Tuesday, April 5, 2022

Revealing the Name of Hashem

Rav Avrohom Zvi Kluger explains (הגדה קי"ב) that beginning with Creation the world was conducted by the name אלוקים (Elokim). We find this name mentioned 32 times during the story of Creation. The Exodus from Egypt ushered in an era of the world being conducted by the name י-ה-ו-ה (the Tetragrammaton). 

The name אלוקים is a name that indicates constriction and is related, therefore, to the name מצרים (Egypt) which indicates borders. It also shares the same Gematria as הטבע (nature) which acts within a defined system of laws. The Land of Israel, by contrast, is above nature, as is connected to the name י-ה-ו-ה. If Creation featured 32 mentions of the name of Elokim, then the Exodus from Egypt began the transition to 32 manifestations of the name י-ה-ו-ה. The ten plagues that destroyed Egypt did not destroy the statements of the Creation that were uttered at the beginning of time. Rather, they removed the power of Creation, of the name אלוקים, to hide what lay underneath. That was revealed through the עשרת הדברות (the Ten Commandments) as the name י-ה-ו-ה. The fullest expression of that name is found in Eretz Yisroel and ארץ ישראל shares the same Gematria as 32 times י-ה-ו-ה (32x26=832). 

It is for this reason that the Torah repeatedly speaks of hardening the לב (heart) of Paroh (לב having the Gematria of 32). This is because as the Arizal explains Paroh only believed in the name of Elokim and denied the existence of י-ה-ו-ה, as he said, מי י-ה-ו-ה אשר אשמע בקולו. This is why he opposed the Jews desire to leave Egypt as he wished to prevent the revelation of י-ה-ו-ה. 

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