Unity with God: The Two Relationships of Elokim and Hashem

Full Summary

Rabbi Zweig begins with a Mishnah (משנה) from Pirkei Avos where Rabbi Gamliel teaches about aligning our will with God's will, then transitions to examine a fascinating Rambam (רמב"ם) about prayer efficacy. The Rambam states that while individual prayer has special power during the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah (Ten Days of Repentance), communal prayer of ten Jews with whole hearts is always immediately answered throughout the year. This leads to a deep philosophical exploration of two distinct relationships with God. The shiur's central thesis revolves around understanding God through two primary names: Elokim and Hashem (ה׳). Elokim represents God as King, where He creates a need to be sovereign and we fulfill that need through our service, creating a reciprocal relationship where we do for Him and He owes us reward in return. This relationship requires community - specifically a minyan of ten Jews who represent a microcosm of the entire Jewish people, similar to how polling samples represent larger populations. Hashem, by contrast, represents God as everything in existence (Ein Od Milvado). In this relationship, we cannot actually do anything for God because He lacks nothing and is complete perfection. Our service doesn't add to Him but rather allows us to connect to His reality and bring out the godliness within ourselves. Rabbi Zweig uses a challenging Midrash about the Akedah to illustrate this distinction. The Midrash states that Abraham argued to God during judgment: 'When You asked me to sacrifice my son, I had what to answer but didn't argue.' The difficulty is understanding both what Abraham could have argued and why this merits God's mercy on the Jewish people. The explanation reveals the Akedah's true test. When God told Abraham 'through Yitzchak your seed will be called,' this created a contractual right - God as King had given Abraham ownership of his son. When later commanded to sacrifice Yitzchak, Abraham could legitimately have refused based on this prior divine promise. However, Abraham transcended the Elokim relationship and related to God as Hashem - recognizing that everything ultimately belongs to God and we have no true ownership or rights. This understanding explains why sacrifices in the Torah (תורה) always use the name Hashem, never Elokim - we're not giving God something He needs, but rather expressing our closeness (korban means 'to come close') like giving a gift to someone who has everything. During the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah, we have special access to the Hashem relationship. The Rambam's language reflects this - individual prayer during these ten days doesn't require a 'whole heart' like communal prayer, isn't 'answered' but rather 'received,' and works 'immediately.' This is because we're not petitioning a King but connecting to our inherent godliness during a time when 'dirshu Hashem b'himatzmo' (seek God when He is found) - when the divine presence is more accessible. The difference between beauty (yafah) used for individual Aseres Yemei Teshuvah prayer versus answering used for communal prayer reflects that we're describing an internal spiritual transformation rather than an external response. Like Moshe's illuminated face after Sinai, every Jew has an 'or panim' (facial light) that can shine when connecting to their inner godliness. This explains why we read the Akedah on Rosh Hashanah - Abraham's recognition that everything belongs to God sets the tone for these ten days when we too can transcend the contractual Elokim relationship and connect to the unity of Hashem. During this time, teshuvah works immediately because we're changing ourselves by accessing our godliness, not negotiating with a distant King. The shiur concludes that our ultimate goal is expressed in Shema - 'Hashem Elokeinu Hashem Echad' - that the God who is currently only our King (Elokeinu) will be recognized as the ultimate unity (Echad) that encompasses all reality. The ten days offer us a taste of this future reality and the opportunity for permanent spiritual transformation.