Parshat Beshalach
6 Shevat 5762
January 26, 2002
Daf Yomi: Baba Metzia 65


Guest Rabbi:
Rabbi Pesach Lerner
Executive Vice President
National Council of Young Israel

"Ki Yad Al Kes Kah..."
"...For the Hand is on the throne of G-d, HaShem maintains a war against Amalek, from generation to generation..." (Shemos 17:16).

Rashi explains that in expressing the oath, Moshe used an abbreviated form for the word throne: xf (kes - without an Aleph) instead of the word txf (kisei - with an Aleph); he used the two letter Divine name (Yud and a Heh) instead of the full four letter Divine name (Yud and a Heh and then a Vov and then another Heh). This indicates that G-d's Name and Throne are incomplete, diminished, as long as Amalek exists.

In Talmud Berachos 3A (and see Tosfot "V'Onin Yehe Shmei HaGodol Mevorach"), it says: ...And not only this, but at the time that the people of Israel enter the synagogue and houses of study and respond in the Kaddish, "May His (G-d's) name be blessed...fortunate is the King Who is praised this way in his house..."

Rashi, in his Sefer HaPardes, explains the opening words of the Kaddish Prayer, "Yisgadal V'Yiskadash" - "May we exalt and sanctify..." as follows: How can man exalt and sanctify the name of the Al-Mighty? Could it possibly be that G-d's name is lacking? Yes, His name is lacking, as it is written, "Ki Yad Al Kes Yud-Heh" (without a Vov and without another Heh). Therefore, we pray, "Yisgadal V'Yiskadesh" - "May it be the will of the Al-Mighty that He redeem us from the exile, destroy Amalek and then His name will be exalted. His name will be complete (i.e. we will use the full four letter name) and His throne will be complete (spelled in full, with an Aleph).

The Tur Orach Chaim Siman 56 explains: "Yisgadal V'Yiskadash..." - "We shall exalt and sanctify..." - is based on the Pasuk, "I will be exalted and I will be sanctified..." (Yechezkel 38:23) which refers to the battle of Gog and Magog, when the name of the Al-Mighty will be exalted. "On that day, HaShem will be One and His Name will be One..." (Zecharia 14:9). "Shmei Rabbah" - "His Great Name" - means "Shmei - Shem Yud-Heh." We pray that G-d's name, which is currently diminished to a two letter name, will be exalted and sanctified (at the time of the redemption) and will become great (i.e. will once again become a full name, the full Divine name consisting of all four letters). At the time of the defeat of Amalek, the Al-Mighty's throne will be complete (written full, with the letter Aleph) and His name will be complete (written with a Vov and another Heh).

It is interesting to note that if one combines the missing letters of Aleph, Vov, and Heh, they spell out the word tuv - Hu.

Rabbeinu Bachya points out this phenomenon at the end of Parshat B'Shalach: The three missing letters Aleph, Vov, Heh, are the letters needed to complete the word Kisei and HaShem's four letter name. That will happen in the time of Moshiach, when HaShem's Presence will return to Zion. See Tehillim 132:13. In addition, "BaYom HaHuh" - "On that day" - when the letters of Hu - tuv (Heh, Vov, Aleph) return, HaShem will be One and His name will be one (Zecharia 14:9).

And this thought of completing those letters of Hu - tuv (Heh, Vov, Aleph) in the time of Redemption is present throughout our prayers.

For example: In the V'Yatziv V'Nochon (following the Shema in the morning service) "from generation to generation" (we pray that in the future generation) He endures (He in Hebrew is tuv - Hu, those missing letters) and His name endures ( that the name will be spelled in its full four letters and His throne (that throne not fully spelled out in the Pasuk in Shemos 17:16) is well established, then His sovereignty and faithfulness will endure forever.

See also: Rabbeinu Bachya: Bereishis 19:33 and Bereishis 24:15.

The above was excerpted from an essay on the Kaddish written by Rabbi Mordechai Greenberg, Shlita, Rosh HaYeshiva of Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavna, Israel. I was privileged to learn in Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavna under the leadership of Rabbi Chaim Yaakov Goldwicht,ZT"L, founding Rosh HaYeshiva.