Parashat Vaera - Meaning of: ושׁמי יהוה לא נודעתי להם

The 2nd passuk in this Parasha states, "וָאֵרָא, אֶל-אַבְרָהָם אֶל-יִצְחָק וְאֶל-יַעֲקֹב--בְּאֵל שַׁדָּי; וּשְׁמִי יְהוָה, לֹא נוֹדַעְתִּי לָהֶם" Hashem tells Moshe that he appeared to the Avot “with the name El-Shaddai” but not the name Hashem, (yod, ke, vav, ke). What exactly is the meaning of this passuk?

The pshat of this passuk is that when Hashem appeared to the Avot he used the name El-Shaddai and did not use the name yod, ke, vav, ke. However, we know that Hashem did Appear to Avraham using the name yod, ke, vav, ke in Parashat Lech Lecha when Hashem says, “Ani Hashem asher hosseticha me’ur kasdim.” So then what exactly does the passuk mean?

Rashi explains that Hashem is telling Moshe: “I made many promises to the Avot but I did not fulfill them, I didn’t show them that I keep my word.”

According to this, the first part of the passuk, “Vaera… b’El-Shaddai,” means “I made many promises to the avot and in all of them I said ‘I am El-Shaddai,’” and the next part of the passuk, “Ushmi Hashem lo noda’ti lahem” means “I did not appear to them with the true middah for which I am called Hashem, which is Neeman L’amet Devarai”(Faithful to keep my words).

The Ramban quotes Rashi and says that even with this perush Rashi doesn’t answer the difficult lashon of the passuk. The passuk as is means: “I appeared to the avot with the name El-Shaddai, and my name Hashem I did not become know to them.” The latter half of the passuk doesn’t really flow; “my name Hashem I did not become know to them.” The Ramban says that if the passuk said: “lo Hoda’ti,” or “lo noda,” it would make more sense because then the passuk would mean, “and my name Hashem I didn’t make know to them,” or “and my name Hashem did not become known to them,” but as is it seems that it does not make sense.

The Ramban explains how Rashi might read the passuk based on his perush. He explains that maybe Rashi would read the passuk:

“Vaera el ha’avot, ushmi Hashem, Velo noda’ti lahem,” meaning, “My name is Hashem, and I did not make myself know to them with that name.” So the whole passuk would be: "(Va’era… b’El Shaddai) I appeared to the avot with the name El-Shaddai, (Ushmi Hashem) and my name is Hashem," meaning that I am faithful to keep my word, “(Ve’lo nad’ti lahem), and I did not become known to them by that name." This is how the Ramban explains the passuk based on Rashi.

The Ramban quotes the Eben Ezra who fixes the lashon in a different way. He reads the passuk: “Va’era b’El-Shaddai, Ub’shmi Hashem lo noda’ti lahem.” He brings the Bet forward from b’El-Shaddai to shim Hashem, making it b’shmi Hashem. Now the passuk makes more sense, “I appeared to the avot with the name El-Shaddai, and with my name Hashem I did not become know to them.

The Ramban not only enables us to read the passuk properly, but he also understands the passuk differently than Rashi. To recall, Rashi explained that Hashem is saying that He made many promises to the avot but did not keep them. The Ramban explains that the name El-Shaddai refers to Hashems acts within nature, and that the name Hashem means Hashem’s ability to create and change nature. In effect Hashem is saying that all of the miracles that I performed for the avot were within nature. For example: saving them from famine, making them wealthy, etc. But, I did not become know to them by changing nature and creating. Therefore Hashem tells Moshe , “remind Bne Yisrael of my name Hashem because it is with this attribute of changing nature am I going to take them out of Egypt.

This is yet another example of how paying close attention to the text is vital in our understanding of the pessukim. This example and the many others that we have heard before should encourage us to increase our sensitivity towards the inconspicuous nuances in the pessukim which appear after a second glance to be mistakes and then to learn how to understand the true meaning of the pessukim.

Just as Hashem revealed himself to Bne Yisrael through his name Hashem by changing nature so too may He reveal himself to us in the final geula bimhera b’yamenu.