Difference between revisions of "Seeing Hashem/2"
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<category>Revelation of Hashem's Glory | <category>Revelation of Hashem's Glory | ||
<p>Verses which speak of Hashem appearing to man must be reinterpreted to mean either that Hashem's glory was revealed or that there was mediation of an angel.</p> | <p>Verses which speak of Hashem appearing to man must be reinterpreted to mean either that Hashem's glory was revealed or that there was mediation of an angel.</p> | ||
− | <mekorot><multilink><a href="TargumOnkelosShemot24-10-11" data-aht="source">Onkelos</a><a href="TargumOnkelosShemot24-10-11" data-aht="source">Shemot 24:10-11</a><a href="Targum Onkelos" data-aht="parshan">About Targum Onkelos</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RSaadiaGaoninOtzarHaGeonimBerakhot6b" data-aht="source">R. Saadia Gaon</a><a href="RSaadiaGaoninOtzarHaGeonimBerakhot6b" data-aht="source">in Otzar HaGeonim Berakhot 6b</a><a href="RSaadiaGaonHaEmunotVeHaDeiot2-10" data-aht="source">HaEmunot VeHaDeiot 2:10</a><a href="RSaadiaGaonHaEmunotVeHaDeiot2-12" data-aht="source">HaEmunot VeHaDeiot 2:12</a><a href="RSaadiaGaonHaEmunotVeHaDeiot3-5" data-aht="source">HaEmunot VeHaDeiot 3:5</a><a href="R. Saadia Gaon" data-aht="parshan">About R. Saadia Gaon</a></multilink | + | <mekorot><multilink><a href="TargumOnkelosShemot24-10-11" data-aht="source">Onkelos</a><a href="TargumOnkelosShemot24-10-11" data-aht="source">Shemot 24:10-11</a><a href="Targum Onkelos" data-aht="parshan">About Targum Onkelos</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RSaadiaGaoninOtzarHaGeonimBerakhot6b" data-aht="source">R. Saadia Gaon</a><a href="RSaadiaGaoninOtzarHaGeonimBerakhot6b" data-aht="source">in Otzar HaGeonim Berakhot 6b</a><a href="RSaadiaGaonHaEmunotVeHaDeiot2-10" data-aht="source">HaEmunot VeHaDeiot 2:10</a><a href="RSaadiaGaonHaEmunotVeHaDeiot2-12" data-aht="source">HaEmunot VeHaDeiot 2:12</a><a href="RSaadiaGaonHaEmunotVeHaDeiot3-5" data-aht="source">HaEmunot VeHaDeiot 3:5</a><a href="R. Saadia Gaon" data-aht="parshan">About R. Saadia Gaon</a></multilink></mekorot> |
<point><b>Corporeality of Hashem</b> – This position denies the possibility that Hashem might take on bodily form, necessitating one to reinterpret any verses which imply that Hashem can be seen.  It does so by suggesting that the word Hashem in such verses is either short for "the glory of Hashem" or refers to an angel.  In other words, when Hashem is said to have appeared to a prophet, this either means that an angel spoke with the prophet or that Hashem's "glory" (rather than Hashem Himself) was revealed.</point> | <point><b>Corporeality of Hashem</b> – This position denies the possibility that Hashem might take on bodily form, necessitating one to reinterpret any verses which imply that Hashem can be seen.  It does so by suggesting that the word Hashem in such verses is either short for "the glory of Hashem" or refers to an angel.  In other words, when Hashem is said to have appeared to a prophet, this either means that an angel spoke with the prophet or that Hashem's "glory" (rather than Hashem Himself) was revealed.</point> | ||
<point><b>Nature of Hashem's glory and angels</b><ul> | <point><b>Nature of Hashem's glory and angels</b><ul> |
Version as of 14:10, 27 February 2020
Seeing Hashem
Exegetical Approaches
Overview
Commentators struggle to understand how Hashem reveals Himself to mankind and what the text implies when it states that an individual "saw Hashem". Rashbam allows for direct revelation, claiming that in rare instances, when Hashem makes a covenantal relationship, He might grant the second party the honor of physically viewing Him without fear of mortal peril.
The majority of sources, in contrast, claim that since Hashem takes no bodily form, physically seeing Hashem is impossible. Any visions of Hashem in Tanakh must be understood either to have taken place in a prophetic dream (where man might imagine Hashem even in human form) or to refer to cognitive insight into some aspect of Hashem's essence. A final approach suggests that verses which speak of Hashem's revelation really refer only to the manifestation of Hashem's glory or to an angel. Each is referred to as "Hashem" after the One who sent or created it.
Physical Perception of Hashem
At times, Hashem directly reveals Himself, allowing humans to glimpse God Himself.
- Stay of execution – Rashi maintains that though in all cases in which humans directly see Hashem they will die, 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 deaths so as not to mar the happiness of receiving the Torah.
- 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.1 Thus, Avraham merited to see Hashem pass (Bereshit 15:17-18) at the Covenant Between the Pieces, the elders qualified to see Hashem (Shemot 24:10-11) at the covenant at Sinai, and Moshe was able to see Hashem (Shemot 33:23 and Shemot 34:6) in the context of the covenant in Shemot 34:10.
- Obscured vision – These sources might suggest that at Sinai Hashem literally descended on the mountain, revealing Himself, but obscured the vision in smoke and fire so that none would be harmed. As such, Moshe says "לֹא רְאִיתֶם כׇּל תְּמוּנָה בְּיוֹם דִּבֶּר י״י אֲלֵיכֶם". Despite the hidden nature of the revelation, however, the episode is nonetheless considered a "face to face" encounter, both because it was Hashem Himself, rather than His glory or an angel, which descended and because the people heard Hashem directly.5
- Direct perception – Alternatively, one might suggest that, as this, too, was a covenantal ceremony, the people were granted permission to physically see Hashem without fear of death, as per the description "פָּנִים בְּפָנִים דִּבֶּר י״י עִמָּכֶם". This reading, though, encounters considerable difficulty from Devarim 4's emphasis on the fact that the nation saw no image at Sinai ("וּתְמוּנָה אֵינְכֶם רֹאִים"). Perhaps, though, Hashem simply does not have a form that can in any way be called a "תְּמוּנָה",6 and this is what Moshe stresses in Sefer Devarim.
- Prophetic vision or veiled encounter – Drawing off Bavli Yevamot 49b, Rashi writes that all prophets (excluding Moshe) see through "a non-transparent glass".8 It is not clear if Rashi's emphasis is on the lack of clarity in these prophets' visions or on the very fact that they occurred in a prophetic dream rather than being a direct revelation.9 Either way, this opaque or prophetic viewing is what allowed them to survive the revelation.10
- Hashem = an angel – Rashbam adds that, at least in some of these cases, the term Hashem refers not to Hashem Himself, but to his messenger, an angel who is called after the One who sent him. This is how he explains the appearance of "Hashem" to Avraham in Bereshit 18:1 and to Moshe by the Burning Bush (Shemot 3:2-5).11
- Cloaked manifestation – In many of the cases in which "כְּבוֹד י"י" is mentioned, the verse also mentions the presence of Hashem's cloud.12 As such, the "כבוד" might refer to some manifestation of Hashem Himself, but this is always cloaked in a cloud so as to obscure the vision, protecting those who look at it from death.13
- Cloud of glory - Alternatively, it is possible that the "glory" refers to the cloud itself,14 and is meant to signify Hashem, but does not actually contain Hashem's presence. As such, it is not dangerous to gaze upon it.
- Hashem's deeds – 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. For example, by the manna, when Moshe and Aharon tell the nation, "וּבֹקֶר וּרְאִיתֶם אֶת כְּבוֹד י״י" (Shemot 16:7), they are referring to the miracle of the manna itself.15
- Rashi suggests that Moshe did see more than others. As mentioned, he claims that while others could only see Hashem through an "opaque glass", Moshe perceived him through a transparent one. Nonetheless, even Moshe only saw "מראה אחוריים" and not "מראה שכינה" for even Moshe cannot see the Shechinah and live.
- Rashbam, in contrast, implies that Moshe did not necessarily see any more than others who similarly merited to receive a direct revelation during a covenantal ceremony. If so, Moshe's uniqueness as a prophet might instead lay in his constant communication with Hashem and his fuller comprehension of the Divine message.16
Nonphysical Apprehension of Hashem
Humans cannot physically see Hashem. When the Torah speaks of Divine revelation, it refers either to a prophetic dream or to a cognitive experience, man's comprehending of some aspect of Hashem's nature.
- 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.26
- 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. Other verses which speak of seeing God refer to prophetic visions or to a lower level of cognition, both of which can be safely achieved 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.27 Other prophets, though, could see images representing Hashem in their prophetic dreams.28
- Unmediated revelation – Many sources sources note that the verse claims only that "Hashem spoke face to face", implying only that the nation heard Hashem directly, i.e. without mediation.31 The phrase, thus, says nothing about actually seeing the face or any image of Hashem.
- Prophetic image – In contrast, R. Bachya, following the Midrash32 (and in contrast to Shadal above), suggests that the words "פָּנִים בְּפָנִים" refers to the many images via which Hashem appeared to the different members of the nation during the revelation at Sinai. If so, one might suggest that these refer to prophetic images, while the verse "לֹא רְאִיתֶם כׇּל תְּמוּנָה" refers to the nation not having physically seen a picture of Hashem Himself.
Revelation of Hashem's Glory
Verses which speak of Hashem appearing to man must be reinterpreted to mean either that Hashem's glory was revealed or that there was mediation of an angel.
- R. Saadia understands Hashem's glory to be some brilliant visual sign created by Hashem to signify that it is He who is speaking to His prophets. He appears to understand angels in a similar way, considering them a lower, less radiant form of this created light.
- One, though, might alternatively suggest that the two entities are not similar and that while Hashem's glory is created just for the moment, angels are not ephemeral, but exist outside of their role in mediating Divine communication. In fact, this approach might claim that angels can even take on a corporeal form and this is what allows them to be physically seen by prophets.
- Seeing Hashem's glory – R. Saadia asserts that the phrase refers not to the inability to see Hashem's bodily form, as He has none,46 but to the inability to see even His glory. The created light of Hashem's glory is so bright and powerful that no mortal can actually look at it directly and live. As such, even verses which are reinterpreted to refer to seeing just this glory must be further restricted to refer to only an indirect, prophetic, or veiled vision thereof.47
- Comprehending Hashem – One could alternatively suggest that this verse refers to the impossibility of totally comprehending Hashem. This, though, does not preclude those worthy of seeing Hashem's glory or an angel from doing so even directly.
- Cloaking Hashem's glory – R. Saadia maintains that the cloud or fire which periodically appears to the people in the Wilderness is also referred to as "כְּבוֹד י"י" because it, too, serves to verify that Hashem is speaking to the nation's leaders. According to him, though, the cloud and fire are likely not themselves manifestations of Hashem's glory but rather house Hashem's light within them,53 obscuring it enough to allow humans to look.54
- Manifestation of Hashem's glory – If, though, one posits that it is physically possible to see Hashem's glory directly, then one might identify the fire/cloud with Hashem's glory itself.55 Even the masses might directly see Hashem's glory on occasion, be it at festive episodes like the Consecration of the Tabernacle,56 or when Hashem is especially angry57 and needs His presence known.
- R. Saadia maintains that Moshe requested that despite the general inability of humans to directly view Hashem's glory, that Hashem, nonetheless, give him the power to do so. Hashem replied that Moshe would not be able to see the light in its introductory phase ("לֹא תוּכַל לִרְאֹת אֶת פָּנָי") when it is at it strongest,58 but Moshe would be able to see the final, less powerful rays ("וְרָאִיתָ אֶת אֲחֹרָי").59
- Those who posit that it is not unique to see Hashem's glory might explain that Moshe was speaking about comprehending Hashem's essence and was told that total comprehension was impossible, but partial understanding was attainable.