Literary Devices – Bemidbar 27

Hashem is referred to in two different ways in the chapter:

• Hashem – Throughout the vast majority of the chapter, Hashem is referred to by His proper name, "י״י".
• י״י אֱלֹהֵי הָרוּחֹת לְכׇל בָּשָׂר – In verse 16, when asking Hashem to choose a leader in his place, Moshe uniquely refers to Hashem as "י״י אֱלֹהֵי הָרוּחֹת לְכׇל בָּשָׂר". This moniker appears only one other time in Tanakh, in Bemidbar 16:22. The title is understood by many commentators to imply that Hashem is uniquely aware of an individual’s inner nature. In the context of Bemidbar 16, this quality means that He is able to punish only those who deserve it. In Bemidbar 27, it means that Hashem is able to appoint someone who truly has the personality traits necessary for leadership.¹
• Lectures – Listen to Parshat Pinchas: A New Leader, by R. Alex Israel, for discussion of the meaning of the title "י״י אֱלֹהֵי הָרוּחֹת לְכׇל בָּשָׂר" in the context of both Bemidbar 16 and 27.