Seeing Hashem/2
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 Being. 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 can simultaneously be 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 emphasizes 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 and conscious revelation.9 Either way, this opaque or non-physical 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 Rashbam explains the appearance of "Hashem" to Avraham in Bereshit 18:1 and to Moshe by the Burning Bush.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, if the "כבוד" does refer to some manifestation of Hashem Himself, it seems that this is always cloaked in the pillar of cloud so as to obscure the vision to all who looked at it, protecting them 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.16
- 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.17
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.21
- 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.22 Other prophets, though, could see images representing Hashem in their prophetic dreams.23
- Unmediated and/or conscious revelation – Ibn Ezra, R"Y Bekhor Shor, and R. Hoffmann assert that the description teaches that the nation apprehended Hashem without the mediation of Moshe, while Rambam claims that they uniquely heard His voice without the intervention of an angel.26 Seforno adds a third possibility, that "פָּנִים בְּפָנִים" means that the nation received prophecy while fully in control of their senses. The phrase, thus, says nothing about actually seeing the face or any image of Hashem.
- Prophetic image – R. Bachya, following the Midrash27 (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.
- Prophetic vision – According to many of these sources28 the elders did not literally see Hashem, but received a prophetic vision in which they imagined Hashem as described. Shadal explains that this was a special honor since the masses had only heard Hashem's voice at Sinai29 and were not privileged to also prophetically see any created image.30
- Cognitive experience – Rambam and Ralbag, in contrast, assert that the verses speak of the elder's attempt to understand Hashem's essence. Rambam claims that due to insufficient preparation, they attained a flawed perception of God, and were, thus, deserving of death,31 while Ralbag raises the possibility that their understanding was a praiseworthy achievement.32 [For elaboration on these varying understandings of the episode, see Revelation to the Elders at Sinai.]
- Hashem's glory – Shadal33 asserts that Moshe requested to see the created light of Hashem's glory, not in a prophetic dream but while awake.34 Hashem responded that it is impossible to view it frontally, but allowed him to do so in passing.35
- Comprehension of the Divine – According to Rambam, R. Avraham b. HaRambam,36 Seforno, and Malbim, Moshe was asking to understand some aspect of Hashem's being and existence. Hashem replied that a complete understanding was impossible, but Moshe could attain partial comprehension.37
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 asserts that it refers not to the inability to see Hashem's bodily form, as He has none,45 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 or veiled vision thereof.46
- 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.
- As this approach suggests that verses speaking of seeing Hashem might instead refer to seeing an angel, it would seem that angels can take a corporeal form and be viewed physically.
- As R. Saadia implies that angels are created images, but less radiant than Hashem's glory, it is possible that he allows for a prophet to see them directly as well. If, though, he thinks that their brilliance precludes this, he might suggest that they are viewed only prophetically (or while obscured).
- 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, but Hashem would cover his eyes until that passed, and then Moshe would be able to see the final, less powerful rays ("וְרָאִיתָ אֶת אֲחֹרָי").56
- Those who posit that it is not unique to see Hashem's glory might explain that Moshe was speaking about comprehending some aspect of Hashem's essence.