God of The Universe and God My Universe

Parshat Va’era begins with God identifying Himself to Moshe:

I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob with [the name] Almighty God, but [with] My name YHWH, I did not become known to them.

גוָאֵרָא אֶל אַבְרָהָם אֶל יִצְחָק וְאֶל יַעֲקֹב בְּאֵל שַׁדָּי וּשְׁמִי יְהֹוָה לֹא נוֹדַעְתִּי לָהֶם:

Maimonides notes that it is impossible to comprehend the essence of God. All that we are able to understand of the Almighty is the manner in which He interacts with us and the universe. The Vilna Gaon explained that when we say a beracha we begin with Baruch Ata Hashem (YHWH name of God ) to indicate that on the most fundamental level we are unable to comprehend the Divine.

Immediately thereafter we invoke the name Elo-heinu, which according to the Vilna Gaon represents the Personal God, the God who plays an ongoing role in our personal lives. The third and final mention of God at the beginning of blessings is Melech Ha’Olam, Master of the Universe, which declares our belief not just in Hashgacha Pratit, ie God’s role in the life of the individual, but Hashgacha Klalit, God’s role in the big picture of history, humanity and the universe.

We invoke the personal God first and only afterwards do we mention the Universal God. Perhaps this is so because living with an awareness of a personal God is the more difficult task. It can sometimes be easier to talk about God in the abstract compared to appreciating God in the realm of practice. It is easier for many to believe in the God of The Universe, than it is to believe in the God of My Universe.

Every time we say a blessing it is an opportunity to cultivate and nurture this more relevant, yet challenging, personal relationship with Hashem.