(9) Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy elders of Israel ascended; (10) and they saw the God of Israel: under His feet there was the likeness of a pavement of sapphire, like the very sky for purity. (11) Yet He did not raise His hand against the leaders of the Israelites; they beheld God, and they ate and drank.
Questions:
- Do you think the text means that Nadav, Avihu, and the elders literally saw God? Why or why not?
- The Torah says that God did not raise God's hand toward the elders. What do you think "raising a hand" means here? Why do you think God doesn't do it in this case?
Read the following two commentaries on these verses by Ibn Ezra and Seforno.
- How do they differ in their understanding of what it means for God to extend God's hand on human beings?
[HE LAID NOT HIS HAND.] Its meaning is: that they saw God and did not die, as I will explain in my comments on the verse for man shall not see Me and live (Ex. 33:20).
ואל אצילי בני ישראל לא שלח ידו, G’d, did not extend His helping hand to enable these nobles and elders to grant them the level of prophetic status while they were oblivious to their five senses with which they perceived while merely human beings. We encounter such a concept in Ezekiel 8,1 when the prophet describes an inspiration received with the words: ותפול עלי יד ה', “and the “hand” of G’d “fell” upon me there.” The use of this phraseology describes the separation of the “normal” senses used for perception employed by the prophet, and his transformation into a super terrestrial dimension. [It is probably impossible to really “translate” this line into the vernacular in any language. The main point our author makes, as opposed to other commentators, is that this “hand of G’d” is not perceived by him as one that is retributive in character, but, on the contrary, as one that elevates the human being to a spiritually higher dimension.” In our context the Torah says that the “visions” achieved by these אצילי בני ישראל, were not further helped along by G’d. Ed.]
In his comment above, Ibn Ezra refers to the following story of an encounter between Moses and God.
- Why do you think a person cannot see God and live according to this text?
- How does reading this text influence how you understand the story of the elders?
(יח) וַיֹּאמַ֑ר הַרְאֵ֥נִי נָ֖א אֶת־כְּבֹדֶֽךָ׃ (יט) וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אֲנִ֨י אַעֲבִ֤יר כׇּל־טוּבִי֙ עַל־פָּנֶ֔יךָ וְקָרָ֧אתִֽי בְשֵׁ֛ם יי לְפָנֶ֑יךָ וְחַנֹּתִי֙ אֶת־אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָחֹ֔ן וְרִחַמְתִּ֖י אֶת־אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲרַחֵֽם׃ (כ) וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לֹ֥א תוּכַ֖ל לִרְאֹ֣ת אֶת־פָּנָ֑י כִּ֛י לֹֽא־יִרְאַ֥נִי הָאָדָ֖ם וָחָֽי׃ (כא) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יי הִנֵּ֥ה מָק֖וֹם אִתִּ֑י וְנִצַּבְתָּ֖ עַל־הַצּֽוּר׃ (כב) וְהָיָה֙ בַּעֲבֹ֣ר כְּבֹדִ֔י וְשַׂמְתִּ֖יךָ בְּנִקְרַ֣ת הַצּ֑וּר וְשַׂכֹּתִ֥י כַפִּ֛י עָלֶ֖יךָ עַד־עׇבְרִֽי׃ (כג) וַהֲסִרֹתִי֙ אֶת־כַּפִּ֔י וְרָאִ֖יתָ אֶת־אֲחֹרָ֑י וּפָנַ֖י לֹ֥א יֵרָאֽוּ׃ {פ}
(18) He (Moses) said, “Oh, let me behold Your Presence!” (19) And He answered, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim before you the name LORD, and the grace that I grant and the compassion that I show.-b (20) But,” He said, “you cannot see My face, for man may not see Me and live.” (21) And the LORD said, “See, there is a place near Me. Station yourself on the rock (22) and, as My Presence passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and shield you with My hand until I have passed by. (23) Then I will take My hand away and you will see My back; but My face must not be seen.”
This excerpt from the Talmud relates what happens when four well-known rabbis, through mystical practices, attempt to experience God:
תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן אַרְבָּעָה נִכְנְסוּ בַּפַּרְדֵּס וְאֵלּוּ הֵן בֶּן עַזַּאי וּבֶן זוֹמָא אַחֵר וְרַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אֲמַר לָהֶם רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא כְּשֶׁאַתֶּם מַגִּיעִין אֵצֶל אַבְנֵי שַׁיִשׁ טָהוֹר אַל תֹּאמְרוּ מַיִם מַיִם מִשּׁוּם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר דּוֹבֵר שְׁקָרִים לֹא יִכּוֹן לְנֶגֶד עֵינָי בֶּן עַזַּאי הֵצִיץ וָמֵת עָלָיו הַכָּתוּב אוֹמֵר יָקָר בְּעֵינֵי ה׳ הַמָּוְתָה לַחֲסִידָיו בֶּן זוֹמָא הֵצִיץ וְנִפְגַּע וְעָלָיו הַכָּתוּב אוֹמֵר דְּבַשׁ מָצָאתָ אֱכוֹל דַּיֶּיךָּ פֶּן תִּשְׂבָּעֶנּוּ וַהֲקֵאתוֹ אַחֵר קִיצֵּץ בִּנְטִיעוֹת רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא יָצָא בְּשָׁלוֹם
§ The Sages taught: Four entered the orchard [pardes], i.e., dealt with the loftiest secrets of Torah, and they are as follows: Ben Azzai; and ben Zoma; Aḥer, the other, a name for Elisha ben Avuya; and Rabbi Akiva...
Ben Azzai glimpsed at the Divine Presence and died...
Ben Zoma glimpsed at the Divine Presence and was harmed( i.e., he lost his mind)...
Aḥer chopped down the shoots of saplings. (In other words, he became a heretic.)
Rabbi Akiva came out safely.