuel b. Meir, ?Ibn KaspiShemot 24:9About R. Yosef ibn Kaspi

"לֹא יִרְאַנִי הָאָדָם וָחָי" – This approach assumes that humans are physically capable of seeing Hashem directly, yet doing so results in death. There are, however, certain exceptions: 

• Stay of execution – Rashi maintains that though in all cases in which humans directly see Hashem they deserve death, in exceptional circumstances this death can be delayed. Thus, though Nadav and Avihu and the elders saw Hashem at Sinai (Shemot 24), Hashem pushed off their punishment so as not to mar the happiness of receiving the Torah with the tragedy of their deaths.¹
• No death – Rashbam, in contrast, asserts that in some situations, seeing Hashem is a privilege granted by Hashem, not deserving of death at all. When making a covenant, Hashem might honor the second party by allowing them to see Hashem as He passes by.² Thus, in the Covenant Between the Pieces, Avraham merited to see Hashem pass (Bereshit 16:17-18), at the covenant at Sinai, the elders merited to see Hashem (Shemot 24:10-11), and when Hashem made the covenant in Shemot 34:10, He allowed Moshe to see Him as He passed (Shemot 33:23 and Shemot 34:6). 

"וְרָאִיתָ אֶת אֲחֹרָי" - What did they see? Neither Rashi nor Rashbam elaborate on what it means to see Hashem directly or detail what it was that the people saw.  Rashbam, though, does imply that even in cases of direct revelation, the vision is somewhat veiled. By Moshe, the verse states explicitly that Moshe only saw Hashem's "back". Rashbam claims that this applied to the elders in Shemot 24 as well. By Avraham, the verses describe a pillar of smoke and fire passing by the pieces, suggesting that there, too, the vision was obscured to some degree.

Revelation at Sinai – Both Rashi and Rashbam speak about the nation requesting to see Hashem during revelation but it is unclear what they they think Hashem responded.³ Presenting Hashem as permitting such a revelation matches the description of the event being a "face to face" encounter, but it would appear to contradict Moshe's statement, "לֹא רְאִיתֶם כׇּל תְּמוּנָה בְּיוֹם דִּבֶּר י״י אֲלֵיכֶם". If these commentators do indeed maintain that Hashem allowed the nation to "see Him" at Sinai, they might offer any of the following resolutions: 

• It is possible that Hashem granted the nation permission to look, but only from afar, at which distance the nation could not really see Hashem regardless.⁴  As such, they saw no "picture",⁵ though they did watch Hashem's descent, as per the literal understanding of "יֵרֵד י״י לְעֵינֵי כׇל הָעָם".‎
• Alternatively Hashem's permit referred to the nation seeing the fire within which Hashem descended on the mountain,⁶ but not to them seeing an image of Hashem Himself.⁷
• It is also possible that the people really were privileged to see Hashem,⁸ but that Hashem does not have a form that can in any way be called a "תְּמוּנָה" and it is this which Moshe emphasizes in Sefer Devarim.⁹

"וְלֹא יָמוּת כִּי בֶּעָנָן אֵרָאֶה עַל הַכַּפֹּרֶת" – This position might understand that Hashem is literally revealed on the kapporet and it is for this reason that any who enter and see will die.

Visions of Hashem by prophets - "רָאִיתִי אֶת י״י יֹשֵׁב"

• Rashi writes that all prophets, excluding Moshe, see through "a non-transparent glass".¹⁰  It is not clear if Rashi's emphasis is on the lack of clarity in these prophet's visions, or on the very fact that they occurred in a dream rather than being a direct and conscious revelation. Either way, this opaque viewing is what allows them to survive the revelation.
• Rashbam speaks explicitly only of Michayhu's vision of Hashem, but appears to concur with the first understanding of Rashi.  He states that the vision was fuzzy, like someone who can make out the outline of a friend but not see His face. 

Revelation to Avot: "...וַיֵּרָא י״י אֶל" – Neither Rash nor Rashbam address the nature of these revelations but might suggest that these were prophetic and not direct visions.

"'כְּבוֹד ה" – Neither Rashi nor Rashbam explicitly define the term, but their comments suggest that it can refer to either some aspect of Hashem Himself or to an expression of His glory through His deeds:.

• Rashi appears to understand it to refer to some manifestation of Hashem Himself, but assumes that this is cloaked in the pillar of cloud which would obscure the vision to all who looked at it,protecting them from death.¹¹
• Rashbam maintains that in some of the  cases where the term appears, it does not refer to Hashem at all but rather to His miraculous deeds which attest to His glory. Thus by the manna, when Moshe and Aharon tell the nation, " וּבֹקֶר וּרְאִיתֶם אֶת כְּבוֹד י״י", they are referring to the miracle itself. Similarly, when the Vayikra states that on the eighth day "Hashem's glory appeared" it refers to the miraculous fire than came to consume the various offerings.

Corporeality of Hashem

Uniqueness of Moshe's prophecy

Hashem or angel

Prophetic Vision

Hashem does not directly reveal Himself to mankind but does appear to them via prophecy.  Any image of God that they see is only in a prophetic dream.

Sources:Ibn EzraBereshit First Commentary 12:7Shemot First Commentary 13:21Shemot First Commentary 16:7Shemot First Commentary 24:10-11Shemot First Commentary 33:18Shemot Second Commentary 13:21Shemot Second Commentary 16:6Shemot Second Commentary 24:10-11Vayikra 16:2Devarim 5:4Yeshayahu 6:5About R. Avraham ibn Ezra, R. ChananelBerakhot 6aAbout R. Chananel b. Chushiel, R. Yosef Bekhor ShorBereshit 1:26Bereshit 32:31Shemot 13:21Shemot 24:8-11Shemot 33:18-23Vayikra 16:2About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, RambamHilkhot Yesodei HaTorah 1:8-12Hilkhot Yesodei HaTorah 2:4Moreh Nevukhim 1:4Moreh Nevukhim 1:5Moreh Nevukhim 1:54Moreh Nevukhim 2:41About R. Moshe b. Maimon, RadakBereshit 32:31Yeshayahu 6:1Yeshayahu 6:5About R. David Kimchi, R. Avraham b. HaRambamBereshit 26:24Shemot 24:10-11Shemot 33:12-23About R. Avraham Maimonides, Sefer HaIkkarim3:17About R. Yosef Albo, SefornoShemot 19:9Shemot 19:11Shemot 24:11Shemot 33:11Shemot 33:18-23Vayikra 9:6Bemidbar 12:6-8Devarim 5:4Devarim 34:10About R. Ovadyah Seforno, ShadalShemot 13:21Shemot 19:11Shemot 20:3Shemot 24:10-11Shemot 33:18Shemot 33:20Yeshayahu 6:1Yeshayahu 6:5About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto, MalbimBereshit 12:7Shemot 33:18-23Yeshayahu Beur HaInyan 6:1Yeshayahu Beur HaMilot 6:1About R. Meir Leibush Weiser, R. D"Z HoffmannBereshit 12:7Shemot 16:7Shemot 16:10Vayikra 9:23Vayikra 16:2About R. David Zvi Hoffmann

Corporeality of Hashem – These sources deny the corporeality of Hashem, and thus the possibility that someone might physically see Hashem in any tangible form. Anthropomorphic language (mention of body parts or actions normally requiring a body and the like) is understood metaphorically and is viewed as an attempt to speak in terms that humans can understand. Cases where individuals are said to see Hashem are understood as prophetic visions.

What do prophets see? R. Chananel, R"Y Bekhor Shor, Rambam, and R. Avraham b. HaRambam all imply that every prophet might receive a different prophetic image, with some envisioning Hashem as a king on a throne and others seeing Him as a hero in war or as an elderly man wrapped in a prayer shawl.¹²  Sometimes Hashem does not provide an image with a human shape or even any concrete form at all, but rather signals His revelation via a glowing light or the like.

"לֹא יִרְאַנִי הָאָדָם וָחָי" – These sources offer various explanations of the apparent contradiction between Hashem's assertion that "no man can see Me and live" and the many verses¹³ in which the simple sense of the text implies that man did in fact see Hashem:

• Physical vs. prophetic seeing – R. Chananel distinguishes between physically seeing Hashem, which is impossible, and prophets receiving an image in a dream or vision, which is possible.¹⁴
• Full understanding vs. prophetic image – Rambam, in contrast, asserts that the verse "לֹא יִרְאַנִי הָאָדָם וָחָי" refers not to the inability of mortals to see God, but to their inability to attain a deep, complete understanding of His essence.¹⁵ Other verses which speak of seeing God refer to prophetic visions which are not problematic and man can receive with proper preparation.
• Different levels of prophecy – R. Yosef Albo claims that Moshe, being on the highest level of prophecy, could never see Hashem even in a prophetic vision since his prophecies were unaffected by the imagination. Other prophets, though, could see images representing Hashem in their prophetic dreams.¹⁶

Revelation to Avot: "...וַיֵּרָא י״י אֶל" – Malbim and R. D"Z Hoffmann¹⁷ point out that this formulation (as opposed to the language of  "...וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל") refers to a unique type of prophecy in which Hashem not only speaks to a prophet but also appears to them in some visual image.¹⁸

"לֹא רְאִיתֶם כׇּל תְּמוּנָה בְּיוֹם דִּבֶּר י״י אֲלֵיכֶם" – Shadal asserts that Moshe's wording, "you did not see a "תְּמוּנָה" (a likeness) of Hashem", teaches not only that the masses did not physically see Hashem at Sinai, but that they did not see even a prophetic visual of Him.¹⁹

"Face to Face" Revelation at Sinai – Given both that these sources understand that Hashem does not have a face and that Devarim 4:15 explicitly states, "לֹא רְאִיתֶם כׇּל תְּמוּנָה בְּיוֹם דִּבֶּר י״י אֲלֵיכֶם", all these sources interpret the phrase "פָּנִים בְּפָנִים" non literally:

• Unmediated revelation – Ibn Ezra, R"Y Bekhor Shor, Rambam and R. Hoffmann assert that the description teaches that the nation heard Hashem's words directly, without a mediator,²⁰ not that they saw Hashem's face.
• Conscious prophecy – Seforno understands "פָּנִים בְּפָנִים" to mean that the nation received prophecy while fully in control of their senses.  As such, the phrase says nothing about actually seeing the face or any image of Hashem.
• Prophetic image – R. Bachya, following the Midrash,²¹ suggests that the phrase "פָּנִים בְּפָנִים" refers to the many images via which Hashem appeared to the different members of the nation during revelation.  Though he is not explicit, it appears that he is referring to prophetic images, while the verse "לֹא רְאִיתֶם כׇּל תְּמוּנָה" refers to the nation not having physically seen a picture of Hashem Himself.

"יֵרֵד י״י לְעֵינֵי כׇל הָעָם" – This phrase, too, is reinterpreted.  Shadal claims that it should be understood in light of verse 18, "אֲשֶׁר יָרַד עָלָיו י״י בָּאֵשׁ" and refers to Hashem's glory which took the form of fire.  It was this which the people saw, not Hashem Himself.

Shemot 24: "וַיִּרְאוּ אֵת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל"/ "וַיֶּחֱזוּ אֶת הָאֱלֹהִים" – These sources all agree that the elders did not physically see Hashem, but differ in their understanding of what they did see and what the words "לֹא שָׁלַח יָדוֹ" suggest about this "seeing":

• Prophetic vision – Many of these sources²² assume that the verse refers to a prophetic vision.
• Shadal explains that although the masses had only heard Hashem's voice at Sinai,²³ the elite were privileged to also prophetically see a created image of Hashem. As others were not meant to see such an image, one might have thought that they would be hurt for having done so.  As such, the text shares that Hashem "לֹא שָׁלַח יָדוֹ"; they were unscathed.
• Seforno goes a step further to suggest that the elders merited to prophesy and see this image while still in control of their faculties.²⁴ The phrase "לֹא שָׁלַח יָדוֹ" means that Hashem did not send forth His hand to remove the elders from their senses, not that there was reason to believe that this vision might have deserved them death
• Understanding – Rambam, in contrast, understands the elder's seeing to refer to comprehension of Hashem's essence.  Due to improper and insufficient preparation, they only attained a partial understanding of Hashem, and as such were worthy of punishment, of "שליחות יד". 

"וְרָאִיתָ אֶת אֲחֹרָי"

Uniqueness of Moshe's prophecy – These commentators pick up on several aspects of Moshe's prophecy which were unique:

• Prophesied while awake – Ibn Ezra, Rambam, Seforno
• He heard Hashem's messages directly rather than via an angel – Ibn Ezra, Rambam, Abarbanel
• He received a clear message rather than analogies and riddles – Ibn Ezra, R"Y Bekhor Shor, Rambam, Seforno
• He could prophesy whenever he desired – Ibn Ezra, Rambam
• Higher level of comprehension of hashem's essence

"כִּי בֶּעָנָן אֵרָאֶה עַל הַכַּפֹּרֶת"

"'כְּבוֹד ה" – R. Saadia suggests that mentions of "Hashem's glory" refer to a sign sent by Hashem, be it a cloud, fire or glowing light, that signifies to the prophet that it is Hashem who is speaking to Him.

Cognitive Experience

When Torah speaks of humans seeing Hashem, it refers to a cognitive experience, man's comprehending of some aspect of Hashem's nature.

Sources:RambamMoreh Nevukhim 1:4Moreh Nevukhim 1:27Moreh Nevukhim 2:41About R. Moshe b. Maimon, R. Avraham b. HaRambamShemot 16:10Shemot 24:10-11Shemot 33:12-23About R. Avraham Maimonides, RalbagVayikra 16:1Shemot Beur HaParashah 24:10-11About R. Levi b. Gershom, MalbimBereshit 12:7Shemot 33:18-23Yeshayahu Beur HaInyan 6:1Yeshayahu Beur HaMilot 6:1About R. Meir Leibush Weiser,

Mediated Revelation

Hashem's Glory

Hashem at times reveals His glory, or a symbol thereof, to mankind in the form of  light, a cloud, or fire.

Sources:R. Saadia Gaonin Otzar HaGeonim Berakhot 6bHaEmunot VeHaDeiot 2:9HaEmunot VeHaDeiot 2:10HaEmunot VeHaDeiot 3:5About R. Saadia Gaon, Ralbag, Ran

Angel

Verses which speak of Hashem appearing to man refer not to Hashem Himself, but to an angel.

¹ This reading emerges from Rashi's comments to Shemot 24:10.  In his comments to the following verse, however, he suggests that the group was deserving of death since they acted inappropriately, viewing Hashem while eating and drinking. This leads to the possibility that Rashi maintains had the elders acted properly, they would not have deserved death, despite having seen Hashem.  If so, then Rashi, like Rashbam, assumes that in exceptional cases, man is granted permission to view Hashem without punishment.

² Rashbam points to the treaties in Bereshit 15 and Yirmeyahu 34 as proof that one of the components of Biblical covenants is that the participants cut an animal and pass through its pieces.  [In light of Ancient Near Eastern treaties, it seems that this was meant to send a message that violation of the covenant would result in punishment and slaughter. See Treaties in Tanakh and the Ancient Near East for elaboration.]  Rashbam appears to be suggesting that as part of the covenantal process, Hashem allows the other party to see Him as he passes.

³ In his comments to Shemot 19:9, Rashi has Moshe tell Hashem that the people desire direct communication with Him:, "שרצונן לשמוע ממך, אינו דומה שומע מפי שליח לשומע מפי המלך, רצוננו לראות את מלכנו".  The Leipzig 1 manuscript of Rashi then contains a later addition of R. Shemaya which presents Hashem as agreeing to the people's request, though it is unclear if Hashem agrees only to direct verbal communication or also to a direct visual revelation (see his comments to Shemot 19:10 and similarly Devarim 5:19).
Rashbam presents Moshe as asking Hashem if the reason He gave additional warnings about ascending the mountain was because He did not want the nation to even watch from afar ("שמא אתה מוסיף שאפילו להתקרב מעט כדי להסתכל ולראות אפילו רחוק מן ההר אסור?"). Due to a discrepancy between the Breslau manuscript of Rashbam's commentary and the Munich 252 and Oxford Marsh 225 manuscripts, it is unclear what Rashbam presents Hashem as answering. The former reads, "גם עתה לא אמרתי לראות, בלא עלייה לא אמרתי לך" (presenting Hashem as forbidding seeing) whereas the latter reads, "גם עתה לא אסרתי לראות, בלא עלייה לא אמרתי לך" (presenting Hashem as permitting seeing).

⁴ See Rashbam's comments to Beresheit 48:8 where he asserts that at times one can see an image of another but not make out their face and that one may see Hashem in this manner and no be deserving of death. 

⁵ If so, the giving of the Decalogue was not literally a "face to face" encounter and is described as one only because it was unmediated and Hashem spoke directly to the people without Moshe acting as a middleman.

⁶ See Shemot 19:18, "וְהַר סִינַי עָשַׁן כֻּלּוֹ מִפְּנֵי אֲשֶׁר יָרַד עָלָיו י״י בָּאֵשׁ".

⁷ As elsewhere, too, the people see Hashem's glory and fire, one might question what, then, made this encounter unique.  It is possible that in those cases these did not house Hashem's presence in the manner described here, and it was this that made the Revelation special.

⁸ Rashbam might explain, as above, that this exception was made since Hashem was making a covenant with the nation.  This reading is more difficult for Rashi, however, who appears to understand that anyone who receives a direct revelation of Hashem is deserving of death.  [See the first point above regarding the elder's viewing Hashem at Sinai in Shemot 24.  If Rashi maintains that even the elders were so deserving, it is hard to see how the masses would have survived such an encounter. If, though, Rashi thinks the elders deserved death only for behaving inappropriately during the revelation, then he, too, might suggest that in very exceptional cases, such as the receiving of the Decalogue, even laymen could receive  a direct revelation.]

⁹ The fact that Rashbam does not include the revelation at Sinai among his example of covenants during which Hashem granted permission for people to see Him might suggest that he does not really maintain that the nation saw Hashem directly.

¹⁰ He notes that this is why Yechezkel's vision of Hashem is referred to as "מראות אלהים", being dream-like in nature.

¹¹ In many of the verses in which the term appears, the text itself connects it to the cloud (see, for example, Shemot 16:10, Shemot 24:16 and Bemidbar 17:7). In his comments to Bemidbar 14:10 and 16:9, where the cloud is not mentioned, Rashi clarifies that here, too, Hashem's glory came in the cloud. 

¹² See also Shadal who suggests that the prophet sees a "created image"  which then awakens his heart to imagine Hashem.

¹³ See Shemot 24:10-11, Melakhim I 22:19, Yeshayahu 6:1, Yechezkel 1:1 and 26, and Daniel 7:9.

¹⁴ As support he points to Hoshea's words, "וּבְיַד הַנְּבִיאִים אֲדַמֶּה" (Hoshea 12:11).

¹⁵ He explains that the root "ראה" has several connotations and in this verse it refers to comprehension rather than physical sight.

¹⁶ One might question this reading as the language of "לֹא יִרְאַנִי הָאָדָם וָחָי" appears to be a general statement referring to all men and not only Moshe.

¹⁷ See also Keli YekarBereshit 12:7About R. Shelomo Ephraim Luntschitz.

¹⁸ R. Hoffmann points out that the Torah does not share the nature of this visual and how Hashem appeared in such prophecies.  See, though, the above point that other commentators suggest that Hashem might provide different visuals for each prophet.

¹⁹ Accoridng to him, had the verse read "לֹא רְאִיתֶם את ה" one could suggest that only a physical seeing of Hashem was precluded.  The addition of the word "תמונה" implies that even a created image of Hashem was not seen. See, however, the point below, that not everyone agrees.

²⁰ Rambam clarifies that the phrase means that the nation heard Hashem's voice directly and not via an angel. Ibn Ezra raises the alternative possibility that the verse means that the people heard the Decalogue via Hashem and not via Moshe.  See The Decalogue: Direct From Hashem or Via Moshe for further discussion.

²¹ See

²² See Ibn Ezra, R. Avraham b. HaRambam (in his first explanation of the term), R"Y Albo, Seforno, and Shadal.

²³ See his explanation of the phrase "לֹא רְאִיתֶם כׇּל תְּמוּנָה בְּיוֹם דִּבֶּר י״י אֲלֵיכֶם" above.

²⁴ This is unlike most prophets who prophesy while asleep and see images of Hashem only in a dream-like state.