Bostoner Torah Insights: Bostoner ‘Chassidus’ in Hebrew & English: Parshas Vaeira – 28 Tevet 5786
Bostoner Torah Insights - Yerushalayim
Bostoner Torah Insights
Bostoner ‘Chassidus’ in English
Parshas Va'eira– 28 Tevet 5786
Bostoner Rebbe shlit’a – Yerushalayim
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This week in the Zoom Shiur on the Pri Tzadik on Parshat Va’eira we learned an explanation of the word "Nodati" נודעתי (Shemos 6:3). "And I appeared to Avrohom, to Yitzchok, and to Yaakov as א-ל שד-י, but by My name Havayah I was not known to them." Rashi uses this language of א-ל שד-י by Avrohom (Beraishis 17:1), Yitzchak (Beraishis 26:3) and Yaakov (Beraishis 35:11).
The Pri Tzaddik points out the four-letter name of Havayah is mentioned many times in conversations between Hashem and the Avos. Therefore, the Pri Tzadik explains that the entire Torah is the names of HaKadosh Baruch Hu, as is known. And the matter of "Da’as" (Knowledge) means "and enlighten our eyes in Your Torah," and it is written (Mishlei 6:23), "and Torah is light." Here the mention of Torah, refers to the Mitzvos that were commanded from the mouth of Hashem Yisborach. And the Avos, even though they fulfilled the entire Torah before it was given, they fulfilled it on their own. As Chazal said regarding Avraham Avinu, that his two kidneys were like two teaching Rabbis that taught him Torah and wisdom (Bereishis Rabbah 61:1).
But Hashem Yisborach did not command the Avos with any other Mitzvah besides the Mitzvah of Milah. Adam HaRishon was commanded the seven Mitzvos which all the nations are obligated to fulfil. These seven are called the Derech Eretz that preceded the Torah, as per Tanna D’vei Eliyahu Rabbah (Chapter 1), "And He placed at the east of the Garden of Eden the Cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every way" this is Derech Eretz "to guard the way to the Tree of Life". This teaches that Derech Eretz preceded the Tree of Life, which is Torah.
To Avraham Avinu, Hashem commanded the Mitzvah of Milah, and this Mitzvah’s is the root of the name א-ל שד-י, which is the sixth name of the seven names that one may not erase and the sixth name, שד-י, corresponds to the attribute of Yosef, Tzadik Yesod Olam (Zohar Part 3, 11b), and after Avrohom performed Bris Milah, the light of the nameשד-י was revealed to Avraham Avinu.
The name “Havayah", which is the root of all Mitzvos of the Torah, "was not known to them" the aspect of Da’as which is "Torah is light"; only after the Milah is it written "And Hashem appeared to him" with the name Havayah, and it we find, “ 'And from my flesh I shall see Havayah’ if I had not done so, from where would HaKadosh Baruch Hu have been revealed to me’?" (Bereishis Rabbah 48:2). This implies that before the Milah, Hashem was not revealed to him, even though it is written several times "And Hashem said to him."
Thus we see that for the purpose of speech and calling, Hashem certainly was revealed to them, for Hashem Yisborach already spoke even with Adam HaRishon. Only after the Milah is it written "And Havayah appeared to him" without mentioning any speech, for it was then that he had revelation of the name Havayah which he did not have before the Milah. And although the Mitzvah of Milah, whose root is the name א-ל שד-י, is part of all the Taryag Mitzvos which are formed by the name Havayah it was only then that he had illumination and revelation of the name Havayah through the name א-ל שד-י.
Now we may understand the phrase "And I appeared to Avrohom... with א-ל שד-י, because even when the Avos had a partial illumination and revelation of the name Havayah through the Mitzvah of Milah and the name א-ל שד-י the essence of the name Havaya and the root of all the Mitzvo was not known to them. Only through the name א-ל שד-י did the Avos have a partial revelation and illumination, which is why it is mentioned after the Mitzvah of Milah. Likewise Yitzchok and Yaakov had their illumination and revelation from the power of the name שד-י since they were commanded in the Mitzvah of Milah from Avrohom they already merited the light of the name שד-י.
May it be His will that we merit that the Name shall be complete with the coming of Moshiach Tzidkeinu speedily.