And the Lord said: I have surely seen the affliction of my people (Exod. 3:7). Scripture states elsewhere For He knoweth base men; and when He seeth iniquity, will He not then consider it (Job 11:11)? The Holy One, blessed be He said to Moses: I have surely seen (ra’oh ra’iti) indicates that I have beheld two visions.15The repetition of the verb in this tense implies that he had two visions. I have seen and I know their grief and will redeem them now, and I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people (Exod. 32:9), who will in the future anger Me by erecting the golden calf. Thus, it says I have surely seen. R. Samuel the son of Nahman stated: Othniel discussed this matter with the Holy One, blessed be He. He said: Master of the Universe how could you have assured Moses that you would redeem them, whether they do your will or not, since it is said: And the spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel; and he went out to war (Judg. 3:10). I could do so because I know their pains (Exod. 3:7) is stated. The Holy One, blessed be He, replied: What can I do? I must redeem them, I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians (ibid., v. 8).
Moses said unto God: Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel and I shall say to them the God of your fathers sent me. What shall I say to them (Exod. 3:13)? Moses pleaded with the Holy One, blessed be He, to divulge His great name to him. He said: If they should ask me, What is His name?, What shall I answer? He answered Moses: Do you desire to know My name? I am known according to My works. When I judge mankind, I am called God; when I take revenge upon the wicked, I am called Hosts; when I consider the sins of man, I am called Almighty God; and when I sit in merciful judgment, I am called Merciful One. My name conforms to My deeds. I urge you, however, to say to them: The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob has sent me unto you; this is My name forever, and this is My memorial unto all generations (ibid., v. 15).
Master of the Universe, he exclaimed: I have sworn to Jethro that I would not leave without his permission. And He answered: Return to Midian and I will release you from your vow. Therefore, he spoke with him once again in Midian, as it is said: And the Lord said unto Moses in Midian. Moses went, and returned to Jethro his father-in-law (ibid. 4:18). Surely it would have been necessary to say only He returned to Midian, why then, does Scripture say and he returned to Jethro his father-in-law? It is to tell us that he went to him to be released from his vow and to obtain his permission to depart, as it is said: Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren (ibid.).
וַיֹּאמֶר ה' רָאֹה רָאִיתִי. זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב כִּי הוּא יָדַע מְתֵי שָׁוְא וַיַּרְא אָוֶן וְלֹא יִתְבּוֹנָן (איוב יא, יא). אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמֹשֶׁה: אֲנִי רוֹאֶה שְׁתֵּי רְאִיּוֹת, רָאֹה רָאִיתִי, רָאִיתִי וְיָדַעְתִּי אֶת מַכְאֹבָיו, וַאֲנִי גּוֹאֲלָן עַכְשָׁו. וְרָאִיתִי אֶת הָעָם הַזֶּה וְהִנֵּה עַם קְשֵׁה עֹרֶף הוּא, שֶׁעֲתִידִים לְהַכְעִיסֵנִי בְּמַעֲשֵׂה הָעֵגֶל. לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר רָאֹה רָאִיתִי. אָמַר רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן: הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה שָׁפַט עָתְנִיאֵל לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא. אָמַר: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, כָּךְ הִבְטַחְתָּ אֶת מֹשֶׁה, בֵּין עוֹשִׂין רְצוֹנְךָ בֵּין לֹא עוֹשִׂין רְצוֹנְךָ, שֶׁאַתָּה גּוֹאֲלָן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַתְּהִי עָלָיו רוּחַ ה' וַיִּשְׁפֹּט אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֵּצֵא לַמִּלְחָמָה (שופטים ג, י). לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר: כִּי יָדַעְתִּי אֶת מַכְאֹבָיו. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: מָה אֲנִי עוֹשֶׂה? אֲנִי גּוֹאֲלָן. וָאֵרֵד לְהַצִּילוֹ מִיַּד מִצְרַיִם.
And the Lord said: I have surely seen the affliction of my people (Exod. 3:7). Scripture states elsewhere For He knoweth base men; and when He seeth iniquity, will He not then consider it (Job 11:11)? The Holy One, blessed be He said to Moses: I have surely seen (ra’oh ra’iti) indicates that I have beheld two visions.15The repetition of the verb in this tense implies that he had two visions. I have seen and I know their grief and will redeem them now, and I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people (Exod. 32:9), who will in the future anger Me by erecting the golden calf. Thus, it says I have surely seen. R. Samuel the son of Nahman stated: Othniel discussed this matter with the Holy One, blessed be He. He said: Master of the Universe how could you have assured Moses that you would redeem them, whether they do your will or not, since it is said: And the spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel; and he went out to war (Judg. 3:10). I could do so because I know their pains (Exod. 3:7) is stated. The Holy One, blessed be He, replied: What can I do? I must redeem them, I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians (ibid., v. 8).
אָמַר מֹשֶׁה לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי בָא אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתִּי. הָיָה מְבַקֵּשׁ מֹשֶׁה לוֹמַר לוֹ לְהוֹדִיעוֹ אֶת הַשֵּׁם הַגָּדוֹל. אָמַר לוֹ: אִם יֹאמְרוּ לִי מַה שְּׁמוֹ מָה אֹמַר. אָמַר לוֹ: מֹשֶׁה, שְׁמִי אַתָּה מְבַקֵּשׁ לֵידַע. לְפִי מַעֲשַׂי אֲנִי נִקְרָא. כְּשֶׁאֲנִי דָּן אֶת הַבְּרִיּוֹת, אֲנִי נִקְרָא אֱלֹהִים. וּכְשֶׁאֲנִי עוֹשֶׂה נְקָמָה בָּרְשָׁעִים, אֲנִי נִקְרָא צְבָאוֹת. וּכְשֶׁאֲנִי תּוֹלֶה עַל חֲטָאָיו שֶׁל אָדָם, אֲנִי נִקְרָא אֵל שַׁדַּי. וּכְשֶׁאֲנִי יוֹשֵׁב בְּמִדַּת רַחֲמִים, אֲנִי נִקְרָא רַחוּם. שְׁמִי הוּא לְפִי מַעֲשַׂי. אֶלָּא לֵךְ אֱמֹר לָהֶם, אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם אֱלֹהֵי יִצְחָק וֵאלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב שְׁלָחַנִי אֲלֵיכֶם, זֶה שְּׁמִי לְעֹלָם וְזֶה זִכְרִי לְדֹר דֹּר.
Moses said unto God: Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel and I shall say to them the God of your fathers sent me. What shall I say to them (Exod. 3:13)? Moses pleaded with the Holy One, blessed be He, to divulge His great name to him. He said: If they should ask me, What is His name?, What shall I answer? He answered Moses: Do you desire to know My name? I am known according to My works. When I judge mankind, I am called God; when I take revenge upon the wicked, I am called Hosts; when I consider the sins of man, I am called Almighty God; and when I sit in merciful judgment, I am called Merciful One. My name conforms to My deeds. I urge you, however, to say to them: The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob has sent me unto you; this is My name forever, and this is My memorial unto all generations (ibid., v. 15).
אָמַר לְפָנָיו: רִבּוֹן הָעוֹלָמִים, שְׁבוּעָה נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי לְיִתְרוֹ שֶׁאֵינִי הוֹלֵךְ אֶלָּא בִּרְשׁוּתוֹ. אָמַר לוֹ: לֵךְ חֲזֹר לְמִדְיָן וְשָׁם אַתִּיר לְךָ אֶת נִדְרֶךָ. לְפִיכָךְ דִּבֵּר עִמּוֹ בְּמִדְיָן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל מֹשֶׁה בְּמִדְיָן. וַיֵּלֶךְ מֹשֶׁה וַיָשָׁב אֶל יֶתֶר חֹתְנוֹ. לֹא הָיָה צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר אֶלָּא וַיָּשָׁב אֶל מִדְיָן, וְלָמָּה אֶל יֶתֶר חֹתְנוֹ? לְהַתִּיר לוֹ אֶת נִדְרוֹ, וְלִטֹּל מִמֶּנּוּ רְשׁוּת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ אֵלְכָה נָּא וְאָשׁוּבָה וְגוֹ'.
Master of the Universe, he exclaimed: I have sworn to Jethro that I would not leave without his permission. And He answered: Return to Midian and I will release you from your vow. Therefore, he spoke with him once again in Midian, as it is said: And the Lord said unto Moses in Midian. Moses went, and returned to Jethro his father-in-law (ibid. 4:18). Surely it would have been necessary to say only He returned to Midian, why then, does Scripture say and he returned to Jethro his father-in-law? It is to tell us that he went to him to be released from his vow and to obtain his permission to depart, as it is said: Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren (ibid.).