THE VOICE OF YHVH APPEARS
- samshmn
- 9 hours ago
- 12 min read
In this article I will quote rabbinic sources to prove that when in Genesis 3:8 it is stated that Adam and Eve heard YHVH’s Voice walking, that this Voice was not simply the sound of God walking through the Garden. Rather, the rabbis admitted that God’s Voice was the Divine Presence (Shekhinah) who was appearing and manifesting himself to Adam and Eve.
Note what the renowned medieval rabbinic scholar Rashi stated:
8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God going in the garden to the direction of the sun, and the man and his wife hid from before the Lord God in the midst of the trees of the garden.
And they heard. There are many Aggadic midrashim, and our Sages already arranged them in their proper order in Genesis Rabbah and in other midrashim, but I have come only [to teach] the simple meaning of the Scripture and such Aggadah that clarifies the words of the verses, each word in its proper way.
And they heard. What did they hear? They heard the voice of the Holy One, blessed be He, which was going in the garden. — [from Gen. Rabbah 19:7]
And here’s the actual citation from Genesis Rabbah:
to the direction of the sun. To that direction in which the sun sets, and this is the west, for toward evening, the sun is in the west, and they sinned in the tenth [hour]. — [from Gen. Rabbah 19:8, Sanh. 38b] (The Complete Jewish Bible with Rashi Commentary; emphasis mine)
וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶת קוֹל ה’ אֱלֹהִים מִתְהַלֵּךְ בַּגָּן לְרוּחַ הַיּוֹם (בראשית ג, ח), אָמַר רַבִּי חַלְּפוֹן שָׁמַעְנוּ שֶׁיֵּשׁ הִלּוּךְ לַקּוֹל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶת קוֹל ה’ אֱלֹהִים מִתְהַלֵּךְ בַּגָּן, וְהִלּוּךְ לָאֵשׁ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות ט, כג): וַתִּהֲלַךְ אֵשׁ אָרְצָה, אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא בַּר כַּהֲנָא מְהַלֵּךְ אֵין כְּתִיב כָּאן אֶלָּא מִתְהַלֵּךְ, מְקַפֵּץ וְעוֹלֶה. עִקַּר שְׁכִינָה בַּתַּחְתּוֹנִים הָיְתָה, כֵּיוָן שֶׁחָטָא אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן נִסְתַּלְּקָה שְׁכִינָה לָרָקִיעַ הָרִאשׁוֹן, חָטָא קַיִן נִסְתַּלְּקָה לָרָקִיעַ הַשֵּׁנִי, דּוֹר אֱנוֹשׁ לַשְׁלִישִׁי, דּוֹר הַמַּבּוּל לָרְבִיעִי, דּוֹר הַפְלָגָה לַחֲמִישִׁי, סְדוֹמִיִּים לַשִּׁשִּׁי, וּמִצְרִיִּים בִּימֵי אַבְרָהָם לַשְּׁבִיעִי. וּכְנֶגְדָן עָמְדוּ שִׁבְעָה צַדִּיקִים, וְאֵלּוּ הֵן, אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב לֵוִי קְהָת עַמְרָם משֶׁה, עָמַד אַבְרָהָם וְהוֹרִידָהּ לַשִּׁשִּׁי, עָמַד יִצְחָק וְהוֹרִידָהּ מִן שִׁשִּׁי לַחֲמִישִׁי, עָמַד יַעֲקֹב וְהוֹרִידָהּ מִן הַחֲמִישִׁי לָרְבִיעִי, עָמַד לֵוִי וְהוֹרִידָהּ מִן הָרְבִיעִי לַשְּׁלִישִׁי, עָמַד קְהָת וְהוֹרִידָהּ מִן הַשְּׁלִישִׁי לַשֵּׁנִי, עָמַד עַמְרָם וְהוֹרִידָהּ מִן הַשֵּׁנִי לָרִאשׁוֹן, עָמַד משֶׁה וְהוֹרִידָהּ מִלְּמַעְלָה לְמַטָּה. אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק כְּתִיב (תהלים לז, כט): צַדִּיקִים יִירְשׁוּ אָרֶץ וגו’, וּרְשָׁעִים מַה יַּעֲשׂוּ פוֹרְחִים בָּאֲוִיר, אֶלָּא הָרְשָׁעִים לֹא הִשְׁכִּינוּ שְׁכִינָה בָּאָרֶץ.
“They heard the voice of the Lord God moving about in the garden with the day breeze; the man and his wife hid from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden” (Genesis 3:8).
“They heard the voice of the Lord God moving about [mithalekh] in the garden with the day breeze” – Rabbi Ḥalfon said: We have heard that walking about [hilukh] is [an expression] used regarding sound, as it is stated: “They heard the voice of the Lord God moving about [mithalekh] in the garden,” and that walking about is used regarding fire, as it is stated: “And fire went [vatihalakh] earthward” (Exodus 9:23).
“They heard the voice of the Lord God moving about [mithalekh] in the garden with the day breeze” – Rabbi Ḥalfon said: We have heard that walking about [hilukh] is [an expression] used regarding sound, (*Even though “walking about” would seem to be appropriate only for people. ) as it is stated: “They heard the voice of the Lord God moving about [mithalekh] in the garden,” and that walking about is used regarding fire, as it is stated: “And fire went [vatihalakh] earthward” (Exodus 9:23).
Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: Mehalekh is not written here, but rather, mithalekh, [which connotes] leaping up and ascending. The essence of the Divine Presence had been in the lower world, but when Adam the first man sinned the Divine Presence removed itself up to the first firmament; when Cain sinned, it removed itself up to the second firmament; at the generation of Enosh, to the third; at the generation of the Flood, to the fourth; at the generation of the dispersion, to the fifth; upon [the sins of] the Sodomites, to the sixth; upon [the sins of] the Egyptians in the generation of Abraham, to the seventh. Corresponding to them there arose seven righteous men, and these were: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Levi, Kehat, Amram, Moses. (*Each one the son of the preceding one.)
Abraham arose and brought it down to the sixth level; Isaac arose and brought it down from the sixth to the fifth; Jacob arose and brought it down from the fifth to the fourth; Levi arose and brought it down from the fourth to the third; Kehat arose and brought it down from the third to the second; Amram arose and brought it down from the second to the first; Moses arose and brought it down from above [in the first firmament] to down below [earth]. Rabbi Yitzḥak said: It is written: “The righteous will inherit the earth [and dwell [veyishkenu] upon it forever…” (Psalms 37:29). And what of the wicked, will they float in the air? It means, rather, that the wicked did not allow the Divine Presence [shekhina] to rest on earth.
וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ, אַל תִּקְרֵי וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶלָּא וַיַּשְׁמִיעוּ, שָׁמְעוּ קוֹלָן שֶׁל אִילָנוֹת שֶׁהָיוּ אוֹמְרִים הָא גַנְבָא דְּגָנַב דַּעְתֵּיהּ דְּבָרְיֵה. דָּבָר אַחֵר שָׁמְעוּ קוֹלָן שֶׁל מַלְאָכִים אוֹמְרִים ה’ אֱלֹהִים הוֹלֵךְ לְאוֹתָן שֶׁבַּגָּן. רַבִּי לֵוִי וְרַבִּי יִצְחָק, רַבִּי לֵוִי אָמַר מֵת אוֹתוֹ שֶׁבַּגָּן, רַבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר מֵת הָלַךְ לוֹ, אֶתְמְהָא, אָמַר לָהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְרוּחַ הַיּוֹם, לְרֶוַח הַיּוֹם, הֲרֵינִי מְחַיֶּה לוֹ אֶת הַיּוֹם, כָּךְ אָמַרְתִּי לוֹ (בראשית ב, יז): כִּי בְיוֹם אֲכָלְךָ מִמֶּנוּ מוֹת תָּמוּת, אֵין אַתֶּם יוֹדְעִים אִם יוֹם מִשֶּׁלִּי אִם יוֹם אֶחָד מִשֶּׁלָּכֶם, אֶלָּא הֲרֵי אֲנִי נוֹתֵן לוֹ יוֹם אֶחָד מִשֶּׁלִּי שֶׁהוּא אֶלֶף שָׁנִים, וְהוּא חַי תְּשַׁע מֵאוֹת וּשְׁלשִׁים שָׁנָה וּמַנִּיחַ לְבָנָיו שִׁבְעִים, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (תהלים צ, י): יְמֵי שְׁנוֹתֵנוּ בָּהֶם שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה. לְרוּחַ הַיּוֹם, רַב אָמַר לְרוּחַ מִזְרָחִית דָּנוּ, לְרוּחַ שֶׁהִיא עוֹלָה עִם הַיּוֹם. זַבְדִּי בֶּן לֵוִי אָמַר לְרוּחַ מַעֲרָבִית דָּנוּ, לְרוּחַ שֶׁהִיא שׁוֹקַעַת עִם הַיּוֹם. עַל דַּעְתֵּיהּ דְּרַב הִקְשָׁה עָלָיו, כָּל שֶׁהַיּוֹם עוֹלֶה הוּא מַרְתִּיחַ. וְעַל דַּעְתֵּיהּ דְּזַבְדִּי בֶּן לֵוִי רִיתָה עָלָיו, כָּל שֶׁהַיּוֹם שׁוֹקֵעַ הוּא צוֹנֵן. (בראשית ג, ח): וַיִּתְחַבֵּא הָאָדָם וְאִשְׁתּוֹ, אָמַר רַב אַיְבוּ גָּרְעָה קוֹמָתוֹ וְנַעֲשָׂה שֶׁל מֵאָה אַמָּה. (בראשית ג, ח): בְּתוֹךְ עֵץ הַגָּן, אָמַר רַבִּי לֵוִי רָמַז לְתוֹלְדוֹתָיו שֶׁיִּהְיוּ נִתָּנִין בַּאֲרוֹנוֹת שֶׁל עֵץ.
“They heard [vayishme’u]” (*The underlying question here is: It is impossible to understand “the voice of the Lord God” literally, as this would be ascribing physicality to God.) – do not read it vayishme’u, but rather, vayashmiu [they made heard] – they heard the voice of the trees saying: ‘This is the thief who deceived his Creator.’ (*Vayashmiu means that they [the trees] made something heard to Adam and Eve.)
Another interpretation: They heard the voice of the angels saying: ‘The Lord God is going to those in the garden.’ (*To punish them. The beginning of the verse should thus be translated: “They heard a voice [saying:] The Lord God is going into the garden.”)
Rabbi Levi and Rabbi Yitzḥak, Rabbi Levi said: [The angels said:] ‘Is the one in the garden to die [met]?’ (*Mithalekh is interpreted as two words: Is he going to die [met], that man walking [holekh] in the garden?)
Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Is he to die [met], for having gone off [halakh] on his own way? That is astonishing. The Holy One blessed be He said to them: “With the day breeze [ruaḥ]” – the expansion [revaḥ] of the day. I will make this day alive for them. This is what I said to him: ‘“As on the day that you eat of it you shall die” (Genesis 2:17), but you do not know whether I meant one of My days or one of your days. But I will grant him one of My days, which is one thousand years.’ (*Psalms 90:4.) He lived nine hundred and thirty years, (*Genesis 5:5.) and left seventy years for his descendants. That is what is written: “The days of our lives in it are seventy years” (Psalms 90:10).
“With the day breeze [ruaḥ]” – He judged them by the eastern direction [ruaḥ] – by the direction that rises with the day. *The sun. Zavdi ben Levi said: He judged them by the western direction – by the direction that sets with the day. According to Rav’s opinion, [this means that] He treated him harshly, for as long as the day rises it gets hotter. According to Zavdi ben Levi, He treated him leniently, for as long as the day is setting, it gets cooler.
“The man and his wife hid” – Rav Aivu said: His [Adam’s] stature diminished and it became [a mere] one hundred cubits.
“[The man and his wife hid …] among the trees [etz] of the garden” – this is an allusion to his descendants who would be placed in wooden [etz] caskets.
וַיִּקְרָא ה’ אֱלֹהִים אֶל הָאָדָם (בראשית ג, ט), אֵיךְ הֲוֵית, אֶתְמוֹל לְדַעְתִּי, וְעַכְשָׁיו לְדַעְתּוֹ שֶׁל נָחָשׁ, אֶתְמוֹל מִסּוֹף הָעוֹלָם וְעַד סוֹפוֹ, וְעַכְשָׁיו בְּתוֹךְ עֵץ הַגָּן. אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּהוּ בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי חֲנִינָא, כְּתִיב (הושע ו, ז): וְהֵמָּה כְּאָדָם עָבְרוּ בְּרִית, הֵמָּה כְּאָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, מָה אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן הִכְנַסְתִּיו לְתוֹךְ גַּן עֵדֶן וְצִוִּיתִיו וְעָבַר עַל צִוּוּיִי, וְדַנְתִּי אוֹתוֹ בְּשִׁלּוּחִין וּבְגֵרוּשִׁין, וְקוֹנַנְתִּי עָלָיו אֵיכָה. הִכְנַסְתִּיו לְתוֹךְ גַּן עֵדֶן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית ב, טו): וַיַּנִּיחֵהוּ בְגַן עֵדֶן. וְצִוִּיתִיו, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית ב, טז): וַיְצַו ה’ אֱלֹהִים עַל הָאָדָם, וְעָבַר עַל הַצִּוּוּי, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית ג, יא): הֲמִן הָעֵץ אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִיךָ לְבִלְתִּי אֲכָל מִמֶנּוּ אָכָלְתָּ. וְדַנְתִּי אוֹתוֹ בְּשִׁלּוּחִין, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית ג, כג): וַיְשַׁלְּחֵהוּ ה’ אֱלֹהִים מִגַּן עֵדֶן. וְדַנְתִּי אוֹתוֹ בְּגֵרוּשִׁין, דִּכְתִיב (בראשית ג, כד): וַיְגָרֶשׁ אֶת הָאָדָם. קוֹנַנְתִּי עָלָיו אֵיכָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיִּקְרָא ה’ אֱלֹהִים אֶל הָאָדָם וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ אַיֶכָּה, אֵיכָה כְּתִיב. אַף בָּנָיו הִכְנַסְתִּים לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְצִוִּיתִים וְעָבְרוּ עַל הַצִּוּוּי, דַּנְתִּי אוֹתָם בְּשִׁלּוּחִין וּבְגֵרוּשִׁין וְקוֹנַנְתִּי עֲלֵיהֶם אֵיכָה. הִכְנַסְתִּים לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ירמיה ב, ז): וָאָבִיא אֶתְכֶם אֶל אֶרֶץ הַכַּרְמֶל. צִוִּיתִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כז, כ): וְאַתָּה תְּצַוֶּה אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. עָבְרוּ עַל צִוּוּיִי, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דניאל ט, יא): וְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל עָבְרוּ אֶת תּוֹרָתֶךָ. דַּנְתִּי אוֹתָם בְּשִׁלּוּחִין, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ירמיה טו, א): שַׁלַּח מֵעַל פָּנַי וְיֵצֵאוּ. דַּנְתִּי אוֹתָם בְּגֵרוּשִׁין, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (הושע ט, טו): מִבֵּיתִי אֲגָרְשֵׁם, קוֹנַנְתִּי עֲלֵיהֶם אֵיכָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (איכה א, א): אֵיכָה יָשְׁבָה.
“The Lord God called to the man, and said to him: Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9).“The Lord God called to the man [and said to him: Where are you [ayeka]?]” – how [eikh] have you become like this? Yesterday you were loyal to My will, but now to the will of the serpent. Yesterday you extended from one end of the world to the other end, but now you fit “among the trees of the garden”
Rabbi Abahu said in the name of Rabbi Ḥanina: “But they were like men [adam] who violated the covenant” (Hosea 6:7) – they were like Adam the first man. (*Who violated God’s command.) They were like Adam the first man, whom I put into the Garden of Eden and commanded him, but he violated the command, and I sentenced him to banishment and expulsion, and I lamented over him: ‘How could it be [eikha]?’ I put him into the Garden of Eden, as it is stated: “He placed him in the Garden of Eden” (Genesis 2:15). And I commanded him, as it is stated: “The Lord God commanded the man, saying” (Genesis 2:16). And he violated the command, as it is stated: “Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from it?” (Genesis 3:11). And I sentenced him to banishment, as it is stated: “The Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden” (Genesis 3:23). And I sentenced him to expulsion, as it is stated: “He expelled the man” (Genesis 3:24). And I lamented over him: ‘How could it be [eikha],’ as it is stated: “The Lord God called to the man, and said to him: Where are you [ayeka]?” – eikha is written.
So it was with His descendants: I brought them into the Land of Israel, I commanded them and they violated the command, I sentenced them to banishment and expulsion, and I lamented over them: Eikha. I brought them into the Land of Israel, as it is stated: “I brought you to a fruitful land” (Jeremiah 2:7). And I commanded them, as it is stated:
“You shall command the children of Israel” (Exodus 27:20). And they violated the command, as it is stated: “All Israel has violated Your Torah” (Daniel 9:11). And I sentenced them to banishment, as it is stated: “Banish them from My presence” (Jeremiah 15:1). And I sentenced them to expulsion, as it is stated: “I will expel them from My house” (Hosea 9:15). And I lamented over them: Eikha, as it is stated: “How [eikha] does…it sit” (Lamentations 1:1). (*Because of his sin.) (Bereshit Rabbah https://www.sefaria.org/Bereshit_Rabbah.19.7?lang=bi; emphasis mine)
These rabbinic citations agree with the view held by specific Christians that Adam and Eve weren’t merely hearing the sound of God walking. Rather, the rabbis confirm the exegesis that the first human couple were hearing a divine Person rushing to their aid after falling into sin, One who is both distinct and yet inseparable from God.
In fact, the Jewish Aramaic paraphrases of Genesis, known as the Targumim, actually go so far as to state that the first human couple actually heard the voice of the Word of the Lord!
“… And they heard the voice of the word of the Lord God walking in the garden in the repose of the day; and Adam and his wife hid themselves from before the Lord God among the trees of the garden. And the Lord God called to Adam, and said to him, Is not all the world which I have made manifest before Me; the darkness as the light? and how hast thou thought in thine heart to hide from before Me? The place where thou art concealed, do I not see? Where are the commandments that I commanded thee?
[JERUSALEM. Walking in the garden in the strength of the day……And the Word of the Lord God called to Adam, and said to him, Behold, the world which I have created is manifest before Me; and how thinkest thou that the place in the midst whereof thou art, is not revealed before Me? Where is the commandment which I taught thee?]
And he said, The voice of Thy Word heard I in the garden, and I was afraid, because I am naked; and the commandment which Thou didst teach me, I have transgressed; therefore I hid myself from shame…” (Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, 1-6; emphasis mine)
“… And they heard the voice of the Word of the Lord God walking in the garden in the evening of the day; [21] and Adam and his wife hid themselves from before the Lord God among the trees of the garden. And the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, Where art thou? And he said, The voice of Thy Word heard I in the garden, and I was afraid, because I (was) naked, and I would hide…” (Targum Onkelos, 1-6; emphasis mine)
The New Testament identifies this divine Voice/Word as God’s uncreated Son who later became the Man Christ Jesus. This is the divine Voice that comes into the world to seek and save those who are lost in their sins:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men… There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens everyone. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him… And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth… No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.” John 1:1-4, 9-10, 18
“What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we beheld and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life—and the life was manifested, and we have seen and bear witness and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us—what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you may also have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.” 1 John 1:1-3
“and being clothed with a garment dipped in blood, His name is also called The Word of God.” Revelation 19:13
“‘And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.’ Now all this took place in order that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled, saying, ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which translated means, ‘God with us.’” Matthew 1:21-23
“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10
“And if anyone hears My words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.” John 12:47
“It is a trustworthy saying and deserving full acceptance: that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost.” 1 Timothy 1:15
“We have beheld and bear witness that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.” 1 John 4:14
All New Testament references taken from the Legacy Standard Bible (LSB).
FURTHER READING
Comments