Comentario citado sobre Isaías 63:14

And the learned Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra explained that the letter beth of the words b’E-il Sha-dai (by the Name G-d Almighty) connected [with the ensuing words ush’mi Hashem, making it ubish’mi Hashem], which has the following meaning: “And I appeared unto Abraham, etc., by the Name E-il Sha-dai (G-d Almighty), but by My Name the Eternal I was not made known unto them.”⁸Thus according to Ibn Ezra, the sense of the verse is as if it were written: “And I appeared into Abraham…b’E-il Sha-dai ubish’mi — [instead of ush’mi] — Hashem lo nodati lahem (and by My Name the Eternal I was not made known to them).”
The purport of the verse is that He appeared to the patriarchs by this Name [E-il Sha-dai], which indicates that He is the victor [and prevailer]⁹See Vol. I, pp. 215-6 and 556-7, for further discussion of this theme. See also end of Seder Bo in this volume. over the hosts of heaven, doing great miracles for them except that no change from the natural order of the world was noticeable, [as was the case with the miracles performed through Moses our teacher]. In famine, He redeemed them from death, and in war from the power of the sword,¹⁰Job 5:20. and He gave them riches and honor and all the goodness, just like all the assurances mentioned in the Torah [in the section dealing] with the blessings and curses.¹¹Leviticus 26:3-46 and Deuteronomy 28:1-69.
It is not [in nature] that man should be rewarded for performance of a commandment or punished for committing a transgression but by a miracle. If man were left to his nature or his fortune, his deeds would neither add to him nor diminish from him. Rather, reward and punishment in this world, as mentioned in the entire scope of the Torah, are all miracles, but they are hidden. They appear to the onlooker as being part of the natural order of things, but in truth they come upon man as punishment and reward [for his deeds]. It is for this reason that the Torah speaks at great length of the assurances concerning this world, and does not explain the assurances of the soul in “the World of Souls.”¹²This is the world to which the soul goes following the death of the body. At the resurrection, body and soul will be reunited. That world, according to Ramban, is Olam Haba (the Coming World). Ramban thus distinguishes between Olam Han’shamoth (the World of Souls) and Olam Haba. The Olam Han’shamoth is concomitant with this world, and Olam Haba is the world of the future. These [assurances mentioned in the Torah as recompense for the observance or transgression of the Divine Commandments] are wonders which go contrary to nature,¹³“For it is not by nature that the heavens become as iron because we have sowed our fields in the Sabbatical year, etc.” (Ramban, Vol. I, p. 557.) while the existence of the soul [after the death of the body] and its cleaving unto G-d are the proper way inherent in its nature that she returneth unto G-d Who gave it.¹⁴Ecclesiastes 12:7. I will yet explain it further¹⁵Leviticus 26:11. if G-d accomplishes it for me.¹⁶See Psalms 57:3.
Thus G-d said to Moses: “I have appeared to the patriarchs with the might of My arm with which I prevail over the constellations and help those whom I have chosen, but with My Name Yod Hei with which all existence came into being I was not made known to them, that is, to create new things for them by the open change of nature. And Wherefore say unto the children of Israel: I am the Eternal,¹⁷Verse 6. and inform them once again of the Great Name, [i.e., the Tetragrammaton], for by that Name I will deal wondrously with them,¹⁸See Joel 2:26. and they will know that I am the Eternal, that maketh all things. ”¹⁹Isaiah 44:24.
All the words of Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra on this matter were thus correct except that he was as one who prophesies but does not know it.²⁰The source of this expression, “he prophesied but did not know what he prophesied,” is in Sotah 12b. Ramban uses the expression here to intimate that Ibn Ezra did indeed allude to the correct interpretation of the verse, namely, that the letter beth in b’E-il Sha-dai is connected also to ush’mi Hashem, making it ubish’mi Hashem, as explained above (see Note 8). But, suggests Ramban, there is still a question to be raised on Ibn Ezra’s explanation, as explained further in the text. Even according to his interpretation, the verse should have said, “And I made Myself known to Abraham, etc., by the name of E-il Sha-dai, but by My Name Hashem, [which describes My true essence], I did not make Myself known to them,” or it should have said, “but by the Name Hashem I did not appear to them.”²¹In other words, why does the Torah use two separate terms: va’eira (and I appeared) and nodati (made Me known)? One term — “appear” or “made Me known” — should have sufficed in both cases. However, Ibn Ezra can answer this by saying that because the prophecy of the patriarchs came to them in the visions of the night,²²Genesis 46:2. See also Ramban, ibid., 15:1 (Vol. I, p. 193). He said here, Va’eira (And I appeared) to them, and because that of Moses was face to face²³Deuteronomy 34:10. He said here, “I made Me not known to them [the patriarchs] as I made Myself known to you [Moses].”
By way of the Truth, [the mystic teachings of the Cabala], the verse can be explained in consonance with its plain meaning and intent.²⁴Ramban is suggesting that whereas in other places the mystic teachings of the Cabala do not reflect the plain meaning of Scripture, here “the way of the Truth” is in harmony with the plain meaning and import of the text. He is saying: “I the Eternal appeared to the patriarchs through the speculum of E-il Sha-dai,” just as is the sense of the verse, In a vision do I make Myself known to him.²⁵Numbers 12:6. “But Myself, I the Eternal did not make Myself known to them, as they did not contemplate [Me] through a lucid speculum so that they should know me,” just as is the sense of the verse, And there hath not arisen a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Eternal knew face to face.²³Deuteronomy 34:10. The patriarchs did know the Proper Name of the Eternal, but it was not known to them through prophecy. Therefore when Abraham spoke with G-d, he mentioned the Proper Name together with the Name Aleph Dalet²⁶Genesis 15:2. See Ramban, ibid., 17:1 (Vol. I, p. 216). or Aleph Dalet alone.²⁷Ibid., 18:30. The purport thereof is that the revelation of the Divine Presence and His communication with them came to them through an ameliorated attribute of justice,²⁸See Vol. I, p. 543. and with that attribute was His conduct towards them. But with Moses, His conduct and His recognition to him were by the attribute of mercy, which is indicated by His Great Name, [i.e., the Tetragrammaton — the Eternal], just as is denoted in the verse, He caused His glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses,²⁹Isaiah 63:12. and it is written, So didst Thou lead Thy people, to make Thyself a glorious name.³⁰Ibid., Verse 14. Therefore Moses does not henceforth mention the name E-il Sha-dai, for the Torah was given with His great Name, as it is said, I am the Eternal thy G-d.³¹Further, 20:2. This is the sense of the verse, Our of heaven He made thee to hear His voice, that He might instruct thee; and upon earth He made thee to see His great fire.³²Deuteronomy 4:36. I have already alluded to the explanation of the word hashamayim (the heaven).³³In Genesis 1:8 (Vol. I, p. 37). May the Holy One, blessed be He, open our eyes and show us wonders in His Torah.

HEAR, O ISRAEL: THE ETERNAL OUR G-D, THE ETERNAL IS ONE. This too is a commandment that offers explanation. For, already contained in the commandment I am the Eternal thy G-d,²¹¹Above 5:6. is [the principle of] the Unity of G-d. As the Rabbis have said:²¹²Mechilta, Bachodesh 5. “Rabbi Nathan says: From here there is a refutation to those heretics who say there are two powers governing the universe. For, when the Holy One, blessed be He, stood on Mount Sinai and proclaimed I am the Eternal thy G-d,²¹¹Above 5:6. who protested against Him?” But here he [Moses] came to explain this commandment [I am the Eternal …] and mentioned it after the Ten Commandments because it is the root of faith, and whoever does not acknowledge it denies the essential principle [of the religion] as if he worships idols. “The Eternal our G-d, the Eternal is One. This means: the Eternal, Who is [now, only] our G-d and not the G-d of the [other] nations, will eventually be acknowledged as the One [and only] Eternal, as it is said, In that day shall the Eternal be One, and His Name One.”²¹³Zechariah 14:9. This is Rashi’s language. Now you must contemplate [the fact] that Scripture changed [the normal usage] here by saying the Eternal ‘our’ G-d and did not state “thy” G-d as it says everywhere else: Hear, O Israel: thou art to pass over the Jordan this day etc. Know therefore this day, that the Eternal ‘thy’ G-d etc.;²¹⁴Further, 9:1-3. Hear, O Israel, ye draw nigh this day unto battle etc. for the Eternal ‘your’ G-d is He that goeth with you.²¹⁵Ibid., 20:3-4. And so also in all sections where [Moses] spoke to Israel he mentioned “the Eternal your G-d” or “the Eternal thy G-d,” and even here [in this very section] he said, And thou shalt love the Eternal ‘thy’ G-d.²¹⁶Verse 5. However, in this declaration of the Unity [of G-d] Moses said, the Eternal ‘our’ G-d because He had done great and awesome things²¹⁷Further, 10:21. with Moses to make Himself a glorious Name²¹⁸Isaiah 63:14. [therefore Moses said “our G-d,” for had he said “your G-d,” he might have appeared to exclude himself from this declaration of Unity].²¹⁹Bei’ur Ha’lvush to Ricanti. See my Hebrew commentary p. 371. Now the letter daleth in the word echad (one) is written [in the Torah] large in order to allude to that which is written, He divided the water before them, to make Himself an everlasting Name.²²⁰Isaiah 63:12. And therefore the Rabbis instituted²²¹Pesachim 56 a. in the reading of the Sh’ma²²²The first word of the section beginning with the verse before us. The word S’hma is used as the title for the group of three portions from Scripture (Deuteronomy 6:4-9; 11:13-21; Numbers 15:37-41) which we must recite twice daily, in the morning and in the evening. See “The Commandments,” Vol. I, pp. 15-16. “Blessed be His Name Whose Glorious Kingdom is for ever and ever” and they further said [there]:²²¹Pesachim 56 a. “This may be compared to a lord’s daughter who smelled the [sweet] odor of some pudding etc.,”²²³“If she were to express her desire for it she would be embarrassed; if she were to remain silent she would find it painful. So her servants began bringing it to her quietly.” The parable explains why the Sages instituted this sacred prayer of praise — “Blessed be His Name Whose glorious Kingdom etc.” is to be recited as part of Sh’ma, but should be done quietly (Pesachim 56 a). for Moses stated it in the Torah by an allusion.²²⁴In the letter daleth [of the word echad — “one”] which is written large (Bachya). And then he reverted [to the general usage] and stated, And ‘thou’ shalt love the Eternal ‘thy’ G-d²¹⁶Verse 5. like the expression found in [the other] sections of Deuteronomy.

AND THE ETERNAL WENT BEFORE THEM. The Sages have already said,¹³Bereshith Rabbah 51:3. See Vol. I, p. 260. “Wherever the phrase And the Eternal is mentioned, it means He and His Celestial Court.” The Holy One, blessed be He, went before them by day, and His Celestial Court by night.¹⁴This sentence is not part of the above Midrash. See my Hebrew commentary, p. 348, for a similar interpretation in the Zohar, the mystical commentary on the Torah. If so, the explanation of the verse is that G-d¹⁵Literally: “the Name,” i.e., the Great Divine Name known by the attribute of mercy. (Ricanti, interpreting the meaning of Ramban.) See my Hebrew commentary, p. 348. abode in the midst of the cloud, and He went before them by day in a pillar of cloud. By night, His Celestial Court abode in a pillar of fire to give them light. This is similar in meaning to that which the verse says: Inasmuch as Thou Eternal art seen face to face, and Thy cloud standeth over them, and Thou goest before them, in a pillar of cloud by day, and in a pillar of fire by night.¹⁶Numbers 14:14.
I have seen in Eileh Shemoth Rabbah:¹⁷Shemoth Rabbah 19:7. “For ye shall not go out in haste, neither shall ye go by flight; for the Eternal will go before you.¹⁸Isaiah 52:12. In the past, I and My Celestial Court went before you, as it is said, And the Eternal went before them by day, but in the World to Come,¹⁹Here referring to the Messianic era. I Myself will go before you, as it is said, For the Eternal will go before you, and the G-d of Israel will be your rearward.”¹⁸Isaiah 52:12. The secret of this Midrash is as I have mentioned, i.e., that at the first redemption, the Holy One, blessed be He, was with them by day and His Celestial Court by night, but in the World to Come,¹⁹Here referring to the Messianic era. the attribute of His Celestial Court will be elevated in mercy and the Eternal — the Tetragrammaton — will go before them, for the G-d of Israel will then assemble His people, and the night will shine as the day, the darkness even as the light,²⁰Psalms 139:12. as everything will then be united in the attribute of mercy.
Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra commented that Scripture here speaks according to the language of men, since it was the power of G-d and His messenger that went with Israel, [thus, and the Eternal went before them would mean “and the angel of the Eternal went before them”], similar in meaning to the verse, He caused His glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses.²¹Isaiah 63:12. Now it is true that the verse here is similar in meaning to the verse, He caused His glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses,²¹Isaiah 63:12. but it is not as Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra understood it.²²See above, 6:2, for Ramban’s understanding of the verse in Isaiah, and see also further, 14:19, which states: And the angel of G-d, who went before the camp of Israel, journeyed. It was this verse apparently that forced Ibn Ezra to arrive at his interpretation here. See Ramban, ibid., for a fuller discussion. And it is further written, So didst Thou lead Thy people to make Thyself a glorious Name,²³Isaiah 63:14. [thus indicating that it was the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself that went before the people, and not, as Ibn Ezra explained, that the reference here is to an angel].