Dibbur Begalut-- Speech in Exile: Vaera

January 17th, 2026/28 Tevet 5786 -MLK Shabbat

The Concept of Galut ha-dibbur” The Broken Condition of Language.
“When the community Israel was exiled from its home, the letters of the divine name, became, if one may say so, separated, the hey, flying apart from the vav. We can thus understand the sentence ‘I was dumb with silence’ (Psalms 39:3), as through the separation of the vav from the hey, there was no Voice, and thus Utterance was silenced”. Zohar, 116
The Zohar (Hebrew lit. "Splendor" or "Radiance") is the foundational work in the literature of Jewish mystical known as Kabbalah. It was written in 13th-century Spain, likely by the Castilian kabbalist Rabbi Moshe (Moses) de Leon and multiple other authors.

“The Language of the Unheard”

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, "The Other America,' April 1967

"Let me say as I've always said, and I will always continue to say, that riots are socially destructive and self-defeating. I'm still convinced that nonviolence is the most potent weapon available to oppressed people in their struggle for freedom and justice. I feel that violence will only create more social problems than they will solve. That in a real sense it is impracticable for the Negro to even think of mounting a violent revolution in the United States. So I will continue to condemn riots, and continue to say to my brothers and sisters that this is not the way. And continue to affirm that there is another way.
But at the same time, it is as necessary for me to be as vigorous in condemning the conditions which cause persons to feel that they must engage in riotous activities as it is for me to condemn riots. I think America must see that riots do not develop out of thin air. Certain conditions continue to exist in our society which must be condemned as vigorously as we condemn riots. But in the final analysis, a riot is the language of the unheard. And what is it that America has failed to hear? It has failed to hear that the plight of the Negro poor has worsened over the last few years. It has failed to hear that the promises of freedom and justice have not been met. And it has failed to hear that large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquility and the status quo than about justice, equality, and humanity. And so in a real sense our nation's summers of riots are caused by our nation's winters of delay. And as long as America postpones justice, we stand in the position of having these recurrences of violence and riots over and over again. Social justice and progress are the absolute guarantors of riot prevention."

Refusal to Listen: A Look Back to Last Week's Parsha

שמות ה׳:א׳-ה׳

(א) וְאַחַ֗ר בָּ֚אוּ מֹשֶׁ֣ה וְאַהֲרֹ֔ן וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֑ה כֹּֽה־אָמַ֤ר יהוה אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל שַׁלַּח֙ אֶת־עַמִּ֔י וְיָחֹ֥גּוּ לִ֖י בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃ (ב)וַיֹּ֣אמֶר פַּרְעֹ֔ה מִ֤י יהוה אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶשְׁמַ֣ע בְּקֹל֔וֹ לְשַׁלַּ֖ח אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל לֹ֤א יָדַ֙עְתִּי֙ אֶת־יהוה וְגַ֥ם אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֹ֥א אֲשַׁלֵּֽחַ׃ (ג) וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ אֱלֹהֵ֥י הָעִבְרִ֖ים נִקְרָ֣א עָלֵ֑ינוּ נֵ֣לְכָה נָּ֡א דֶּ֩רֶךְ֩ שְׁלֹ֨שֶׁת יָמִ֜ים בַּמִּדְבָּ֗ר וְנִזְבְּחָה֙ לַֽיהוה אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ פֶּ֨ן־יִפְגָּעֵ֔נוּ בַּדֶּ֖בֶר א֥וֹ בֶחָֽרֶב׃ (ד) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲלֵהֶם֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם לָ֚מָּה מֹשֶׁ֣ה וְאַהֲרֹ֔ן תַּפְרִ֥יעוּ אֶת־הָעָ֖ם מִֽמַּעֲשָׂ֑יו לְכ֖וּ לְסִבְלֹתֵיכֶֽם׃ (ה) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר פַּרְעֹ֔ה הֵן־רַבִּ֥ים עַתָּ֖ה עַ֣ם הָאָ֑רֶץ וְהִשְׁבַּתֶּ֥ם אֹתָ֖ם מִסִּבְלֹתָֽם׃

Exodus 5:1-5

(1) Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, “Thus says יהוה, the God of Israel: Let My people go that they may celebrate a festival for Me in the wilderness.” (2)But Pharaoh said, “Who is יהוה that I should heed him and let Israel go? I do not know יהוה, nor will I let Israel go.”(3) They answered, “The God of the Hebrews has become manifest to us. Let us go, we pray, a distance of three days into the wilderness to sacrifice to our God יהוה, lest [God] strike us with pestilence or sword.” (4) But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you distract the people from their tasks? Get to your labors!” (5) And Pharaoh continued, “The people of the land are already so numerous, and you would have them cease from their labors!”

The Perils of Speaking in Your Name

שמות ה׳:כ״ג

(כג) וּמֵאָ֞ז בָּ֤אתִי אֶל־פַּרְעֹה֙ לְדַבֵּ֣ר בִּשְׁמֶ֔ךָ הֵרַ֖ע לָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֑ה וְהַצֵּ֥ל לֹא־הִצַּ֖לְתָּ אֶת־עַמֶּֽךָ׃

Exodus 5:23

(23) Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has dealt worse with this people; and still You have not delivered Your people.”

Vaera: My Name Was Not Known to Them

שמות ו׳:ב׳-ח׳

(ב) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֵלָ֖יו אֲנִ֥י יהוה׃ (ג) וָאֵרָ֗א אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֛ם אֶל־יִצְחָ֥ק וְאֶֽל־יַעֲקֹ֖ב בְּאֵ֣ל שַׁדָּ֑י וּשְׁמִ֣י יהוה לֹ֥א נוֹדַ֖עְתִּי לָהֶֽם׃ (ד) וְגַ֨ם הֲקִמֹ֤תִי אֶת־בְּרִיתִי֙ אִתָּ֔ם לָתֵ֥ת לָהֶ֖ם אֶת־אֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן אֵ֛ת אֶ֥רֶץ מְגֻרֵיהֶ֖ם אֲשֶׁר־גָּ֥רוּ בָֽהּ׃ (ה) וְגַ֣ם ׀ אֲנִ֣י שָׁמַ֗עְתִּי אֶֽת־נַאֲקַת֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר מִצְרַ֖יִם מַעֲבִדִ֣ים אֹתָ֑ם וָאֶזְכֹּ֖ר אֶת־בְּרִיתִֽי׃ (ו) לָכֵ֞ן אֱמֹ֥ר לִבְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ אֲנִ֣י יהוה וְהוֹצֵאתִ֣י אֶתְכֶ֗ם מִתַּ֙חַת֙ סִבְלֹ֣ת מִצְרַ֔יִם וְהִצַּלְתִּ֥י אֶתְכֶ֖ם מֵעֲבֹדָתָ֑ם וְגָאַלְתִּ֤י אֶתְכֶם֙ בִּזְר֣וֹעַ נְטוּיָ֔ה וּבִשְׁפָטִ֖ים גְּדֹלִֽים׃ (ז) וְלָקַחְתִּ֨י אֶתְכֶ֥ם לִי֙ לְעָ֔ם וְהָיִ֥יתִי לָכֶ֖ם לֵֽאלֹהִ֑ים וִֽידַעְתֶּ֗ם כִּ֣י אֲנִ֤י יהוה אֱלֹ֣הֵיכֶ֔ם הַמּוֹצִ֣יא אֶתְכֶ֔ם מִתַּ֖חַת סִבְל֥וֹת מִצְרָֽיִם׃ (ח) וְהֵבֵאתִ֤י אֶתְכֶם֙ אֶל־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֤ר נָשָׂ֙אתִי֙ אֶת־יָדִ֔י לָתֵ֣ת אֹתָ֔הּ לְאַבְרָהָ֥ם לְיִצְחָ֖ק וּֽלְיַעֲקֹ֑ב וְנָתַתִּ֨י אֹתָ֥הּ לָכֶ֛ם מוֹרָשָׁ֖ה אֲנִ֥י יהוה׃

Exodus 6:2-8

(2) God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am יהוה. (3) I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as El Shaddai, but I did not make Myself known to them by My name יהוה. (4) I also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners. (5) I have now heard the moaning of the Israelites because the Egyptians are holding them in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant. (6) Say, therefore, to the Israelite people: I am יהוה. I will free you from the labors of the Egyptians and deliver you from their bondage. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and through extraordinary chastisements. (7) And I will take you to be My people, and I will be your God. And you shall know that I, יהוה, am your God who freed you from the labors of the Egyptians. (8) I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you for a possession, I יהוה.”

Keeping Faith

רש"י על שמות ו׳:ג׳

(א)וארא. אֶל הָאָבוֹת: (ב)באל שדי. הִבְטַחְתִּים הַבְטָחוֹת וּבְכֻלָּן אָמַרְתִּי לָהֶם אֲנִי אֵל שַׁדַּי: (ג)ושמי יהוה לא נודעתי להם. לֹא הוֹדַעְתִּי אֵין כְּתִיב כָּאן אֶלָּא לֹא נוֹדַעְתִּי, לֹא נִכַּרְתִּי לָהֶם בְּמִדַת אֲמִתּוּת שֶׁלִּי, שֶׁעָלֶיהָ נִקְרָא שְׁמִי יהוה, נֶאֱמָן לְאַמֵּת דְּבָרַי, שֶׁהֲרֵי הִבְטַחְתִּים וְלֹא קִיַּמְתִּי:

Rashi on Exodus 6:3

(1) וארא AND I APPEARED — to the patriarchs. (2) באל שדי BY THE NAME OF GOD ALMIGHTY — I made certain promises to them and in the case of all of these I said unto them, “I am God Almighty”. (3) ושמי יהוה לא נודעתי להם BUT BY MY NAME THE LORD WAS I NOT KNOWN TO THEM — It is not written here לא הודעתי [My name the Lord] I did not make known to them, but לא נודעתי [by My name, the Lord], was I not known [unto them] — i. e. I was not recognised by them in My attribute of “keeping faith”, by reason of which My name is called יהוה, which denotes that I am certain to substantiate My promise, for, indeed, I made promises to them but did not fulfill them.

I Will Be With Them

שמות רבה ג׳:ו׳

(ו) וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים אֶל משֶׁה, אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא בַּר מַמָּל, אָמַר לֵיהּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמשֶׁה, שְׁמִי אַתָּה מְבַקֵּשׁ לֵידַע, לְפִי מַעֲשַׂי אֲנִי נִקְרָא, פְּעָמִים שֶׁאֲנִי נִקְרָא בְּאֵל שַׁדַּי, בִּצְבָאוֹת, בֵּאלֹהִים, בַּיהוה: כְּשֶׁאֲנִי דָּן אֶת הַבְּרִיּוֹת, אֲנִי נִקְרָא: אֱלֹהִים, וּכְשֶׁאֲנִי עוֹשֶׂה מִלְחָמָה בָּרְשָׁעִים, אֲנִי נִקְרָא: צְבָאוֹת, וּכְשֶׁאֲנִי תּוֹלֶה עַל חַטָּאָיו שֶׁל אָדָם, אֲנִי נִקְרָא: אֵל שַׁדַּי, וּכְשֶׁאֲנִי מְרַחֵם עַל עוֹלָמִי, אֲנִי נִקְרָא יהוה, שֶׁאֵין יהוה אֶלָּא מִדַּת רַחֲמִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות לד, ו): יהוה יהוה אֵל רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן, הֱוֵי: אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה, אֲנִי נִקְרָא לְפִי מַעֲשָׂי.

רַבִּי יִצְחָק אוֹמֵר אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמשֶׁה, אֱמֹר לָהֶם אֲנִי שֶׁהָיִיתִי וַאֲנִי הוּא עַכְשָׁו וַאֲנִי הוּא לֶעָתִיד לָבֹא, לְכָךְ כְּתִיב אֶהְיֶה שָׁלשׁ פְּעָמִים.

דָּבָר אַחֵר, אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה, רַבִּי יַעֲקֹב בֶּן רַבִּי אֲבִינָא בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי הוּנָא דְּצִיפּוֹרִין אָמַר, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמשֶׁה אֱמֹר לָהֶם בְּשִׁעְבּוּד זֶה אֶהְיֶה עִמָּם, וּבְשִׁעְבּוּד הֵן הוֹלְכִין וְאֶהְיֶה עִמָּם, אָמַר לְפָנָיו וְכָךְ אוֹמֵר אֲנִי לָהֶם? דַּיָּה לַצָּרָה בְּשַׁעְתָּהּ! אָמַר לוֹ לָאו, כֹּה תֹאמַר לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶהְיֶה שְׁלָחַנִי אֲלֵיכֶם, לְךָ אֲנִי מוֹדִיעַ, לָהֶם אֵינִי מוֹדִיעַ.

Shemot Rabbah 3:6

(6)“God said to Moses: 'I will be what I will be,' and He said: 'So shall you say to the children of Israel: I will be has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:14).
“God said to Moses” – Rabbi Abba bar Mamal said: The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: You seek to know My name? I am named according to My actions. At [different] times I am named God Almighty [El Shaddai], [Lord of] Hosts [Tzevaot], God [Elohim], the Lord [Y-H-V-H]. When I judge [My] creatures, I am called Elohim. When I wage war against the wicked, I am called Tzevaot. When I abide a person’s sins, I am called El Shaddai. When I have mercy on My world I am called Y-H-V-H, as Y-H-V-H is nothing other than the attribute of mercy, as it is stated: “Y-H-V-H, Y-H-V-H, merciful and gracious God” (Exodus 34:6). That is, “I will be what I will be,” I am named based on My actions.
Rabbi Yitzḥak says: The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘Say to them: It is I who have been with you in the past, and it is I now, and it is I in the future;’ therefore, “I will be” is written three times.
Another interpretation: “I will be what I will be,” – Rabbi Yaakov son of Rabbi Avina said in the name of Rabbi Huna of Tzipporin: The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘Say to them: In this servitude I will be with them and into servitude they are going and I will be with them.’ He said before Him: ‘Is that what I should say to them? The present trouble is sufficient!’ He said to him: ‘No, “so shall you say to the children of Israel: I will be has sent me to you.” I am informing you, but I am not informing them.’

Spirits Crushed: Blocking Communication

שמות ו׳:ט׳-י״ב

(ט) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר מֹשֶׁ֛ה כֵּ֖ן אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְלֹ֤א שָֽׁמְעוּ֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה מִקֹּ֣צֶר ר֔וּחַ וּמֵעֲבֹדָ֖ה קָשָֽׁה׃ {פ}(י) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יהוה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ (יא) בֹּ֣א דַבֵּ֔ר אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֖ה מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרָ֑יִם וִֽישַׁלַּ֥ח אֶת־בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵאַרְצֽוֹ׃ (יב) וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר מֹשֶׁ֔ה לִפְנֵ֥י יהוה לֵאמֹ֑ר הֵ֤ן בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לֹֽא־שָׁמְע֣וּ אֵלַ֔י וְאֵיךְ֙ יִשְׁמָעֵ֣נִי פַרְעֹ֔ה וַאֲנִ֖י עֲרַ֥ל שְׂפָתָֽיִם׃ {פ}

Exodus 6:9-12

(9) But when Moses told this to the Israelites, they would not listen to Moses, their spirits crushed by cruel bondage. (10) יהוה spoke to Moses, saying, (11) “Go and tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites depart from his land.” (12) But Moses appealed to יהוה, saying, “The Israelites would not listen to me; how then should Pharaoh heed me, me—who gets tongue-tied!”

Language has Failed

“The dynamic of language, of communication, has failed. In the Zohar, this failure is the profound meaning of exile; it encompasses the inability to hear and the inability to speak. Moses’ speech problem, in this context, is to be understood as a function of a deeper cultural rupture. The ears of this generation do not, cannot respond to living language. For this reason, Moses will not, cannot speak.” Aviva Zornberg

Survival

In Kabbalistic terms, the children of Israel are stunted in the ruach level of soul. Like animals, they exist from day to day with only the nefesh, the level of soul that animates the body. They have neither time nor energy to access their ruach and neshamah levels of soul. (The neshamah is the soul level where one can hear one’s calling and receive inspiration. The ruach is the level where one is seized by the drive and motivation to seek that calling, to do something new.)
https://mtorah.com/2011/04/15/va-eira-shortness-of-ruach/

Stunted

Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg, in The Particulars of Rapture. “To hear is to open oneself up to vulnerability, change, contingency.” Pharoah the hard-hearted cannot consider even the idea of change, so he refuses to hear out Moses. Pharoah afflicts his Israelite slaves with the same deafness, by making their lives so hard that they cannot stop and listen to any revolutionary ideas. Thus Egypt, which in Hebrew is called Mitzrayim, “Narrow Places”, is the place of constriction for both master and slave. It is the place where people are stunted, cut short—“kotzer”—from the freedom of thought that make us human.

The Project of Exodus Imperiled

שמות ו׳:כ״ו-ל׳

(כו) ה֥וּא אַהֲרֹ֖ן וּמֹשֶׁ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָמַ֤ר יהוה לָהֶ֔ם הוֹצִ֜יאוּ אֶת־בְּנֵ֧י יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם עַל־צִבְאֹתָֽם׃ (כז) הֵ֗ם הַֽמְדַבְּרִים֙ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֣ה מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרַ֔יִם לְהוֹצִ֥יא אֶת־בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם ה֥וּא מֹשֶׁ֖ה וְאַהֲרֹֽן׃ (כח) וַיְהִ֗י בְּי֨וֹם דִּבֶּ֧ר יהוה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֖ה בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃ {ס}(כט) וַיְדַבֵּ֧ר יהוה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹ֖ר אֲנִ֣י יהוה דַּבֵּ֗ר אֶל־פַּרְעֹה֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם אֵ֛ת כׇּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲנִ֖י דֹּבֵ֥ר אֵלֶֽיךָ׃ (ל) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֖ה לִפְנֵ֣י יהוה הֵ֤ן אֲנִי֙ עֲרַ֣ל שְׂפָתַ֔יִם וְאֵ֕יךְ יִשְׁמַ֥ע אֵלַ֖י פַּרְעֹֽה׃ {פ}

Exodus 6:26-30

(26) It is the same Aaron and Moses to whom יהוה said, “Bring forth the Israelites from the land of Egypt, troop by troop.” (27) It was they who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt to free the Israelites from the Egyptians; these are the same Moses and Aaron. (28) For when יהוה spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt (29) and יהוה said to Moses, “I am יהוה; speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I will tell you,” (30) Moses appealed to יהוה, saying, “See, I get tongue-tied; how then should Pharaoh heed me!”

Endangered by the Failure of Language

Moses is voice, and speech, which is his word, was in exile; so he was “uncircumcised”— obstructed from expressing words. He said, “How will Pharaoh listen to me,” when my word is in exile? For I have no word! I am voice; word will be lacking, for She is in exile. Consequently, the blessed Holy One made Aaron his partner.

Come and see: Therefore Moses was incomplete at first—appropriately, because he is voice, coming for the sake of speech, to bring it out of exile. As soon as it came out of exile, and voice and speech united as one at Mount Sinai, Moses was completed and healed; voice and speech became as one in consummation. Come and see: All the days that Moses was in Egypt, seeking to bring the word out of exile, the word did not speak. As soon as it came out of exile, that word—who is speech—led and guided Israel, but did not speak until they approached Mount Sinai, when it opened with Torah fittingly. Now, you might say, “For Elohim said (amar): Lest the people regret when they see battle, and go back to Egypt” (Exod 13:17). However, it is not written “For Elohim spoke (dibber)” but rather “For Elohim said (amar)” which is silent intention of the heart, as we have already established.
Translated by Daniel C. Matt, The Zohar, Pritzker Edition IV

Moving out of Speechlessness

Rabbi Sharon Cohen Anisfeld, Blessing for the Month of Shevat
Reading these words [the words above by Aviva Zornberg, that begin "the dynamics of language"], I cannot help but think of the crisis of communication in our own time. As our language is degraded by so many different forces — from political polarization to social media to advertising to AI to unabashed cruelty from the halls of power — the temptation to retreat into silence can be overwhelming, almost irresistible.
We need places for silence in our lives, places where we can quiet the noise all around us and listen to — listen for — the still, small voice within. But we also know that silence has its own perils. Returning to the Exodus narrative, we can understand and empathize with Moses’ reticence and fear, and yet it is his speech — however faltering and imperfect — that God demands. Over and against the Pharoah-who-does-not-listen is the God-Who-Hears. This is the God who summons Moses, again and again, to move out of speechlessness and into speech, out of isolation and into relationship. This is the God who summons us to do the same, with all the bravery, honesty, and love we can muster.
https://hebrewcollege.edu/blog/blessing-for-the-month-of-shevat/?utm_source=RH&utm_medium=Shevat_2026&utm_campaign=rsca

Communication Requires Great Bravery

Yochanan Muffs, The Personhood of God:

“Any meeting of personalities requires great bravery. One who attempts to communicate with another endangers his own life, for to do this he must reveal what is in his heart. Such an act is potentially dangerous because one does not know ahead of time if he will find a receptive ear. There is always the possibility that the ear of the listener will be impervious. Any real communication, then, is a dangerous leap. But if one never screws up the courage to jump, he will wither away in silent isolation . . . The dialectical tension in the loving relationship – the painful need to express feeling and the anxiety that the expression might not be properly received – is the inner dialectic of the human personality, as well as of the Divine, and is impossible to avoid. Humankind can only overcome this tension by imitating God, by undertaking an act of bravery, a leap of faith, as God has done – by reaching out to the other, to communicate, to love.”

Dianne Cohler-Esses

Topics

Freedom

Part of Collections

Romemu: Open Book, Open Up