Midrasch zu Schemot 5:22

Proof of the seriousness of the profanation of the Divine Name is contained in the following. Ben Azzai declared: The Holy One, blessed be He, did not mention His own name, as though that were possible, until He first spoke the words In the beginning He created (Gen. 1:1). Only then did He add the word God. And R. Simeon the son of Eleazar stated: Moses did not mention the Divine Name until he had spoken the twenty-one words Give ear, ye heavens, and I will speak, etc. (Deut. 32:1). Only then did he say: For I will proclaim the name of the Lord. Since, as you know, He did not reveal His name to the patriarchs, why did he disclose it to Moses? He did so because he had been chosen to redeem Israel, as it is written above in reference to this matter: And Moses returned unto the Lord and said: “Lord, wherefore hast thou dealt ill with this people?” (Exod. 5:22).

Another interpretation (of Lev. 26:3, 4, 14, 19:) IF YOU WALK IN MY STATUTES…, THEN I WILL GIVE YOU YOUR RAINS IN THEIR SEASON…. BUT IF YOU DO NOT HEED ME…. I WILL MAKE YOUR HEAVENS LIKE IRON. It also says so (in Hag. 1:10): FOR THAT REASON THE HEAVENS OVER YOU HAVE WITHHELD DEW, AND THE EARTH HAS WITHHELD ITS PRODUCE. Because of your sins, the nations are also afflicted. R. Joshua ben Levi said: If the nations had known that, when Israel sinned, they also would be afflicted, they would have raised two armies⁵Gk.: stratiai. in order to keep each and every person of Israel [from sinning.⁶The bracketed portion continues to the end of the section. Since the passage is lacking in Buber’s main Oxford ms., he has drawn on Codex Vaticanus Ebr. 34. However, it was not enough for the nations that they were not watching over Israel, but in addition they stopped them from < fulfilling > the commandments. Thus because Israel sins, all the whole world is afflicted, as stated (in Hag. 1:10): FOR THAT REASON THE HEAVENS OVER YOU HAVE WITHHELD DEW. But if < the Israelites > do not sin, all the world is blessed on their account, as stated (in Gen. 26:4): AND THROUGH YOUR SEED SHALL ALL THE NATIONS OF THE EARTH BE BLESSED. The Holy One said to Moses (in Exod. 20:19–20 [22–23]): YOU YOURSELVES HAVE SEEN THAT I SPOKE WITH YOU FROM THE HEAVENS. ALONG WITH ME YOU SHALL NOT MAKE GODS OF SILVER, NOR SHALL YOU MAKE FOR YOURSELVES GODS OF GOLD. So if you sin and pray to me, I will not answer you, as stated (in Zech. 7:13): AND IT CAME TO PASS THAT, AS {I} [HE] CALLED, AND THEY DID NOT HEED; SO LET THEM CALL, AND I WILL NOT HEED, SAYS THE LORD OF HOSTS. Therefore (according to Exod. 20:20 [23]): ALONG WITH ME YOU SHALL NOT MAKE GODS OF SILVER….]

(Exod. 5:22–6:1): THEN MOSES RETURNED UNTO THE LORD AND SAID: MY LORD, WHY DID YOU BRING HARM (as if from R'H)³⁵The actual root of HR’TH is R“. UPON THIS PEOPLE?…. FOR EVER SINCE I CAME UNTO PHARAOH <TO SPEAK IN YOUR NAME, HE HAS MISTREATED THIS PEOPLE>…. THEN THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES: NOW YOU SHALL SEE <WHAT I WILL DO TO PHARAOH>…. <You shall see only> what I do to Pharaoh and the Egyptians, but what I do to the thirty-one kings you shall not see.³⁶Exod. R. 5:23 explains that, since these were the kings on whom Joshua would exact vengeance, Exod. 6:1 suggests that Moses was not to enter the promised land. At that time the Holy One sought to sit in judgment over him. Where is it shown? Where it is stated (in Exod. 6:2): SO GOD (Elohim) SPOKE UNTO MOSES. GOD (Elohim) must imply a judge.³⁷See Exod. R. 6:1; PRK 12:23. Thus it is stated (in Exod. 22:27 [28]): YOU SHALL NOT REVILE A GOD (Elohim) <NOR A RULER OF YOUR PEOPLE >. ³⁸On this translation of the verse, see above, 2:1, and the note there. A defense lawyer³⁹Gk.: synegoria. came along and pleaded in his favor, as stated (in Exod. 6:2, cont.): AND HE SAID UNTO HIM: I AM THE LORD. Now THE LORD⁴⁰Here and elsewhere this translation follows the common practice of using THE LORD to render the Divine Name. must imply mercy. Thus it is stated (in Exod. 34:6): THE LORD: THE LORD IS A MERCIFUL AND GRACIOUS GOD (El)….

R. Nachman said in the name of Rab: "What is the meaning of the passage (Prov. 18, 23) The poor speaketh entreatingly, but the rich answereth roughly. The poor speaketh, refers to Moses; and the rich, etc., refers to Joshua." What is the reason [for such an interpretation]? Shall I say because it is written (Josh. 6, 21) And he laid them out before the Lord? And R. Nachman explained this that he laid them down closely upon one another [and pleaded with Him], etc. Did not Pinchas do the same? As it is written (Ps. 106, 30) Then stood up Pinchas, etc. It ought to be written, va-yithpalel, which means, and he prayed, instead of va-ye phalel (debated). R. Elazar said: "Infer from this that he had debated with his Creator. He cast them before the Lord, saying: 'Sovereign of the Universe! were these so worthy that on account of them twenty-four thousand persons of Israel should fall? — as it is written (Num. 25, 9) And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand.'" And if you infer it from the passage (Josh. 7, 7) Wherefore hast Thou caused this people to pass over the Jordan?— did not Moses say similar to this (Ex. 5, 22) Wherefore hast thou let so much evil come upon this people? We must therefore say, because Joshua said (Jos. 7, 7) Would that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan. (Ib., ib. 10) And the Lord said unto Joshua: Get thee up. R. Shilla lectured: The Holy One, praised be He! said to him: "Thine [transgressions] is worse than theirs, for I have said (Deut. 27, 4) And it shall be as soon as ye are gone above the Jordan, that ye shall set up these stones, but ye went a distance of sixty miles before ye did this." After Shilla went away, Rab appointed an interpreter and lectured (Jos. 11. 15) As the Lord commanded Moses His servant, so did Moses command Joshua; and so did Joshua; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses. But why is it written, Get thee up? It means that the Lord said to him: Thou thyself hast caused all the evils, [because thou didst declare as accursed the goods of Jericho]. And this is meant by the passage (Ib. 8, 2) Only its spoil and its cattle shall ye take for booty unto yourselves.