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  1. What is the grammatical reason for the "Hei" bolded in the pasuk below?
  2. Is there a spot in the Torah where there is a "Hei" in front of the Tetragrammaton name? ( Is there a spot where there is a "Hei" in front of Yud Kei Vav Kei?)

Ty

Exodus 3:13

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶל־הָֽאֱלֹהִ֗ים הִנֵּ֨ה אָנֹכִ֣י בָא֮ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וְאָמַרְתִּ֣י לָהֶ֔ם אֱלֹהֵ֥י אֲבוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם שְׁלָחַ֣נִי אֲלֵיכֶ֑ם וְאָֽמְרוּ־לִ֣י מַה־שְּׁמ֔וֹ מָ֥ה אֹמַ֖ר אֲלֵהֶֽם׃

robev
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Mars Sojourner
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    Presumably because it is acting as the hei hayediah - the definite article. So in this case it means that Moshe said to THE G-d - i.e. not an idol ch"v, but the one and only Omnipresent G-d. – Dov Sep 19 '22 at 16:01
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    There are many times it written as such https://www.sefaria.org/search?q=%D7%94%D7%90%D7%9C%D7%94%D7%99%D7%9D&tab=text&tvar=1&tsort=relevance&svar=1&ssort=relevance – Chatzkel Sep 19 '22 at 16:02
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    https://www.jstor.org/stable/24359328 He doesn't give a reason, but he shows that after prepositions (generally: in instrumental usage), the ה is almost always present. – magicker72 Feb 17 '23 at 20:02

2 Answers2

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In the citation you bring in your question, it would suggest that the particular usage here is not meant as G-d’s name, but one of the other meanings of that 5 letter word.

For example, it can also mean judge, like a judge who sits on a court.

It can also have a meaning of someone who is a legal agent of another. It is in this sense that angels are often described with this term.

In regard to your second part of the question, the answer is yes, in Jeremiah 8:19.

Yaacov Deane
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  • It is a very common term, including referring to G-d, as this verse clearly does. – N.T. Sep 20 '22 at 06:55
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    The verse in Jeremiah is not an article; it is a "hei" with a "patach" which always introduces a question. – N.T. Sep 20 '22 at 06:57
  • @N.T. The question from the OP was simply whether there was any example in Tanach with Havaya preceded by the letter Heh. Rules of grammar and syntax always determine specific meaning. – Yaacov Deane Sep 20 '22 at 10:44
  • @N.T. There is a distinction between the proper names of G-d and the generic term elokim. If you look at the numerous commentaries on this group of posukim, they are dealing with the various correct proper names used by the Avot. Elokim is more in the sense of a simple noun than a proper name. This is why the same term is also used to describe judges and angels. – Yaacov Deane Sep 20 '22 at 11:04
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    @N.T. Hei with a patach is an article; hei with a chataf patach introduces a question. Only when the word opens with a guttural letter, as this one does, do the rules change and a patach can, but doesn't always, but does in this case, indicate a question. – Double AA Feb 16 '23 at 19:11
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Regarding your first question the (main? or at all maybe) reason might not be grammatical but rather that the Hei is a reference to an aspect of Divine Emanation, the Ima Ilaah ("Supernal Mother" - it's something like the globalized Binah iirc)

Because in Tikunei Zohar 79a (in Tikkun 37) we have:

... to unleash Her children from the Exile; at that time there's many Shofar ministers and Sound ministers and Lightning ministers, of whom it says "And the voices and lightnings and cloud are heavy on the mountain, and voice of Shofar very strong ... Moshe will speak and the-Elkym will answer him in voice" - At that time Moshe will converse with the Shekhinah, behold it's the scripture (Num. 12:8) פֶּה אֶל פֶּה אֲדַבֶּר בּוֹ, "Mouth to mouth, I be talking with him" - with "the-ELKYM" which is Ima Ilaah, "answering him in Voice" - which is the Amuda Emtzaita [think Yaakob, kol Yaakob-Tiferet] ("Central Column"), and behold haven't the Tannaim explained it to mean: in Moshe's very voice.

... למפרק בנהא מן גלותא, בההוא זמנא כמה מארי שופרות ומארי דקלין ומארי דברקים, דאתמר בהון ויהי קולות וברקים וענן כבד אל ההר וקול שופר חזק מאד וכו', משה ידבר והאלהי"ם יעננו בקול, בההוא זמנא משה ימלל בשכינתא, הדא הוא דכתיב (במדבר י"ב) פה אל פה אדבר בו, והאלקי"ם דאיהי אימא עלאה, יעננו בקול דאיהו עמודא דאמצעיתא, והא אוקמוהו מארי מתניתין בקולו של משה: ...

For your second question and in contrast it seems from @DoubleAA comment on the other answer there isn't an "article-type" Hei with Hashem's name as that answer's reference to Jer. 8:19 is where it's an interrogative.

Generally in TZ it's taught Names headed in Hei are "feminine," names headed in Y' or W' are "masculine" and YKW"K being His Merciful Kind (~male) Name blessed be He, and a la "I am Hashem I change not" and Hashem is One etc. you can probably discern and meditate and give praise regarding the razin/supernal secrets hinted in this!

Nissim Nanach
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