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Alone with Yhwh

Writer's picture: Gil NellisGil Nellis

Updated: Oct 5, 2024


Deut 32:12

Yhwh alone did guide them

no alien god alongside


Rashi quotes other sages that say no help from other gods who were over other nations

But then Rashi turns the tables and says this is about the omniscience of Yhwh. Yhwh “knew” they would blunder in the future and turn to other gods. So Yhwh gave Moshe a song to sing to Ha-am, to remember that Yhwh Alone led them. As we say daily and in the Passach Siddur: no angel, no minister, no god, But Yhwh alone led our forefathers through the midbar (wilderness).

“Remember the days of old.” It wasn’t until the great chastisement of Babylon and Assyria and there after that upon return the great Ezra led our people back and we embraced the song. No alien gods -Shma Yisrael Yhwh elohenu Yhwh Echad. echad is also “only” — it is a reference to the fact that it is Yhwh who leads us Yisrael and no messenger or angel or minister and no alien god. Yhwh echad. Alone. Only. Single. One.

Earlier in the song of Moshe - verse 9 - the reference is to Yisrael as the umbilical cord connecting the world to Yhwh. (This is the way I interpret it). Verse 32:9 cheleq and chevel - cheleq -the chosen/inheritance and chevel - cord of birth pangs. Thus we are the umbilical cord.

Well… if so then of course, Yisrael, we are the conduit, the Meshiach, the ones who feed the world with Yhwh. It is our cheleq. (Portion/why we were chosen). If we are not feeding the world Yhwh, then we are not being the cheleq and chevel. Yhwh brought us out of mitzraim (Egypt) in order to bring us into the “desolate” midbar (as Rashi puts it). So we would be alone with Yhwh - alone. (Vs16). (Tohu-from Genesis 1) The use of the word Tohu is a remez to Tohu Va-vohu in Genesis 1. It is a return to the beginnings - rashit. Tohu vaVohu - (form or void kjv - welter and waste - Robert alter). Yhwh savenuhu - surrounded us. Yhwh gave us Torah.

The theme continues throughout the song

Ain Elohim amadey- no god stands with me (39) (Says Yhwh). We don’t stop being the umbilical cord and Yhwh doesn’t stop being Echad because of 3000 years of history or theology or some human inventions. If anything history of events and history of theology prove that we are in fact the umbilical cord connecting the goyim/olam (nations/world) to Yhwh. The pain is there and the aloneness. It exists and we survive because if we didn’t survive the world would end. The food supply would be cut off from Yhwh.

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