I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as El Shaddai, but I did not make Myself known to them by My name יהוה.
—Exodus 6:3
Throughout the course of Jewish history, we have used an abundance of names for God: Adonai, HaShem, Rock, Most High. These are just a few of the names that serve as metaphors, allowing for multiple understandings of God’s attributes. Some of these metaphors, when juxtaposed with each other, create a constellation of meaning and a nebulous portrait of God, giving us space and opportunity to connect the dots.
According to the provided verse from this week’s parsha, God revealed God’s self to the patriarchs as El Shaddai. Shaddai is a name for God that is etymologically connected to the word for “breast,” the primal source of sustenance. Furthermore, Sh’Dai could also be translated as “that which is enough.” For an agrarian people, this metaphor speaks to the real concern of whether or not there will be enough food to support another generation. Shaddai is the metaphor for God who sustains and provides for biological beings who are realizing their potential as spiritual beings.
Adonai (יהוה), on the other hand—as we learn from God’s encounter with Moses at the Burning Bush—seems to be a play on the Hebrew word “to be.” Adonai combines the past, present and future tenses of the verb, implicating that God was, is and will always be. This constellation of metaphors speaks to the concerns of a people who have forgotten their connection with God due to bondage and the uncertainty inherent in wandering through the desert. This demonstrable shift from the God of Genesis to the God of Exodus speaks directly to the shift in priorities and differences in experiences between the patriarchs and Moses.
Rabbi Dr. Rachel Adler, a dear professor of mine, has often said that, “no constellation of metaphors should be given exclusive priority.” In other words, there is a metaphor for that. God is, at a functional level, a series of metaphors to navigate the experience of existence. We are blessed to have a tradition that urges us to find the right metaphor for the right circumstance, to ensure that God remains a guiding star; a shining, eternal light to illumine the path through the wilderness.