The G'vurot: Second prayer of the Tefilah (Amidah). A curious Biblical quotation: April 21, 2015
This prayer, called the g'vurot, prayer of might, opens with a strange spelling of a most common word: the name of God, Adonai. Most prayers mention God's proper name. But this prayer, rather than the typical abbreviation of two Hebrew letters "yod," instead spells out God's name in full: aleph, dalet, nun, yod. Why?
Of course, you've guessed. It's a single word Bible quotation! But from where,and what's the story?
Take a look at Genesis 44:18, the opening verse of parashat Vayigash. Judah will put it all on the line. He's going to ask the Vice Regent of Egypt to take him instead of his brother, Benjamin, as a hostage, because their father will die if he loses another son of his favorite and deceased wife, Rachel. The Joseph saga culminates here, as Judah pleads for his brother and Joseph prepares to reveal his identity! "Then Judah went up to him [Joseph] and said, "Please, my lord, let your servant appeal to my lord, and do not be impatient with your servant, you who are the equal of Pharaoh...'" The English translation contains the same pun on "lord" as the Hebrew. Judah, beseeching the viceroy of Egypt, whom he does not know is his brother, Joseph, approaches Joseph as a demigod. Joseph, who has previously acknowledged that all of his power flows exclusively from God, also relates to Adonai. Both attribute all power to Adonai, even though one means an earthly power and the other the true power of the universe.
Midrash Beresheet Rabbah, 93:1, commenting on this verse, concludes with the words, "... cast thyself in the dust at his feet and proclaim him king over thee; hence it is written, 'Then Judah came near unto him, and said, 'Oh my lord.'" (Soncino trans., vol. 1, p. 857)
The change in spelling specifically points the prayer to Joseph's attribution of all sovereignty to God, and leads to a verse proclaiming Adonai's mastery over all: the theme of this prayer. How ingenious! Joseph's telling us of his experience with God's power guiding his life! Here's the longest biblical narrative of God's hand in history. The prayer plucks a single word from the culmination of the story, demonstrating the place of God's power!
Of course, you've guessed. It's a single word Bible quotation! But from where,and what's the story?
Take a look at Genesis 44:18, the opening verse of parashat Vayigash. Judah will put it all on the line. He's going to ask the Vice Regent of Egypt to take him instead of his brother, Benjamin, as a hostage, because their father will die if he loses another son of his favorite and deceased wife, Rachel. The Joseph saga culminates here, as Judah pleads for his brother and Joseph prepares to reveal his identity! "Then Judah went up to him [Joseph] and said, "Please, my lord, let your servant appeal to my lord, and do not be impatient with your servant, you who are the equal of Pharaoh...'" The English translation contains the same pun on "lord" as the Hebrew. Judah, beseeching the viceroy of Egypt, whom he does not know is his brother, Joseph, approaches Joseph as a demigod. Joseph, who has previously acknowledged that all of his power flows exclusively from God, also relates to Adonai. Both attribute all power to Adonai, even though one means an earthly power and the other the true power of the universe.
Midrash Beresheet Rabbah, 93:1, commenting on this verse, concludes with the words, "... cast thyself in the dust at his feet and proclaim him king over thee; hence it is written, 'Then Judah came near unto him, and said, 'Oh my lord.'" (Soncino trans., vol. 1, p. 857)
The change in spelling specifically points the prayer to Joseph's attribution of all sovereignty to God, and leads to a verse proclaiming Adonai's mastery over all: the theme of this prayer. How ingenious! Joseph's telling us of his experience with God's power guiding his life! Here's the longest biblical narrative of God's hand in history. The prayer plucks a single word from the culmination of the story, demonstrating the place of God's power!
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