God's Name as Opposed to his Titles

[John D. Brey]

וַיְהִ֣י אַבְרָ֔ם בֶּן־תִּשְׁעִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וְתֵ֣שַׁע שָׁנִ֑ים וַיֵּרָ֨א יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־אַבְרָ֗ם וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ אֲנִי־אֵ֣ל שַׁדַּ֔י הִתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ לְפָנַ֖י וֶהְיֵ֥ה תָמִֽים׃

Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia: with Westminster Hebrew Morphology. (1996). (electronic ed., Ge 17:1). Stuttgart; Glenside PA: German Bible Society; Westminster Seminary.​

As Deeje implies, meaning is in the "I" of the interpreter. Wittgenstein says the eye isn't included in the picture it paints. And if the "I" in eisegesis doesn't know it's in the exegesis all kinds of ******* interpretations grow out of this unfortunate state. (No great sage grew out of Kentucky or Tennessee.)

Rabbi HIrsch says תמים means "perfect" or "absolute" or "absolutely perfect." -----Of course where that doesn't jibe with modern Judaism's vibe, the word can be relativized to mean whatever it needs to mean. On this very verse Rabbi Hirsch suggests that a serious and thoughtful Jew, interpreting in a state of mind other than Kentucky or Tennesse, shouldn't relativize it:

If one takes תמים to be only a relative concept, a quality of man in relation to God as in תמים תהיה עם ה׳ אלפיך (Devarim 18:13) and the like, then תמים would designate the one who aspires only to serve God; he has no other wish. People can easily deceive such a man, for his mind is totally absorbed in serving God; but only relatively good, and one could speak also of תמים לעזאזל. However, in our verse (והיה תמים) it is evident that תמים is absolute good.​

It would seem Rabbi Hirsch support's Deeje's implication that the Abrahamic-covenant requires absolute perfection and not the sort of perfection that can be attained by "one who aspires only to serve God" through the complete performance of a litmus test or litany of laws.


John

A recent interpretation/translation in the JPS has it like this:

When Abraham was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am El Shaddai." Walk in My ways and be blameless.​

The most standard use of תמים (tamim) in the Torah is translated "without blemish." God is telling Abram to be without blemish. -----So what does God tell Abram to do to be without blemish? He tells him to symbolically remove the blemish that caused the Fall in the Garden, the blemish that led to the species sired by Cain. He tells him to circumcise himself so that he will be like Adam prior to the manufacture of the blemish that led to a sexual species being grafted onto a Jewish species.

R. Hanina, son of R. Adda, said: From the Beginning of the Book until here no samech is written, but as soon as she [Eve] was created, Satan was created with her. . .. AND HE CLOSED UP THE PLACE WITH FLESH INSTEAD THEREOF (TAHTENNAH). R. Hanina b. Isaac said: He provided him with a fitting outlet (naweh) for his nether functions, that his modesty might not be outraged like an animal.

Midrash Rabbah, Bere****h, XVII, 6..​

As is the case in the Talmud, many things are going on beneath the surface of this passage in Midrash Rabbah. The comment about no samech being written is associated with the fact that the samech is associated with "satan." The sages are equating the creation of the nether function, the phallus, with the creation of "satan." They're playing on שתן, "satan," which is a Hebrew word for "making water" which is used as a metaphor for urinating. The sages are tying "urinating" שתן (satan) with the creation of the phallus, which they note is the "urinator" (which is also the "Sherminator" in American Pie).

Only the daftest reader of Midrash Rabbah would miss the allegory the sages are manufacturing. In Genesis chapter 17 God is re-establishing the original covenant with mankind that was rescinded when Satan came on the scene, Gen. 2:21; Midrash Rabbah, Bere****h, XVII, 6. So he has Abram remove the nether function the sages call the "Urinator" (Satan). The blood associated with the removal of the Urinator is without spot or blemish, so much so, that it can ornament the wimple that adorns the Torah scroll just like the Urim and Tummim תמים adorned the high priest.


John