Comentario sobre Génesis 17:1

אני אל שדי I AM GOD ALMIGHTY — I am He whose (ש) Godship suffices (די) for every creature (Genesis Rabbah 46:3), therefore, ‘‘walk before Me”, and I will be your God and Protector. Similarly, wherever in the Scriptures this Divine Name שדי occurs, it signifies the idea of His sufficiency — but it all depends upon the context as to what the “sufficiency” refers to.

‘E-IL SHA-DAI.’ These are two distinct Divine names, each one descriptive in itself.³⁶⁷And not as Abraham ibn Ezra has it, i.e., that they both constitute one descriptive noun: “a G-d who is almighty” and “an almighty G-d.” Now the meaning of the word eil is “mighty”, derived from the expression, Eilei Moab (the mighty ones of Moab).³⁶⁸Exodus 15:15. The meaning of Sha—dai, according to Rashi, is “He whose G-dship suffices for every creature.” In the book Moreh Nebuchim³⁶⁹I, 63 (toward the end). the Rabbi²⁹⁴Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon (Rambam). See Seder Bereshith, Note 139. explained that the name Sha—dai signifies “he who is sufficient.” That is to say, He does not require the existence of what He created or the conservation of any other being; rather, His existence is self-sufficient. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra explained in the name of the Nagid³⁷⁰Shmuel Hanagid. In our text of Ibn Ezra, it appears anonymously as “And many explain.” that the name is from the root shodeid, meaning “victor and prevailer over the hosts of heaven.” This is the correct interpretation, for the name Sha—dai represents the attribute of power which conducts the world, concerning which the Sages have said that it is “the attribute of Justice of the world below.”³⁷¹Bereshith Rabbah 35:4.
The reason for mentioning this Divine Name now is that with it are done the hidden miracles³⁷²All miracles which a man can deny, saying that they are part of the natural order, are called “hidden,” while those that cannot be denied but are clearly the intervention of the power of G-d are called “open.” (Ma’or Veshamesh.) This concept is a major foundation in Ramban’s thinking. It will appear in many other places in a more developed manner. See e.g., further, 46:15; Exodus 6:2; Leviticus 26:11. for the righteous, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine,³⁷³Psalms 33:19. as well as to redeem them in war from the power of the sword,³⁷⁴See Job 5:20. just as all the miracles done to Abraham and to the other patriarchs, and as all the blessings and curses mentioned in the Torah in the section Im Bechukothai³⁷⁵Leviticus 26:3-46. and in the section Vehaya Ki Thavo.³⁷⁶Deuteronomy 28:1-69. These blessings and curses are all miracles for it is not in nature that the rains should come in their due season³⁷⁷Leviticus 26:4. when we worship G-d, nor are the skies to be like iron³⁷⁸Ibid., Verse 19. if we plant our fields in the seventh year, and similarly all promises in the Torah. Rather, they are all miracles by which the disposition of natural law is overpowered, except that no change from the natural order of the world is noticeable, as was the case with the miracles done through Mosheh Rabbeinu with the ten plagues, the dividing of the Sea, the Manna, the well, and their like, for these are miracles which openly changed nature, and they were done with the Tetragrammaton which He told to him. It is for this reason that He now told Abraham our father that He is the Almighty, the Victor Who will prevail over his constellation of birth so that he will have a son, and thus there will be a covenant between Him and his seed forever, meaning that the portion of the Eternal is His people,³⁷⁹Deuteronomy 32:9. and that He will lead them at His own will, as they will not be under the rule of a star or constellation.
Know and consider that our father Abraham did not mention the Tetragrammaton [Eternal] in any of his utterances except in combination with the Divine Name written [G-d],³⁸⁰Such as in 15:2 above. or in combination with E-il Elyon [G-d Most High],³⁸¹Ibid., 14:22. but he did mention in his affairs the name Elokim [G-d]. Thus he will say, The Eternal, the G-d of heaven.³⁸²Further, 24:3. He said, however, the Eternal seeth,³⁸³Ibid., 22:14. In this case Abraham used the Tetragrammaton (Eternal) by itself. This would contradict the principle stated by Ramban above that Abraham never used this Divine Name except in some combination with another Name. Ramban answers that since the reference there is to the Sanctuary which was destined to be built on that mountain in the future and where the sacrifices were to be brought, the Tetragrammaton is the proper name to be used, as will be explained in the beginning of the book of Leviticus when sacrifices are discussed. because it refers to the place of the future Sanctuary. Jacob, on the other hand, always mentioned E-il Sha-dai [G-d Almighty],³⁸⁴Ibid., 43:14; 48:3. which Moses our teacher never mentions. If you will be worthy you will understand this entire matter from that which the Rabbis said in Tractate Yebamoth:³⁸⁵49b. “All prophets contemplated Deity through an unlucid speculum,” which is why Isaiah said, And I saw G-d,³⁸⁶Isaiah 6:1. [i.e., the Divine Name written Aleph Dalet]. “But Moses contemplated Deity through a lucid speculum.” This is why He said, For a man shall not see Me and live,³⁸⁷Exodus 33:20. whereas Isaiah’s verse, and I saw G-d,³⁸⁶Isaiah 6:1. is written with the Aleph Dalet. I will mention this theme again in Parshath Va’eira³⁸⁸Ibid., 6:2. if G-d will look upon my grief.³⁸⁹A personal reference of Ramban to the difficult times in his life when he was engaged in the writing of this work.

וירא ה, a מראה is always a vision one level lower than true prophecy. This is why G'd said to Moses in Exodus 6,3 ושמי ה' לא נודעתי להם, "but I had not revealed to them My true name Hashem."