Chasidut zu Schemot 6:3
וָאֵרָ֗א אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֛ם אֶל־יִצְחָ֥ק וְאֶֽל־יַעֲקֹ֖ב בְּאֵ֣ל שַׁדָּ֑י וּשְׁמִ֣י יְהוָ֔ה לֹ֥א נוֹדַ֖עְתִּי לָהֶֽם׃
Ich bin auch Abraham, Isaak und Jakob erschienen mit [dem Namen]: Gott, Allmächtiger; aber mit meinem Namen Adonai, bin ich ihnen nicht kund geworden.
Kedushat Levi
Genesis 6,3. Hashem.” We need to understand where and when G’d “appeared” to the patriarchs in His capacity as the G’d of Shaddai. We do not find the word וירא, “Shaddai appeared,” in connection with G’d’s addressing any of the patriarchs. Moreover, why did G’d speak of ידיעה, a form of intimate knowledge, in connection with His communicating with Moses and the Israelites at this time?
We have learned in Sifri, Mattot, 2 that all the prophetic revelations that subsequent prophets experienced were due to the residue of Moses’ prophetic experiences who had preceded them in this. In other words, no prophet was granted a type of vision that had not already been granted to Moses before him. Elaborating on that subject, we read in Yevamot 49, that all the subsequent prophets were only granted blurred visions whereas Moses had been granted clear visions.
It is not possible to absorb “clear” visions of the Creator unless the Creator had first garbed Himself in garments that diffuse the powerful light that emanates from Him. [Prophets of lesser stature than Moses would become too blinded by being exposed to G’d before he had thus screened Himself. Ed.] G’d “garbs” Himself in accordance to whom He dispenses His blessings, the most minimal of these “screens” within which He garbs Himself is known in the language of our sages as מאירה, literally, “illuminating” but in the sense of hiding the minimum possible. It is this “minimal” screen that hid G’d’s essence from Moses when He communicated with him. All the other prophets received their visions as derivatives of the visions which Moses had received. Although Moses himself “dispersed” some of his prophetic powers, [notably when the 70 elders were chosen to assist him, and he “dispersed” some of his holy spirit to them. (Numbers 11,17) Ed.]
We have learned in Sifri, Mattot, 2 that all the prophetic revelations that subsequent prophets experienced were due to the residue of Moses’ prophetic experiences who had preceded them in this. In other words, no prophet was granted a type of vision that had not already been granted to Moses before him. Elaborating on that subject, we read in Yevamot 49, that all the subsequent prophets were only granted blurred visions whereas Moses had been granted clear visions.
It is not possible to absorb “clear” visions of the Creator unless the Creator had first garbed Himself in garments that diffuse the powerful light that emanates from Him. [Prophets of lesser stature than Moses would become too blinded by being exposed to G’d before he had thus screened Himself. Ed.] G’d “garbs” Himself in accordance to whom He dispenses His blessings, the most minimal of these “screens” within which He garbs Himself is known in the language of our sages as מאירה, literally, “illuminating” but in the sense of hiding the minimum possible. It is this “minimal” screen that hid G’d’s essence from Moses when He communicated with him. All the other prophets received their visions as derivatives of the visions which Moses had received. Although Moses himself “dispersed” some of his prophetic powers, [notably when the 70 elders were chosen to assist him, and he “dispersed” some of his holy spirit to them. (Numbers 11,17) Ed.]
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Me'or Einayim
I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as El-Shaddai etc. (Ex. 6:3). Rashi explained, “Alas for those who are lost and not to be found!” etc. The meaning, as is known, is that the secret of Egyptian Exile is that the True Awareness was in Exile; they could not grasp the Awareness to serve the Blessed Creator, along the lines of what is stated, Know the God of your Ancestor and serve Him (1 Chron 28:9). For in truth, Awareness is the essence that brings one to complete Reverence and Love. For once a person knows and believes that the whole earth is full of [God’s] Glory (Isaiah 6:3) and no place is void of Him, and [God] is the pleasure of all pleasures, Blessed is He and Blessed His Name, Life of Lives – if so, for any of the pleasures if you imagine, God forbid, the absence of the influence of [God’s] Blessed Light and Life-Force among the created things, Creation would return to unformed and void (Gen. 1:2). And similarly for all the Upper and Lower Worlds, if you imagine, God forbid, the absence of [God’s] Life-Force, they would be as if they never were. And if that is the case, then [Awareness of God’s presence] is the essence in all things...
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Noam Elimelech
"And I appeared" (Ex. 6:3) - And Rashi, Z"l, wrote "And I appeared to the patriarchs". And at a first glance, what does Rashi want with this, doesn't the verse explain [itself] 'Avraham, Yitzchak etc' and we know that they are called 'patriarchs'. And it seems that the intention of Rashi with this is that Avraham was the attribute of Love (chesed), Yitzchak the aspect of Strength (gevurah) and Yaakov, Balance (tif'eret) and they influenced one another in their aspects, and if so, how was it applicable that El Shadai was seen to all? Isn't it that holiness (kedushah) comes from above according to a person's level? However, the root of this issue is this: from the side of the Blessed Creator there is no change whatsoever, rather, according to the service done by a person in their level [holiness] continues on them. We find that Avraham continued on himself the attribute of Love, and so Yitzchak in his attribute, and also too Yaakov, but from the side of the Blessed Creator, there is unified unique simplicity, and this is why Rashi z"l explained "I appeared to the patriarchs" meaning, that with regards to the Blessed Creator there is no separation or division between them at all, and everything is one, therefore [God] appeared to them in one aspect, as El Shadai. And this is easy to understand.
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