שַׁדַּי, shaday

Question

What is/are any widely accepted Jewish interpretations of the 40+ instances of שַׁדַּי, shaday in the scriptures? I've seen conflicting definitions/etymologies in the Christian world.  Some (the easier to believe) say it means Almighty and is derived from a word meaning power or destruction.  But others say it means "Breast" and that the power/destruction word is derived from it.

In context, it's obvious it's a name of God. But it may have a deeper meaning—which might not be the two contradictory meanings I’ve so far seen. Just like Abraham and Israel are not "only" names but were given because of their meaning.

So I wondered whether Judaic scholars supported one or both of those or even some other explanation.

Answer 1

This is a great question. These are the four approaches I found on the subject. This is the way I understand it. I hope they are useful. All text and translation are from seferia

1. Hashem Says to the world stop. Talmud Chagiga

אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב: בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁבָּרָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת הָעוֹלָם, הָיָה מַרְחִיב וְהוֹלֵךְ כִּשְׁתֵּי פַקְעִיּוֹת שֶׁל שְׁתִי, עַד שֶׁגָּעַר בּוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְהֶעֱמִידוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״עַמּוּדֵי שָׁמַיִם יְרוֹפָפוּ וְיִתְמְהוּ מִגַּעֲרָתוֹ״, וְהַיְינוּ דְּאָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ: מַאי דִּכְתִיב: ״אֲנִי אֵל שַׁדַּי״ — אֲנִי הוּא שֶׁאָמַרְתִּי לָעוֹלָם דַּי. אָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ: בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁבָּרָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת הַיָּם הָיָה מַרְחִיב וְהוֹלֵךְ, עַד שֶׁגָּעַר בּוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְיִבְּשׁוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״גּוֹעֵר בַּיָּם וַיַּבְּשֵׁהוּ וְכׇל הַנְּהָרוֹת הֶחֱרִיב״. And Rav Yehuda said that Rav said, with regard to the same matter: When the Holy One, Blessed be He, created the world, it continued to expand like two balls of a warp, whose cord lengthens as they unravel, until the Holy One, Blessed be He, rebuked it and made it stand still, as it is stated: “The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at His rebuke” (Job 26:11). And this is the same as that which Reish Lakish said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “I am the Almighty God [El Shaddai]” (Genesis 17:1)? It means: I am He Who said to the world “enough [dai],” instructing it to stop expanding. Similarly, Reish Lakish said: When the Holy One, Blessed be He, created the sea, it continued to expand until the Holy One, Blessed be He, rebuked it and made it dry, as it is stated: “He rebukes the sea and makes it dry, and desiccates all the rivers” (Nahum 1:4).
https://www.sefaria.org/Chagigah.12a.16?lang=bi

2. Sufficiency for all. Rashi Breshis

שׁדי. אֲנִי הוּא שֶׁיֵּשׁ דַּי בֶּאֱלֹהוּתִי לְכָל בְּרִיָּה, לְפִיכָךְ הִתְהַלֵּךְ לְפָנַי וְאֶהְיֶה לְךָ לֶאֱלוֹהַּ ולְפַטְרוֹן; וְכֵן כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁהוּא בַּמִּקְרָא פֵּרוּשׁוֹ כָּךְ: דַּי שֶׁלּוֹ, וְהַכֹּל לְפִי הָעִנְיָן: י I AM GOD ALMIGHTY — I am He whose (ש) Godship suffices (די) for every creature (Genesis Rabbah 46:3), therefore, ‘‘walk before Me”, and I will be your God and Protector. Similarly, wherever in the Scriptures this Divine Name שדי occurs, it signifies the idea of His sufficiency — but it all depends upon the context as to what the “sufficiency” refers to.

https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.17.1?lang=he&with=Rashi&lang2=en

3. Hashem is self-sufficient, Rambam

כן שם ׳יה׳ הוא מענין נצחיות המציאה. ו׳שדי׳ – בו גזרה מן ׳די׳: ״והמלאכה היתה דים״; וה׳שין׳ – בענין ׳אשר׳, כמו ״שכבר״; ויהיה ענינו: ׳אשר די׳ – הכונה בזה: שהוא לא יצטרך במציאות מה שהמציא ולא בהתמידו, לזולתו, אבל מציאותו מספקת בו. וכן שם ׳חסין׳ נגזר מן הכח: ״וחסון הוא כאלונים״. וכן ׳צור׳ הוא שם משותף כמו שבארנו. The name Jah likewise implies eternal existence. Shadday, however, is derived from day, “enough”; comp. “for the stuff they had was sufficient” (dayyam, Exod. 36:7) the shin is equal to asher, “which,” as in she-kebar, “which already” (Eccles. 2:16). The name Shadday, therefore, signifies “he who is sufficient”; that is to say, He does not require any other being for effecting the existence of what He created, or its conservation: His existence is sufficient for that. In a similar manner the name ḥasin implies “strength”; comp. “he was strong (ḥason) as the oaks” (Amos 2:9). The same is the case with “rock,” which is a homonym, as we have explained (chap. xvi.).

https://www.sefaria.org/Guide_for_the_Perplexed%2C_Part_1.63.5?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=he

4. Mighty - Ibin Ezra

אל שדי. שם התואר וטעמו תקיף וכן כקול שדי. והיה שדי בצריך כי טעמו כטעם ושית על עפר בצר. ושדי על משקל לבי דוי. ורבים פירשוהו מגזרת שודד. שהוא מנצח והתגבר. וטעם להזכיר השם הזה בפרשה הזאת לירא אברהם וימול. והנכון כי השם הנכבד והנורא נקרא כנגדו. וזה שם התאר כנגד המעשה כי העולם עומד על אלה שני השמות. והמבין סוד השם יאמין: GOD ALMIGHTY. Shaddai is an adjective meaning mighty. Shaddai in like a mighty voice (ke-kol shaddai) (Ezek. 1:24) is similar. Also, Shaddai in And mighty will be thy silver (shaddai betzarekha) (Job 22:25) is similar because the word betzarekha (thy silver) has the same meaning as the word betzer (silver) in And lay thy treasure (or silver) (betzer) in the dust (Job 22:24). The word Shaddai follows the paradigm of davvai (faint), in And my heart is faint (davvai) (Lam. 1:22). Many derive Shaddai from the same root as shoded (overpowering), meaning, He is victorious and overpowering. The reason God used this name at this time was to impress upon Abraham the fear of God so that he would circumcise himself. The correct interpretation of the divine names is as follows: Shaddai is an adjective describing God’s power over creation. The Tetragrammaton, God’s revered and awesome name, stands in contrast to it. The world exists by virtue of these two names. Whoever understands the secret of God’s name will accept my interpretation.

https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.17.1?lang=he&with=Ibn%20Ezra&lang2=en

Answer 2

El Shaddai (אֵל שַׁדַּי)

This Name depicts God literally as [Sufficiency]. “Who is Sufficient” in granting His mercies, and “Who has Sufficient” power to give whatever is necessary. (Rashi commentary on [Bereshit 17:1], page 80 of The Schottenstein Edition Interlinear Chumash by ArtScroll)