R. Hiya then followed with an exposition of the verse: Thou hast been shown fhar’etato know that the Lord he is God; there is none else beside him (Deut. 4, 35). ‘What does this peculiar expression, “thou hast been shown to know”,denote? When the Israelites came out of Egypt, at first they knew nothing of the true meaning of faith in the Holy One, blessed be He, because, while they were in captivity in Egypt, they had worshipped foreign gods and had forgotten the essentials of the Faith, that legacy which the Twelve Tribes had received from Father Jacob.
So, when Moses came, he had to teach them that in the universe there is a supreme God. Then they were witnesses of all the signs and wonders connected with the crossing of the Red Sea, and more than that, of all the wonders that took place in Egypt itself before it; then, later, they experienced the mighty acts of God in connection with the manna and the water in the wilderness. And by and by the Torah was given to them, and, gradually, they learned the ways of the Holy One, blessed be He, until eventually they reached that point when the words quoted were said unto them.
Moses said, in effect: “Till now I had to teach you as little children are taught”; thou “hast been shown to know”, and thou hast learnt by now to know and penetrate into the mystery of the Faith, namely, this, that “the Lord (TETRAGRAMMATON) He is God (Elohim)“,
which is no small matter, since concerning this it says: “know therefore this day and consider it in thine heart that the Lord he is God in heaven above and upon the earth beneath, there is none else” (Ibid. 5, 39). The whole mystery of the Faith depends upon this; from this comes the knowledge of the mystery of mysteries, the secret of secrets. TETRAGRAMMATON ELOHIM is a full Name, and the whole is one. Herein is a mystery of mysteries to the masters of the esoteric knowledge.
רַבִּי חִיָּיא פָּתַח אֲבַתְרֵיהּ וְאָמַר, (דברים ד׳:ל״ה) אַתָּה הָרְאֵתָ לָדַעַת כִּי יְיָ' הוּא הָאֱלהִים וְגוֹ', הַאי קְרָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בֵּיהּ, אַתָּה הָרְאֵתָ, מַאי הָרְאֵתָ. אֶלָּא כַּד נָפְקוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרַיִם, לָא הֲווֹ יַדְעֵי בְּרָזָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כְּלוּם, בְּגִין דְּכֻלְּהוּ הֲווֹ פַּלְחֵי פּוּלְחָנָא נוּכְרָאָה בְּגָלוּתָא, וְאַנְשׁוּ כָּל עִקָּרָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא דְּהֲוָה בְּהוּ בְּקַדְמִיתָא, דְּיָרִיתוּ כָּל אִינּוּן תְּרֵיסַר שְׁבָטִין מֵאֲבוּהוֹן יַעֲקֹב.
R. Hiya then followed with an exposition of the verse: Thou hast been shown fhar’etato know that the Lord he is God; there is none else beside him (Deut. 4, 35). ‘What does this peculiar expression, “thou hast been shown to know”,denote? When the Israelites came out of Egypt, at first they knew nothing of the true meaning of faith in the Holy One, blessed be He, because, while they were in captivity in Egypt, they had worshipped foreign gods and had forgotten the essentials of the Faith, that legacy which the Twelve Tribes had received from Father Jacob.
וְכַד אָתָא מֹשֶׁה, אוֹלִיף לוֹן דְּאִית אֱלוֹהַּ עִלָּאָה בְּעָלְמָא, כְּמָה דְּאוּקְמוּהָ. לְבָתַר חָמוּ כָּל אִינּוּן נִסִּין וּגְבוּרָן דְּעַל יַמָא, וְכָל נִסִּין וּגְבוּרָן דְּעָבַד לְהוּ בְּמִצְרַיִם. לְבָתַר חָמוּ כַּמָה גְּבוּרָן, בְּמָנָא וּבְמַיָא וְאִתְיְהִיבַת לוֹן אוֹרַיְיתָא, וְאוֹלִיפוּ אָרְחֵי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, עַד דְּמָטֵי לְעִדָּנָא דָּא.
So, when Moses came, he had to teach them that in the universe there is a supreme God. Then they were witnesses of all the signs and wonders connected with the crossing of the Red Sea, and more than that, of all the wonders that took place in Egypt itself before it; then, later, they experienced the mighty acts of God in connection with the manna and the water in the wilderness. And by and by the Torah was given to them, and, gradually, they learned the ways of the Holy One, blessed be He, until eventually they reached that point when the words quoted were said unto them.
אָמַר לוֹן מֹשֶׁה, עַד הַשְׁתָּא אִצְטְרִיכְנָא לְמֵילַף לְכוּ, כְּמָה דְּיַלְפִין לְרַבְיָּא. (מכאן ולהלאה) וְדָא הוּא אַתָּה הָרְאֵתָ לָדַעַת, וְאוֹלִיפַת עַד הָכָא, לָדַעַת לְמִנְדַּע וּלְאִסְתַּכְּלָא וּלְמֵיעַל בְּרָזָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא. וּמַאי אִיהִי. כִּי יְיָ' הוּא הָאֱלהִי ם.
Moses said, in effect: “Till now I had to teach you as little children are taught”; thou “hast been shown to know”, and thou hast learnt by now to know and penetrate into the mystery of the Faith, namely, this, that “the Lord (TETRAGRAMMATON) He is God (Elohim)“,
אִי תֵּימָא מִלָּה זְעִירָא הִיא לְמִנְדַּע, הָא כְּתִיב וְיָדַעְתָּ הַיּוֹם וַהֲשֵׁבוֹתָ אֶל לְבָבֶךָ כִּי יְיָ' הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים בַּשָׁמַיִם מִמַּעַל וְעַל הָאָרֶץ מִתָּחַת אֵין עוֹד. הָכָא תַּלְיָא כָּל רָזָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא, לְמִנְדַּע מִגּוֹ דָּא, רָזָא דְּכָל רָזִין, לְמִנְדַּע סְתִימוּ (נ"א רזא דכלוכו') דְּכָל סְתִימִין, יְהוָֹ"ה אֱלהִים שֵׁם מָלֵּא, וְכֹלָּא חַד. אַתָּה הָרְאֵתָ לָדַעַת, הָכָא רָזָא דְּרָזִין לְאִינּוּן יַדְעֵי מִדִּין.
which is no small matter, since concerning this it says: “know therefore this day and consider it in thine heart that the Lord he is God in heaven above and upon the earth beneath, there is none else” (Ibid. 5, 39). The whole mystery of the Faith depends upon this; from this comes the knowledge of the mystery of mysteries, the secret of secrets. TETRAGRAMMATON ELOHIM is a full Name, and the whole is one. Herein is a mystery of mysteries to the masters of the esoteric knowledge.