Elohim - One God or Many Gods?

This post originally appeared on Rabbi Sonsino's blog, “From Istanbul to Boston”

בְּרֵאשִׁית, בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים

Rabbi Rifat Sonsino

In Hebrew, for masculine singular nouns, plurality is indicated by the ending im. Thus, for example, yeled “boy” becomes yeladim “boys.”

The Bible uses many terms for God, such as El, Shaddai, YHVH, Elohim--they are all in the singular except for Elohim, which is in the plural. The question is this: how can God, conceived as being the only divinity in the universe—hence, monotheism- have a plural ending? Ancient Rabbis had to deal with this problem and said that the reason for the plural in Elohim is because of all the attributes (e.g. merciful, caring, loving) that are ascribed to one God. On the other hand, is it possible that the term Elohim is a vestige of polytheism in biblical Israel? I would say, yes.

To test whether or not the editors of the Bible considered Elohim a plural or a singular noun, we need to find whether the verbs attached to this name, are in the singular or in the plural. If they are in the plural, we would know that in the past Israelites believed that Elohim referred to many gods. If the verb is in the singular, then we would have to conclude that the term underwent a change, and a plural noun was now considered singular. We have an example of that in English, too. The word “media” is the plural of “medium.” Yet, we often say, “the media says,” not “the media say.” “Media” is now viewed as singular.

Let’s test the use of the word Elohim in the Bible: In the overwhelming cases, the word Elohim is accompanied by a singular verb. For example (see Hebrew title above): the Hebrew Bible begins with b’reshit bara elohim, “When God began to create…”-here the verb bara (“created”) is in the singular. That means the editor of this passage conceived of Elohim as one God. (For other examples, see, Gen. 1: 3; 22: 1; 25: 11; 50:24, and many others).

However, there are a few passages where Elohim is accompanied by a plural verb: when Abraham says to king Abimelekh, “When God (Elohim) made me wander…(hit’u) (Gen. 20: 13) ,” the verb “wander” is in the plural. Similarly, we read, “It was there that God (Elohim) revealed (niglu) himself to him [Jacob]” (Gen. 35: 7). Here, too, “revealed” is in the plural, implying the existence of many gods. (For other examples, see Ex. 22:8; Deut. 5:23; II Sam. 7: 23 and others). The medieval commentator Rashi was aware of this problem but tried to solve it by saying, “all references to godliness and authority are in the plural.” I would argue that these are vestiges of ancient polytheism that crept into the text.

There is no doubt in my mind that at some point in biblical times, Elohim was considered in polytheistic terms, “gods.” A good example is found in the Book of the Covenant, in one of the laws dealing with debt-slavery. According to a sub-section of this law, if the slave wishes to remain with his master for the rest of his life, because “he loves” him, then his master “shall take him before the gods (Elohim)” (Ex. 21: 5) and pierce his ear with an awl. Traditional Jewish commentators say that here the word Elohim means “judges.” So, the owner is taking his slave to the court. Some modern commentators believe that the reference is to the local sanctuary where the master presents his slave before God, perhaps, for an ordeal. For me, this texts simply means that the master brings his slave before the household gods, hence Elohim (see, for instance the reference to the household gods that Rachel had when she left her father’s house, the terafim, Gen.31: 34), and then pierces his ear at the doorpost of his own house with an awl.

This short analysis shows that biblical Israel went through a period of transition from polytheism to monolatry (“there are many gods but only one god for us”) and finally to monotheism (“there is only one God”). The process continued in medieval times into the modern. Old God concepts are not working any more. We need to search for the best explanation of what God means today in order to meet the needs of our own time.

(For details about God concepts in Judaism, see my book, Finding God (with Daniel Syme), NY: URJ Press, 2002, or, The Many Faces of God , NY:URJ, 2004, or , more recently, “What is God’s Real Name?” in my book, Did Moses Really Have Horns? NY: URJ Press, 2009, 12-24).

Rifat Sonsino

Getting to the Heart of Yom Kippur by Rabbi Vicki Tuckman

Ed. Note: This cross-post comes from the URJ's email series entitled "Ten Minutes of Torah". The email comes daily and provides a one-page e-mail on a topic of Jewish interest. To sign up for the daily email, visit the URJ's web page.

Rabbi Tuckman has given TBS permission to repost her email on a new ritual her family has created for Yom Kippur on our blog. Rabbi Tuckman is Assistant Director / Director of Jewish Life for the URJ's Camp Harlam. You can read more about Rabbi Tuckman on Camp Harlam's web page.

Last year I introduced a new ritual into my family’s observance of Yom Kippur. I was determined to observe this most holy of days in a meaningful and active way. Yom Kippur is a long and challenging day, even for the seasoned Jew who spends the month of Elul and the “days of awe” in preparation. The normative Yom Kippur rituals (i.e. fasting, prayer, personal and communal atonement) are not necessarily engaging or developmentally-appropriate for children or pre-teens. Even teenagers (and adults) can be overwhelmed by the length of services and miss the point of fasting if they do not understand the true intent.

With that said, there is no doubt that the message and teachings of Yom Kippur are appropriate for all. All people – from preschool on up – ought to be practicing reflection, atonement and forgiveness. At each stage of our lives we can and should seek to fulfill the sacred duties of this day.

Rabbi Gunther Plaut writes the following about “The Day of Atonement” in his Torah commentary:

It is impossible to exaggerate the importance of Yom Kippur in the life of the Jewish People. Even the religiously indifferent respond to its call and crowd the synagogues...It speaks to each human being and seeks to bring each person into harmony with others and with God. (The Torah: A Modern Commentary, page 858)

Rabbi Plaut goes on to explain that when reading the original Torah text from chapter 16 in the Book of Leviticus, with follow-up passages in chapter 23, we learn about an animal sacrifice system meant to connect humankind to God. In biblical times Yom Kippur was observed as a well-choreographed ceremony by those highest in power, with the Israelite people primarily observing the day as “passive spectators.” The modern Jew, however, is left searching for a more inspiring message and not a discussion regarding “a complicated sacrificial service performed by the High Priest.” (Plaut, page 858)

It was for this reason that a different Torah passage was chosen by the leaders of the Reform Movement; one that would fulfill the ultimate charge of the day - that being a sacred call for each person to take responsibility for one’s words, actions and behaviors. In Deuteronomy each and every member of the community is called forth. No one is exempt from standing before God and our fellow peers in judgment, as well as forgiveness.

“You stand this day, all of you, before Adonai your God – your tribal heads, your elders and your officials, all the men of Israel, your children, your wives, even the stranger within your camp, from the woodchopper to the waterdrawer – to enter into the covenant of Adonai your God.” (Deuteronomy. 29:9-11)

This article began with a reference to a “new ritual” that I started with my family this year, cognizant of a Yom Kippur teaching I wish my own children to imbibe. After a beautiful morning t’filah at our synagogue, we ended our day not in front of the Aron HaKodesh for Neilah, but simply the 5 of us standing in a circle in the woods near our house. With an ode towards the tashlich ceremony of Rosh Hashanah, we stood by a pond and read parts of the Neilah liturgy. Even though our prayers told us the “gates of Heaven were closing” - we discussed the importance of keeping our hearts open. Open to growth, open to forgiveness, and open to change. And whether one is 6 or 60 – living in ancient Jerusalem or modern America – this message has remained constant since our ancient words were eternalized in our Torah. As we will read on the morning of Yom Kippur in Reform synagogues in North America and around the world:

“This Instruction… is not too baffling, nor is it beyond reach. It is not in the heavens, neither is it beyond the sea… No, the thing is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to observe it.” (Deuteronomy 30:11-14)

Shayna Reed's Sinai Statement: Celebrating Confirmation and An Individual Relationship with G-d

Ed Note: The fourth in our series of our Confirmand's Sinai Statements comes from Shayna Reed. Shayna writes about her individual relationship with God and how her learning in the Confirmation Year has encouraged her to find her own personal relationship with belief as part of the ongoing Jewish journey.

I’ve been going to Religious School for a really really long time, and in the process I have formed many opinions on all sort of topics like prayer, the Jewish relationship with Israel, and the best kind of hamentashen filling (definitely poppy seed). However, one topic that has been harder for me to process and form opinions on is my individual relationship with G-d. I went into this year only knowing what I don’t believe about G-d. I do not believe G-d controls our world and our destinies completely. I do not think G-d is wholly uninvolved in our lives. I don’t believe G-d is so involved as to keep records of our every action and rewards or punishes accordingly, and I do not believe that G-d is our conscience. As a biology geek I tend towards believing that G-d is the order found through science because I see something majestic in the way our world is organized; however, I don’t think that science encompasses the entire nature of G-d or how we lowly humans can relate to G-d. As beautiful as science is to me because it explains our world, some things simply cannot be explained and therefore suggest divine presence.

Obviously, judging from the hardly comprehensive list of ideas I have already rejected, G-d is different for everyone. The one conclusion that I can draw about my own views from our G-d discussions is that I greatly respect the Jewish faith’s command to constantly question G-d in serious ways. As the people Yisrael, even our name reflects our constant struggle with G-d as it literally means “one who will struggle with G-d.” This struggle means that we must constantly re-evaluate what we have learned and always seek more knowledge and reflect on our experiences and the teachings of others. I feel comfortable with Judaism because I am not forced to believe in one ideology, and my understanding of G-d can change as my understanding of life does. I don’t agree with everything our religion tells us but I love the discussions and insights that are stimulated by questioning it. G-d is confusing and ultimately unknowable. However, I know that I will always struggle with G-d, as Jacob and all the Jews before me have.

by Shayna Reed

The Six Commandment: A Personal Reflection by Liv Nash

Image credit - Flickr user ANVRecife. Image title is "Killing Ideas II".

Ed. Note: What follows is our sixth blog post as a part of the 10 commandment series. We are counting up to Shavuot by sharing personal reflections from congregants on each one of the 10 commandments. Today's reflection comes from Liv Nash and gives an interesting and new view of the commandment not to murder. Please join our conversation by adding your thoughts and opinions to this or any post. What do you think of Liv's take on the commandment? What do you take from her point of view?

My interpretation of the 6th Commandment relies on a non-legal one. As noted in Broken Tablets, Rabbi Avraham Yitzhak Bloch of Telshe also suggests “that a concept of murder more subtle and comprehensive than standard legal definitions is intended.”

I look at the 6th Commandment as a direction to not suppress one’s beliefs, regardless of how they may or may not deviate from what the majority of people may or may not believe. As someone who grew up in a secular household, I didn’t think about religion or spirituality. I knew that I was Jewish and that we celebrated Passover and Hanukah, but I didn’t quite get what being Jewish meant. I know that I thought of it more as a religion than an act of being, which is how I interpret my Judaism today.

As my involvement in Temple Beth Shalom began to grow, I had conflicted feelings about my beliefs – did I believe in G-d or did I feel a connection to the spiritual aspects of Judaism that are so often discussed in our meetings. Even as I attended my adult B’nei Mitzvah classes, leading up to my becoming a Bat Mitzvah here at TBS, I almost felt a need to ignore my feelings toward the religious aspect of what I was doing as I felt very conflicted: again, did I believe in G-d or not and how was I going through this monumental step in my life without knowing. I was suppressing the need to “come clean” with my own interpretation of being a Jew.

Fortunately for me, the TBS community, its leaders and in particular the clergy, have made me realize that all that I was feeling and am still today, is OK. There isn’t a need to put aside the fact that my beliefs may not be consistent with so many. They are my beliefs and I shall not “murder” them.

--Liv Nash

The Third Commandment: A Personal Reflection by Michael Bailit

Ed. Note: We now return to our series on the 10 Commandments with this post from TBS Congregant and Board of Trustees member Michael Bailit. Feel free to share your interpretation of this or any of our previously covered commandments on their blog posts and join in the conversation.

"You shall not take G-d's name in vain." This is a commandment that I have always taken so seriously. In fact, I avoid using curse words of any form. (My sons have reminded me that while they have never heard Daddy swear, they once did hear Mommy do so when she bumped her head.)

With time and reflection, this commandment has taken on greater meaning for me. In fact, I take away two different but both important meanings. First, I observe that relative to many of the "prohibition" commendmants, this one at first seems out of place. Murder, adultery, stealing...we can all agree that these are reprehensible behaviors. Yet this commandment is just about speaking words. We live in an age where we are besieged by words: spoken words on cell phones, radio, television and from friends, family, business acquaintances and strangers, and written words in books, online, on billboards, in newspapers and magazines. Words are ubiquitous and for that reason they seem to have become cheapened - "only words." This commandment, however, seems to say that words are important and that their common use does not diminish that importance. What we say to others and what we say to G-d does matter in our relationships and in the work that we do

Second, the commandment that we not take G-d's name in vain suggests that we should "take" G-d's name otherwise. I take this to mean that we should "take" G-d's name in another way and seek to have some form of a relationship with G-d. The relationship may be harmonious or difficult, one of belief or disbelief or back and forth between the two. What is important is the attempt to engage in a relationship.

These interpretations are more than those that I internalized many years ago when I resolved to be careful not to take G-d's name in vain and suggest the multiple layers of meaning available to us in the commandments.

--Michael Bailit

The Second Commandment: A Personal Reflection by Daniel Barkowitz

The image to the left comes from youmademesayit.com. The image was chosen for its reference to the position of covering the eyes before saying the Shema, and also for its reference to the duality of faith - being willing to close your eyes and trust even while the world argues to keep your eyes open.

Ed. Note: This is the second in a series of ten posts in the days leading up to Shavuot. Each post explores one of the ten commandments. Today's post is written by TBS Executive Director, Daniel Barkowitz. Please feel free to add your response to this post to the comments section below. How do you experience faith and doubt? What does the second commandment mean to you? How do you interpret the commandment to have no other g-ds before G-d?

Have no other G-d before me.

I believe that faith is a Decision.

Making the decision to believe in G-d when the world argues against such faith and commitment is itself a decision. If I make the decision to have faith, even in moments where having faith is hard, then the decision to have faith will bring me the intention I need to follow through.

Faith is a decision to live your life in such a way as to find meaning in it beyond the material things that the world says you must possess. It is a decision to believe that there is more to life than meets the eye, and that life extends even beyond death. It is a decision to be able to have a rock to hold onto even when all around you is chaos, even when people declare in the streets that all is hopeless, and that all is lost.

Faith is a decision means knowing that not all questions have to have answers, and that sometimes the answers will come without their corresponding questions. Making the decision to have faith does NOT mean removing all doubt; in fact by making the decision to have faith I embrace the doubt I feel as a genuine part of my spiritual self.

G-d demands that we have no other g-d before YHVH. I respond that making the decision to have faith means that I place my trust in that Miraculous Power.

-Daniel T. Barkowitz

The First Commandment: A Personal Perspective by Rob Spiegel

The image to the left is artistic rendering of the Arabic translation of the First Commandment.

Ed. Note: This is the first post in a series of ten which will be presented as a "count-up" to Shavuot. The text comes from TBS congregant Rob Spiegel who presented these words at a special congregational meeting celebrating the passage of our new By-Laws. Please join the conversation by adding your personal reflection of the 1st Commandment as a comment to this post. What does the 1st commandment mean today? Given the recent changes in Egypt, what does it mean to remember that we were "brought out of the land"? Where do you feel most at home?

I, Adonai your God, (am the one) who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from a slave house.

In performing this text study, we are looking forward to Shavout and the adoption of new bylaws for TBS. But, for a moment, allow me to look back to Pesach and ask how is this Commandment different from the other commandments. Are we being told by God to do something or refrain from doing something? Or, are we being told to believe? Is it possible for God to command belief?

Commentators differ, and we could discuss this point for hours, not the couple of minutes I have now. But, as we are reminded at Pesach, we were each individually and together as a community brought by God out of Egypt, out of a slave house. Consider the drama of the situation of the people actually there at the time. Having been slaves and having seen the plagues, hastily prepared to leave Egypt, crossing the sea into the desert, and watching Moses bring the tablets from Sinai, this commandment served to inform them, and continues to remind each of us and our community as a whole, who is responsible for freedom and who therefore has the authority to give the law.

When I was in college, I spent a semester abroad in Israel. Like so many, being in Israel was a deeply meaningful experience and I felt more connected to the Jewish people. During that semester I did a week-long side trip to Egypt. My feeling of connection to our people was even greater when I returned to Israel. When I returned, I felt at home, maybe more a part of our people than ever before or since in my life.

We here continue to be part of this community, and here at TBS we are a community within a larger Jewish Community. In accepting the nomination to serve on the Board of Trustees, I hope to continue to work to build community within the TBS community/communities.

-Rob Spiegel

God's Love; A Religious Naturalist Perspective

The following post comes from TBS' Rabbi Emeritus, Rifat Sonsino. More posts like this can be found on his blog at http://rifatsonsino.blogspot.com/.

Every so often the question of God’s nature comes up for discussion. There are those who believe that God is a personal God, namely, a supreme being that has intelligence, emotions, and will in an absolute form. God knows you, loves you and responds to your prayers. Most of these people also maintain that God is all-powerful, all-knowing and all-good. These individuals are classical theists, by definition. (Limited theists believe in a personal God but one who is not all-powerful.) And there are others who depart from this view and subscribe to a variety of other non-theistic God concepts.

One of the problems, which was debated for centuries between the theists and non-theists, whether Jewish or not, has to do with God’s love and God’s involvement in human lives. Does God love me? Does God interfere in my life? How does God respond to my prayers? Theists say, yes, God watches over us; others argue, no, God has nothing to do with “loving” anyone. In particular, the question of prayer is of immediate concern for many people, and has already been raised in many biblical passages. On the one had we have, “I turned to the Lord, and He answered me” (Ps. 34: 7), and, on the other, “How long, O Lord, shall I cry out and You not listen” (Hab. 1: 2).

Here below is my religious naturalist response to this question:
I view God as the energizing power of the universe. I do not expect that God would know me or love me or even interfere in my life the way my parents did. All I want from God is that I be given the sustaining tools of a meaningful life, the wisdom to accept my limitations and the skill to overcome them reasonably within nature’s possibilities. I don’t pray for miracles or look for perfection in life. I hope for wholeness and contentment. I am grateful just to be. There is plenty of God’s love just in this recognition.

Rabbi Rifat Sonsino

God Talk

From Rabbi Perlman's Rosh Hashanah Morning Sermon on God.......

".....Throughout all of last year, as you know, our congregation engaged in a wonderful process of formulating a new Temple Beth Shalom vision statement. Many members of our community set about the important task of reflection, consideration, and crafting a statement that accurately articulated who we are as a congregation and what we strive to make real. The document, as it developed - along with the evolving mission statement - spoke of learning, prayer, sacred community, and tikkun olam - healing our broken world. In the spring, a draft of the proposed vision statement was introduced to our Board of temple leadership for feedback and comments. Both in substance and poetry, the leaders gathered that night affirmed the hard work that had already been done. And then, part of the way through the meeting, someone raised a hand and asked the question: "Where is the word 'God' in all of this?" Immediately people started scanning the statement. The questioner was correct. Indeed, while the text for the proposed vision had used such words as "holy," "sacred," and "covenant," the word "God" was no where to be seen."

"For some, this was not problematic at all. Those other words alluded to God, even if the statement did not mention God specifically. And this, they felt was enough. Furthermore, some commented that there are many people in our community who do not believe in God and that using such specific language might distance them from what the vision was trying to express. Others, however, respectfully disagreed - commenting that, as a temple - a House of God - we should not be apologetic and speak around the word "God" but include it."

"Sitting next to Beth, our temple President, I recall thinking that this was one of the best Board meetings in which I had ever participated. The "God Talk" was thoughtful, impassioned, personal, and respectful......And, all the while, I couldn't help but wonder at how it was that God had somehow become a kind of "third rail" topic - one that needed to be avoided - at temple."

"This morning, I would like for us to begin a conversation about God. I would like for us to thoughtfully consider what we believe - what we don't believe - why - and, perhaps most importantly, what difference it makes.......The goal, of course is not to force faith - for as we know, to be Jewish, one need not specifically believe in G-d - but rather to grow through our engaging our tradition and one another."

......."By the conclusion of the Board meeting during which the 'Great TBS God Debate' took place, it was decided that our congregation's new Vision Statement should, in fact, specifically include God.....and should do so in such a way that both honors the members of our community - and, at the same time, states that an important part of who we are is that we take our evolving understanding of God seriously."

"The specific God statement in our vision reads as follows:
'We seek a relationship with God that is personal. Living in the tradition of being Yisrael - one who wrestles with God - we cherish our diversity of belief and Jewish expression. Each of us thoughtfully searches for understanding, guidance, and inspiration from the teachings and many voices of our tradition."

Some Questions to Consider for Your Post:

• If you had been at the Board Meeting, what would your opinion have been?
• What are your thoughts about God? What do you believe? What don't you believe? Why?
• What are your thoughts about the TBS Vision Statement regarding God and our community?

We look forward to seeing this community conversation develop!!

Chag Sameach!! Happy Sukkot!!