Moshe Goes 'El HaElokim' to Find God

Parshat Yitro 

שמות פרק יט (ג) וּמֹשֶׁ֥ה עָלָ֖ה אֶל־הָאֱ-לֹקים וַיִּקְרָ֨א אֵלָ֤יו יְקֹוָק֙ מִן־הָהָ֣ר לֵאמֹ֔ר כֹּ֤ה תֹאמַר֙ לְבֵ֣ית יַעֲקֹ֔ב וְתַגֵּ֖יד לִבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל: 

 After arriving at Mt Sinai at the beginning of the third month, we are told in 19:3 that in going up the mountain, “Moshe went up to the Elokim” which is followed by “And Hashem called to him from the mountain…”

It happens every now and then that God’s name switches back and forth from Elokim to the Tetragrammaton, but each time requires an explanation.

 Interestingly, Targum Yonatan translates the word Elokim here to mean “the top of the mountain.” In other words, Targum Yonatan seems to ignore that two names of God are utilized in the verse, preferring to tell us what happened – where Moshe went, and that God called to him after he arrived there.

 Midrash Sechel Tov refers to the place Moshe went as “the place where the Shekhinah (the Divine Presence) is apparent on the mountain.” I believe there is much more depth hidden in the switchover of God’s name, because the moment which precedes Sinaitic Revelation is so significant, that God knew we would try our best to truly understand the events leading up to the grand finale.

 Alshikh notes that even the phrase which tells us of Moshe’s ascent to “Elokim” uses a term that causes our eyebrows to rise. The Torah could have easily said “Vaya’al Moshe” (ויעל משה) which describes the verb of ascending “and he went up.” But the language used is “U’Moshe Alah” (ומשה עלה) – which implies an ascent much greater than a mere physical one. Moshe was elevated “el HaElokim.”

 I don’t think it means to suggest that Moshe became God-like. But Moshe is clearly attaining a different status that any he may have had before. Alshikh describes the purity which Moshe achieves here as a “yitron gadol” – a much higher level than anything he had achieved before that time.

 Moshe, as Rav Pinchas Horowitz explained in his “Panim Yafos” commentary, was elevated through the holiness of Israel. In 3:6, at the burning bush, he was afraid to look “towards the Elokim.” But now he had no problem – even going there before he was called. He achieved what the Kabbalists called “Yirah Elyonah” – a heightened level of reverence for the Almighty, perhaps because he was getting increasingly closer to the Divine.

 Or HaChaim notes another connection to the burning bush, which took place on Har HaElokim (3:1), namely the fulfillment of the promise that “you will serve the Elokim on this mountain.” (3:12) And so the Or HaChaim goes out on a limb here (if I am understanding him correctly), suggesting Moshe actually received the Torah the last time he was here. But he had to leave it – he couldn’t just take it with him. No one would have accepted it.

 And now that Moshe has seen the process of what he had been told at the burning bush unfold in the manner that it has, it reinvigorates his spirit. This is, after all, the ultimate sign that God gave him – that when you bring the people out of Egypt you will serve Elokim on this mountain – coming full circle.

 Of course Moshe is excited. Of course he is getting closer to God. Of course he goes up early. Of course he is double checking that all is ready and perfect for this moment. Of course his ascent is not merely a physical climbing up a mountain.

 What Targum Yonatan calls Moshe going up to “the top of the mountain” as a translation of “el HaElokim” is perhaps a metaphorical suggestion to us as to what we can achieve when we go to the top of the mountain.

 It is not likely that anyone of us will see a burning bush or have a face to face encounter with God. But we have mountains to climb. And our goal of reaching el HaElokim can be achieved if we can let go of ourselves and allow ourselves to recognize the truth of the Torah and God’s role in giving it to us. In our pursuit of not just a physical ascent, but a spiritual one, we can relive Moshe’s Revelations at Sinai – in a private setting and in a public setting – as we demonstrate our binding and unquestioning devotion to the “God who took us out of Egypt, out of the House of Bondage.” (20:2)