Fourth Reading: Rebuilding Genesis

God spoke to Noach, saying: ‘Go out of the ark, you and your wife, and your sons, and your sons’ wives with you

The words translated as ‘God spoke’ appear countless times in the Pentateuch. In most of these appearances the Name of God that appears is His essential four-letter Name, Havayah. However, there are three instances in the entire Pentateuch when the Name is Elokim.

One of the three is the first verse of our reading. The second time is at the beginning of parashat Va’eira, ‘God spoke to Moses and said to him, ‘I am Havayah’’ (԰այդաբեր աէ-լոհիմ աէլ մոշեհ ԰այոամեր աէլայու աբնի հույի). The third time is in the verse introducing the Ten Commandments: ‘God spoke all these words, saying’ (԰այդաբեր աէ-լոհիմ աէի իալ հադեբարիմ հաաէլեհ լեամոր).

The difference between the two Names is that Havayah denotes compassion, while Elokim reveals God’s harsh judgment. The first two verses in our reading are, ‘God spoke to Noach, saying: ‘Go out of the ark, you and your wife, and your sons, and your sons’ wives with you’ (԰այդաբեր աէ-լոհիմ աէլ նոահ լեամոր. ձեա մին հաբեբահ աբահ հա հեաշբեկա հաբանեյկա հաունշեյ բանեյկա աբակա). Rashi does not elucidate what the judgment in these verses is. On the contrary, since these words are addressed to Noach at the end of the flood and permit him and his family to exit the ark, which had been their ‘prison’ for a complete year, that they were words of compassion and comfort. However, with respect to the other two instances mentioned, Rashi does explain the nature of the judgment. Regarding the verse introducing the Ten Commandments, he writes:

Elokim means judge, as it says, ‘You shall not curse the judge’ (աէ-լոհիմ լա թեկալել). There are issues discussed in the Torah that if a person performs them, he receives a reward, and if not, he does not receive punishment for them. One might think the Ten Commandments are the same, but the mention of ‘Elokim’ teaches us that He is a judge who exacts punishment on these commandments.

Regarding the Name Elokim that appears in the opening of parashat Va’eira, Rashi writes:

He spoke to him with judgment because he [Moses] had spoken harshly, saying ‘Why have You harmed this people?’ Thus, God replied, ‘I am God.’ I am trustworthy to reward those who walk before Me. And trustworthy to exact punishment.

Three Levels of Judgment

The three times ‘Elokim spoke,’ are explained in the writings of the Arizal, as corresponding to three aspects of Elokim: One corresponding to the sefirah of kingdom (malchut), one to might (gevurah), and one to understanding (binah).

The name Elokim in kingdom is the secret of the value of Elokim (աէ-լոհիմ), 86, which also equals ‘nature’ (հաբաբաբ). The sefirah of kingdom is the root of nature; it descends from the World of Emanation (Atzilut) to create, enliven, and sustain the nature of the three lower worlds, Creation, Formation, and Action.

Regarding Noach, it is said that ‘Noach walked with God’ (աէբ հաաէլոհիմ հիբհալեկ նոահ), which means that Noach flowed with the Divine nature, and thus merited grace (հեն), the synonym for beauty that corresponds with kingdom. Noach himself is the tenth generation of humanity, corresponding to the sefirah of kingdom.

Thus, the opening verse of our reading, ‘Elokim spoke Noach, saying,’ means that God returned Noach and his family back to the natural life, with seasons in their proper time and order. He permitted them to once again lead fruitful lives, as is the way of the entire world. In addition, where marital relations were forbidden while the world was being destroyed, now ‘you and your wife, and your sons and your sons’ wives with you,’ every man and his wife, were once again permitted to engage in marital relations.

There is no room to interpret this instance of Elokim as revealing harsh judgment (the aspect Elokim corresponding to the sefirah of might). Rather, here Elokim is mild judgment, which is mixed with compassion.

Indeed, when Noach was on the Ark, he prayed to God and his prayer transformed the attribute of judgment into the attribute of compassion.

The Elokim that corresponds to the sefirah of kingdom, nature, reveals the beautiful numerical equivalency that ‘Elokim’ (աէ-լոհիմ) has the same value as ‘the vessel of Havayah’ (կելի հուհ-յհ). The Name Elokim both contains God’s mercy but also cloaks it in what seem to be natural events.

The Hebrew word for ‘nature’ (whose value as noted is the same as Elokim) also means ‘ring’ (տաբաատ) which is circular, always revolving, implying that nature is constantly shifting, changing according to the piety of the tzaddikim and the depth of their prayer or the wickedness of the wicked. This is known in the Zohar as the secret of the Tikla (the root of kelipat Nogah, the intermediary shell of impurity).

Rabbi Elazar said: ‘He keeps overturning circumstances by His machinations’ (հուհ մասիբոտ միտհափեկ բետահբուլոտայու). The Holy, Blessed One, rotates cycles bringing events into existence. And after the people of the world have accepted that these events have happened, the Holy, Blessed One reverses them from what they were initially… like the potter who forms clay vessels on the potter’s wheel. all according to the actions of the people.