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structures that are the templates of creation. In fact, the Hebrew root
of the word “Kabbalah” means “parallel” or “corresponding.” By
revealing how the multiplicity experienced in the world corresponds
to Divine paradigms, we reveal the unity at the source of all creation.
When we reveal that the physical and spiritual worlds parallel the
inner structure of the Torah, God’s essential unity is perceived. In
this case, the medium is the Torah’s structure, and the message is
the oneness of God.
This method of learning Torah encourages us to continually seek
connections between the seemingly random events of our daily
lives and of the events that occur in the world around us. As our
worldview meshes with the archetypal patterns and models revealed
in Torah we begin to realize how nothing is random or disconnected
from God’s Providence operating in our own lives.
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In the portion of Bereishit, we discussed the significance of the
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number ten and how the ten utterances of creation, the ten sefirot, the
Ten Commandments, and the ten archetypal songs sung throughout
history are all connected, each a different manifestation of the same
spiritual paradigm. In discussing Abraham, we noted the ten trials
he underwent and in this portion we cannot fail to note the deep and
intrinsic connection between all these instances of the number ten
and the ten plagues.
Why were there ten plagues and not five or six? In general, the
number ten indicates major shifts in human consciousness and
historical development. Abraham’s ten tests enabled and symbolized
his growth in consciousness. The Ten Commandments marked a
major transition in humankind’s understanding of morals and ethics.
The ten sefirot as well as the ten utterances of creation served as
the transitional means for channeling the infinite light of God into
finite creation. In this vein, the ten plagues represent a historical and
psychological process the Jewish people undergo as they move from
slavery to freedom, from exile to redemption. Drastic changes such
as these in the lives of nations or individuals rarely occur tranquilly;
rather, they are more apt to take place through upheaval and radical
change.
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demands. This, of course, comes with one caveat: to have the right to
stand up to God, one must possess tremendous humility and a deep
sense of compassion for others. Abraham and Moses did not question
God’s ways so as to refute their belief in Him. Their questioning was,
in fact, a tremendous affirmation of their faith in a God who would
allow them to respectfully speak their minds.
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Paradoxically, while in the book of Shemot, God’s four-letter name
is revealed to the world, He puts into motion the Jewish people’s
inheritance of the Land of Israel, and He gives the Torah at Mount
Sinai, God’s four-letter name, as discussed in the previous portion,
is also concealed, for it is never pronounced as written. God’s name
is hidden because His promise regarding the Land has yet to be
completely fulfilled.
The Aleinu prayer recited at the conclusion of all three daily
prayer services concludes with the prophet Zechariah’s words: “God
will be King over all the world; on that day God will be One and His
name will be One” (14:9). This prophecy indicates that until that
glorious time, God’s oneness and His name will in some way remain
incomplete and hidden.
Rashi explains the reason for this following Israel’s first battle
with its archenemy Amalek, the prototype of evil in the world.
Commenting on the verse, “For the hand is on the throne of God; a
war to God against Amalek, from generation to generation” (Exodus
17:16), Rashi notes that two words in the verse are missing letters:
the Hebrew word for “throne” is missing a letter and the Hebrew
word for “God” is written with only the first two letters of God’s
four-letter name. This deficiency, so Rashi informs us, signifies God’s
promise that His name and His throne will remain incomplete until
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