Seeing Hashem/2

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Seeing Hashem

Exegetical Approaches

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Direct Revelation of Hashem

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

"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.

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

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.

Angel

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