El Shakkai Returns

The famine is growing stronger, and food is running out. Yaakov—now referred to as Yisrael—asks his sons to return to Egypt for provisions. They remind him that they cannot go back without bringing Binyamin. Yaakov, recognizing the urgency, finally agrees and sends Binyamin with them. In doing so, he invokes a rare and powerful name of Hashem:Genesis 43:14**וְאֵ֣ל שַׁדַּ֗י יִתֵּ֨ן לָכֶ֤ם רַחֲמִים֙ לִפְנֵ֣י הָאִ֔ישׁ וְשִׁלַּ֥ח לָכֶ֛ם אֶת־אֲחִיכֶ֥ם אַחֵ֖ר וְאֶת־בִּנְיָמִ֑ין וַאֲנִ֕י כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׁכֹ֖לְתִּי שָׁכָֽלְתִּי׃*“And may El Shaddai grant you mercy before the man, so that he may release your other brother and Binyamin. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”*This is only the fourth time the name אֵל שַׁדַּי (El Shaddai) appears in the Torah. The first time is in Genesis 17:1, when Hashem appears to Avraham:Genesis 17:1**וַיֵּרָ֨א ה׳ אֶל־אַבְרָ֗ם וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ אֲנִי־אֵ֣ל שַׁדַּ֔י הִתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ לְפָנַ֖י וֶהְיֵ֥ה תָמִֽים׃*“Hashem appeared to Avram and said to him, ‘I am El Shaddai; walk before Me and be blameless.’”*Here, El Shaddai is associated with divine power and control, and it’s the moment when Avram is renamed Avraham, marking a transformation in his spiritual mission.The second appearance is in Genesis 28:3, when Yitzchak blesses Yaakov before sending him to Lavan’s house:Genesis 28:3**וְאֵ֤ל שַׁדַּי֙ יְבָרֵ֣ךְ אֹֽתְךָ֔ וְיַפְרְךָ֖ וְיַרְבֶּ֑ךָ וְהָיִ֖יתָ לִקְהַ֥ל עַמִּֽים׃*“May El Shaddai bless you, make you fruitful and numerous, so that you become an assembly of peoples.”*Yitzchak invokes El Shaddai to protect and empower Yaakov as he embarks on a journey into the unknown.The third time is in Genesis 35:11, when Hashem appears to Yaakov after he leaves Esav and Shechem:Genesis 35:11**וַיֹּאמֶר לֹו אֱלֹהִים אֲנִי אֵל שַׁדַּי פְּרֵה וּרְבֵה גּוֹי וּקְהַ֥ל גּוֹיִם יִהְיֶה מִמֶּךָּ וּמְלָכִים מֵחֲלָצֶיךָ יֵצֵאוּ׃*“And Hashem said to him, ‘I am El Shaddai. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation, yea, an assembly of nations shall descend from you. Kings shall issue from your loins.’”*This blessing mirrors the one Yitzchak gave earlier, reinforcing Yaakov’s role in the covenant and marking a moment of divine reassurance after turmoil.Now, in Genesis 43, Yaakov is again in crisis. He must choose between starvation and risking his youngest son. To protect his family, he invokes El Shaddai, the name that has appeared only in moments of great transformation and divine protection.Yaakov’s use of this name is deliberate. It reflects his understanding that only Hashem’s supreme power can guide them through this peril. El Shaddai is not just a name—it’s a signal of faith in divine control, especially when human options have run out.