There is a well-known Midrash that states that in the merit of three things the Jewish people merited to be redeemed from Egypt and from their enslavement there: (1) They kept their language – i.e. they continued to speak in Lashon Hakodesh, in Hebrew; (2) They kept their particular mode of dress, which distinguished them as Jews, and; (3) They kept their Hebrew names. On the one hand (over the course of many years) I would think that it was truly amazing that in the merit of these three relatively insignificant observances, G-d still saw enough good in them so that at the end of two hundred and ten years in captivity, He still remembered His promise to our forefathers and to the Jewish people to bring them out of Egypt.
But more recently, I’m thinking that the “merit of these three things” was really not so insignificant after all and that with just a bit of hermeneutical thinking, we can find great significance and merit in these three observances to which our ancestors, trapped in a foreign land, held on to with stubbornness and extraordinary tenacity.
What can we say is the essence of language? Is it not the expression of one’s innermost thoughts and ideas which are now presented in a way that can be communicated to others? King David very succinctly alludes to the connection between thought and language when he writes [Psalms 19:15] “May the expressions of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart find favor before You, Hashem, my Rock and my Redeemer.” On this verse Radak comments that David HaMelech is asking G-d to please hear in my verbal prayer the deep thought of my heart which exceeds what my lips are capable of articulating.
Two additional notes on this pasuk: Jews all over the world use this singular phrase to ‘sign-off’ when finishing their silent prayer and daily meditative offerings (in the form of Shmoneh Esrei). In fact, without concentrating on the ten words contained in this expression, the Shulchan Aruch states that one’s Silent Prayer may never be ‘sent’ nor reach its heavenly destination [Orach Chaim 122]. Also, take note that David HaMelech associates inner thought and language with the redemptive process..
The Hebrew language is replete with expressions of prayer, Names of G-d, and pathways through which we connect with the Creator. Speaking in this language, in particular, means that our inner thoughts cannot be totally estranged from Torah concepts and from all those lofty ideas and ideals which connect us to spirituality, G-dliness, and eternity. By holding on to our language – even in the midst of a bitter slavery – we were able to remain connected to the essence of our collective spiritual being.
If language represents that which originates within and is expressed without, then ‘clothing’ represents the external manifestation of these thoughts in terms of concrete acts – or (as we say in reference to mitzvos) halacha l’ma’aseh. In Judaism, it is not enough to only think good thoughts and have the right existential ‘mindset’ as we make our way through the land of the living; in Judaism, we show our faith by actualizing philosophical concepts in deed and in action. Not only are these deeds and actions an expressions of what has originated from the beliefs within, but they reinforce what we believe, make the concepts real, and send critical messages back inside to the inner sanctum, completing a vital cycle of thought, speech, action, and thought once again.
In Kabbalistic thought, the ‘clothing’ which one wears are the mitzvos which adorn our physical bodies and endear us to the Creator; it is this ‘clothing’ which will be the real currency that we will take with us as we depart from the physical world and resume our journey into spiritual realms beyond. The modest dress which is the hallmark of Jewish style is a complement to the spiritual mashal (analogy) of clothing: physically we are modest since we know that it is only our spiritual accomplishments which deserve to be on public display. Even though they were slaves in Egypt, the Jews knew the secret of external attire; even when struggling to build the physical monuments of Pharaoh’s empire, they knew that the most lasting edifice would be how they ‘clothed’ themselves in the spiritual ideals (and actual garments) which was the legacy bequeathed to them by their fathers, mothers and illustrious forebears.
And what about our Jewish names – what special power do they hold that they enabled us to bond with the Creator with a seemingly supernatural strength? The assignment of names in Jewish belief is more than the attachment of a superficial label in order to facilitate an academic recall. No, the assignment of names is the assignment of attributes to that named entity which will give form to its external character and inner essence! When Adam HaRishon gave names to the creatures that G-d brought before him, he was partnering with his Creator is assigning to them their innate characteristics. When a mother and father decide on the name to be given to their newborn child, our Sages tell us that a spirit of prophecy envelopes them so that the applied name will be both a reflection and a determination of the spiritual forces lying latent within that newly created physical form housing a spiritual core.
Here is what Rabbi Benjamin Blech has to say about names: “More important than knowing which came first, the chicken or the egg, is acknowledging that names came before the existence of those things with which they would subsequently be identified. Names are not the offspring, but rather the parents of everything in the universe. Things really are what they are called; or, to put it more bluntly, they are what they are because of what they are named!”
The Book of Exodus is traditionally called the Book of Names (Shemos), and perhaps they are really synonymous with one another: “And these are the names of the Children of Israel who came to Egypt…” Why does the Book which recounts the miraculous redemption of the Children of Israel from Egyptian slavery begin with a recitation of their Names? Because within the Hebrew names of our children is planted the seeds of redemption and of life; our names are reflections of deep meaning and Torah values which lead to both personal and national emancipation. Halacha l’ma’aseh: A critically ill Jewish person may be given an additional name in order to effect a cure! How is this possible? Because the name is the essence of the thing, bringing physical life and existence as well as a specific spiritual message into the physical world.
“In the merit of three things the Jewish people merited to be redeemed from Egypt…” Ha’le’vai that the Jewish people today would learn from the examples of our forefathers, to hold steadfast to our language, our clothing and our names. Then we would surely merit to see the final Redemption speedily in our days.
The Beginning of Parshas Vaeira is Punctuated with G-d’s Name
“And G-d spoke to Moshe and said to him “I am Hashem” [yud•heh•vav•heh] [Exodus 6:2]
“And I appeared to Abraham, to Yitzchak, and to Yaakov as E-l Shad-dai, but through My Name Hashem I did not become known to them. And I also established My covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their sojourning, in which they sojourned. And I, too, have heard the wail of the Children of Israel whom Egypt enslaves and I have remembered My covenant.” [Exodus 6:3-5]
“Therefore, say to the Children of Israel: “I am Hashem…” [yud•heh•vav•heh] [Exodus 6:6]
“...and I shall take you out from under the burdens of Egypt; I shall rescue you from their service; I shall redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. I shall take you to Me for a people and I shall be a G-d to you; and you shall know that…” [Exodus 6:6-7]
“ I am Hashem your G-d …” [yud•heh•vav•heh] [Exodus 6:7]
“ … Who takes you out from under the burdens of Egypt. I shall bring you to the land about which I have raised My hand to give it to Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov; and I shall give it to you as a heritage …” [Exodus 6:7-8]
“…I am Hashem” [yud•heh•vav•heh] [Exodus 6:8]
Take a close look at the contents of the pesukim above, and you will see a pattern: Section is a recap of the past, what has already happened; Section is a glimpse into the future, what has yet to take place; and Section is a snapshot of the present, current state of affairs and promises to the Jewish people.
Why punctuate these sections with Shem Hashem – the Name of G-d, in its form as a tetragrammaton [yud•heh•vav•heh] ? Because that is the essence of Hashem’s Name – that He will be with us in the past, in the present and in the future. As Hashem revealed himself to Moshe Rabbeinu at the burning bush:
“What shall I say to [the Jewish people when they ask Your Name]? G-d answered Moshe, ‘I shall Be What I Shall Be.’ And He said, ‘So shall you say to the Children of Israel – I Shall Be has sent me to you.” [Exodus 3-13-14]
The Shem Ha’va’ya [yud•heh•vav•heh] is, in one sense, a combination of all the forms of the verb “to be” – past, present and future. Therefore it is totally fitting for this introduction to our parshah to be punctuated by this particular Name of G-d, indicating that He is with us at all times.
