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Parasha Va'Era - 2025 - Rabbi Yehudah

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Vaera -  וָאֵרָא, And I Appeared

Knowing G-d’s Name!


The second reading from the book of Exodus and fourteenth reading from the Torah is named Va’era, which means “and I appeared.” The title comes from the first words of the second verse of the reading, which says, “And I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as G-d Almighty” (Exodus 6:3). In last week’s parasha Shemot Moshe is out in desert tending sheep with his father-in-law Yitro when he comes upon Mount Horeb, the Mountain of G-d. Moshe is told by G-d from a burning bush to remove his sandals, as he is approaching holy ground. G-d then identifies Himself;


“I am the G-d of your father, the G-d of Abraham, the G-d of Isaac, and the G-d of Jacob.” Moses hid his face, since he was afraid to look at G-d.” Exodus 3:6.  Then Moshe inquires as to what he should tell the people of Israel when they ask who it was that he had spoken to?  This time G-d establishes how he wants to be referred to for all time!   Shemot (Exodus) 3:6


G-d invokes His Name again!

Exodus 3:13-15 - Moshe said to G-d, “Look, when I appear before the people of Isra’el and say to them, ‘The G-d of your ancestors has sent me to you’; and they ask me, ‘What is His name?’ what am I to tell them?” 14 G-d said to Moshe, “Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh [I am/will be, what I am/will be],” and added, “Here is what to say to the people of Isra’el: ‘Ehyeh [I Am or I Will Be] has sent me to you.’” G-d said further to Moshe, “Say this to the people of Isra’el: ‘Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh [Adonai], the G-d of your fathers, the G-d of Avraham, the G-d of Yitz’chak and the G-d of Ya‘akov, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever; this is how I am to be remembered generation after generation.


Why is it that G-d is using circumlocutions (use of many words to avoid using a word)? What is the point that G-d is trying to make? A Hebrew name is a description of a person's character traits. The enormity of G-d’s character traits are so vast that we cannot comprehend it. To this day Orthodox Judaism avoids saying the four-letter name in acknowledgment of His greatness. The Name is referred to as the “ineffable name” which cannot be captured our expressed in a spoken name. As G-d used circumlocutions, Orthodox Judaism continues this practice out of obedience and respect.  G-d described His character in a nutshell to Moshe by stating that he should tell Israel that “I Am or I Will Be” has sent him. In other words, I am the G-d that appeared to your fathers, and I will appear to your descendants. That summed up what Israel had to know about who He was. Then three chapters later HaShem (The Name i.e. G-d) declares;

Shemot 6:2 G-d spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the LORD. 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as G-d Almighty, but by my name the LORD (יהוה) I did not make myself known to them.


What did He mean that He did not make His name known to them? Rashi explains: It is not written here לֹא הוֹדַעְתִּי, “but My Name יהוה YHWH I did not make known to them,” but לֹא נוֹדַעְתִּי, “I did not become known.”  


Knowing one’s name is often confused today with knowing how to pronounce a name. Therefore some today assert that knowing the proper pronunciation of G-d’s Name will give them a certain advantage over those that do not know the proper pronunciation.  This is not the case in these verses.  G-d revealed that He has known Moshe by a Name that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob did not know.  What did this mean? Some have ascertained that G-d did not reveal the Name יהוה (Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh) aka the Tetragrammaton to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob?   Yet Kaiser writes, “This would not be the first instance of the use of that name, for already it had occurred some 162 times in Genesis, with 34 of those examples on the lips of speakers in Genesis.” Walter C. Kaiser Jr., “Exodus,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary.


Clearly the Name יהוה had been known to many in Bereshit (Genesis). Knowing ones name was not only an epithet (description of a persons characteristics), but also an ancient middle eastern way of saying knowing one’s reputation. Therefore HaShem was saying I did not make my reputation known to your ancestors, but now I am going to make myself known throughout the world as I deliver Israel through various miracles.  Moshe confronted Pharoah and asked him to let the Hebrews free so that they could worship their G-d, Pharaoh responded;

Exodus 5:2 But Pharaoh replied, “Who is Adonai (יהוה), that I should obey when he says to let Isra’el go? I don’t know Adonai (יהוה), and I also won’t let Isra’el go.” 


Pharaoh was saying I don’t know the reputation of this G-d of yours, I don’t know the Name יהוה. He had never witnessed this G-d in action. That was soon going to change. The Egyptians worshiped many false gods who they attributed physical manifestations through. Such as Hapi, the Egyptian god of the Nile. Ra, the sun god, Isis the fertility goddess and the wife of Osiris (King of the underworld and the dead).  Horus, the sky god and son of Osiris, etc.,etc. Pharoah was unaware of the G-d of the Hebrews. But little did he know that through him (and with the help of Charlton Heston) the whole world would get to know the Name and reputation of Adonai יהוה.  One day every person will not only know of G-d’s Name which tells of His reputation and His greatness, but all will acknowledge Him!  


Jeremiah 31:33-34 - Complete Jewish Bible - (34) No longer will any of them teach his fellow community member or his brother, ‘Know Adonai’; for all will know me, from the least of them to the greatest; because I will forgive their wickednesses and remember their sins no more.” 34 (35) This is what Adonai says,
who gives the sun as light for the day,
who ordained the laws for the moon and stars
to provide light for the night,
who stirs up the sea until its waves roar —
Adonai-Tzva’ot (the lord of Host) is his name:


All living will know and acknowledge that the G-d of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moshe, and Yeshua is the G-d of the sun, the moon and the stars. The G-d that stirs up the sea and the waves. No more will people worship false gods of the sun, moon, sky, stars, sea, etc. as did the Egyptians. All will know G-d’s Name/reputation.  If anyone ever asks you if you know G-d’s Name you can say yes sir or mam, and He knows mine as well. I know His Name and His reputation as I see and feel His hand on my life. And He knows my name as it is written in His book of life through His glorious Son Yeshua! Whom I Appear (Vaera) before every day in prayer. 


Psalm 91:14-16 - Complete Jewish Bible - 14 “Because he loves me, I will rescue him;
because he knows my name, I will protect him. 15 He will call on me, and I will answer him.
I will be with him when he is in trouble.
I will extricate him and bring him honor. 16 I will satisfy him with long life
and show him my Yeshua. salvation.”


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