פירוש על שמות 6:2

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וידבר אלהים אל משה AND GOD SPOKE UNTO MOSES — He took him to task because he had spoken so censoriously when he said, (Exodus 5:22) “Wherefore hast thou done so evil to this people”.

AND G-D SPOKE UNTO MOSES. Rashi explains that He spoke to him harshly¹Rashi’s interpretation is based either on the name Elokim (G-d) mentioned here, which signifies the Divine attribute of justice (Mizrachi), or on the two words Va’yedabeir Elokim (And G-d spoke), whereas the usual expression in the Torah is Va’yedabeir Hashem (And the Eternal spoke) (Gur Aryeh). because he had been critical when he said, Wherefore hast Thou dealt ill with this people?²Above, 5:22. AND HE SAID UNTO HIM: “I AM THE ETERNAL, Who am faithful to recompense reward to those who walk before Me wholeheartedly.”³“Whole-heartedly.” This word is not found in our printed texts of Rashi. But see Genesis 17:2 and 25:27 where it is found in connection with Abraham and Jacob respectively. See also Rashi, ibid., 26:2, where a similar expression is mentioned in connection with Isaac. All three patriarchs were thus whole-hearted in their worship of G-d. In this sense we find the phrase explained in many places, etc. 3. “AND I APPEARED UNTO ABRAHAM, etc., BY THE NAME ‘E-IL SHA-DAI’ (G-D ALMIGHTY). I made many promises to him,⁴“Him”: Abraham. In our texts of Rashi: “Them,” which refers to all three patriarchs, and so it is mentioned further on. and in all cases I said to him, I am G-d Almighty.⁵Genesis 17:4 (to Abraham), 35:11 (to Jacob). BUT BY MY NAME, THE ETERNAL, WAS I NOT KNOWN UNTO THEM.” It was not written here, [“But My Name, the Eternal], I did not make known to them.” Rather, it is written, [But by My Name, the Eternal], was I not known unto them, meaning: “I was not recognized by them in My attribute of keeping faith, by reason of which My Name is called Eternal, which denotes that I am certain to fulfill the words [of My promise]. Indeed I made promises to the patriarchs⁴“Him”: Abraham. In our texts of Rashi: “Them,” which refers to all three patriarchs, and so it is mentioned further on. but did not fulfill them [during their lifetime].”
All these are the words of Rashi. His intent is to explain that the fulfillment of His promise [to the patriarchs] had not taken place. Even though the time for the fulfillment had not arrived [in their lifetime, and consequently the absence of such fulfillment was no indication of a lack of His “keeping faith” since the time had not arrived], yet He was not known to the patriarchs in the fulfillment of His promise.
But with all this interpretation, Rashi has not properly explained the language of the text.⁶The Hebrew text reads: ush’mi Hashem lo nodati lahem (literally: and My Name the Eternal I was not made known to them). Ramban’s point is that according to Rashi’s interpretation, the verse should have read either (a) lo hodati (I did not make known), or (b) ush’mi Hashem lo noda lahem (and My Name the Eternal was not known to them). [According to his interpretation], it should be said, lo hodati [“and My Name, the Eternal, ‘I did not make known’ to them,” instead of lo nodati (I was not made known), as the text reads]. Or it should have said, “and My Name, the Eternal, lo noda (was not known) to them.” Perhaps according to Rashi’s opinion, the sense of the verse is: “and My Name is the Eternal, v’lo⁷Ramban adds here the letter vav to the word lo — v’lo — thus making it independent of the expression ush’mi Hashem. Accordingly, there are two separate thoughts expressed: “and My Name is the Eternal,” which denotes that “I am certain to substantiate My promise,” and “I was not made known to them by that Name since I made promises to them but did not fulfill them.” nodati lahem,” meaning that “I was not made known to them by that Name.”
And the learned Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra explained that the letter beth of the words b’E-il Sha-dai (by the Name G-d Almighty) connected [with the ensuing words ush’mi Hashem, making it ubish’mi Hashem], which has the following meaning: “And I appeared unto Abraham, etc., by the Name E-il Sha-dai (G-d Almighty), but by My Name the Eternal I was not made known unto them.”⁸Thus according to Ibn Ezra, the sense of the verse is as if it were written: “And I appeared into Abraham…b’E-il Sha-dai ubish’mi — [instead of ush’mi] — Hashem lo nodati lahem (and by My Name the Eternal I was not made known to them).”
The purport of the verse is that He appeared to the patriarchs by this Name [E-il Sha-dai], which indicates that He is the victor [and prevailer]⁹See Vol. I, pp. 215-6 and 556-7, for further discussion of this theme. See also end of Seder Bo in this volume. over the hosts of heaven, doing great miracles for them except that no change from the natural order of the world was noticeable, [as was the case with the miracles performed through Moses our teacher]. In famine, He redeemed them from death, and in war from the power of the sword,¹⁰Job 5:20. and He gave them riches and honor and all the goodness, just like all the assurances mentioned in the Torah [in the section dealing] with the blessings and curses.¹¹Leviticus 26:3-46 and Deuteronomy 28:1-69.
It is not [in nature] that man should be rewarded for performance of a commandment or punished for committing a transgression but by a miracle. If man were left to his nature or his fortune, his deeds would neither add to him nor diminish from him. Rather, reward and punishment in this world, as mentioned in the entire scope of the Torah, are all miracles, but they are hidden. They appear to the onlooker as being part of the natural order of things, but in truth they come upon man as punishment and reward [for his deeds]. It is for this reason that the Torah speaks at great length of the assurances concerning this world, and does not explain the assurances of the soul in “the World of Souls.”¹²This is the world to which the soul goes following the death of the body. At the resurrection, body and soul will be reunited. That world, according to Ramban, is Olam Haba (the Coming World). Ramban thus distinguishes between Olam Han’shamoth (the World of Souls) and Olam Haba. The Olam Han’shamoth is concomitant with this world, and Olam Haba is the world of the future. These [assurances mentioned in the Torah as recompense for the observance or transgression of the Divine Commandments] are wonders which go contrary to nature,¹³“For it is not by nature that the heavens become as iron because we have sowed our fields in the Sabbatical year, etc.” (Ramban, Vol. I, p. 557.) while the existence of the soul [after the death of the body] and its cleaving unto G-d are the proper way inherent in its nature that she returneth unto G-d Who gave it.¹⁴Ecclesiastes 12:7. I will yet explain it further¹⁵Leviticus 26:11. if G-d accomplishes it for me.¹⁶See Psalms 57:3.
Thus G-d said to Moses: “I have appeared to the patriarchs with the might of My arm with which I prevail over the constellations and help those whom I have chosen, but with My Name Yod Hei with which all existence came into being I was not made known to them, that is, to create new things for them by the open change of nature. And Wherefore say unto the children of Israel: I am the Eternal,¹⁷Verse 6. and inform them once again of the Great Name, [i.e., the Tetragrammaton], for by that Name I will deal wondrously with them,¹⁸See Joel 2:26. and they will know that I am the Eternal, that maketh all things. ”¹⁹Isaiah 44:24.
All the words of Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra on this matter were thus correct except that he was as one who prophesies but does not know it.²⁰The source of this expression, “he prophesied but did not know what he prophesied,” is in Sotah 12b. Ramban uses the expression here to intimate that Ibn Ezra did indeed allude to the correct interpretation of the verse, namely, that the letter beth in b’E-il Sha-dai is connected also to ush’mi Hashem, making it ubish’mi Hashem, as explained above (see Note 8). But, suggests Ramban, there is still a question to be raised on Ibn Ezra’s explanation, as explained further in the text. Even according to his interpretation, the verse should have said, “And I made Myself known to Abraham, etc., by the name of E-il Sha-dai, but by My Name Hashem, [which describes My true essence], I did not make Myself known to them,” or it should have said, “but by the Name Hashem I did not appear to them.”²¹In other words, why does the Torah use two separate terms: va’eira (and I appeared) and nodati (made Me known)? One term — “appear” or “made Me known” — should have sufficed in both cases. However, Ibn Ezra can answer this by saying that because the prophecy of the patriarchs came to them in the visions of the night,²²Genesis 46:2. See also Ramban, ibid., 15:1 (Vol. I, p. 193). He said here, Va’eira (And I appeared) to them, and because that of Moses was face to face²³Deuteronomy 34:10. He said here, “I made Me not known to them [the patriarchs] as I made Myself known to you [Moses].”

וידבר אלוקים אל משה; in the land of Egypt,

'אני ה, the One Who maintains the entire universe all alone. I have not only called it into existence, but I also maintain it, and there is no other prime cause which exercises any independent influence on any part of My universe. Compare Nechemyah 9,6 ואתה מחיה את כולם “and You alone provide the nourishment to keep all creatures alive.” Unless I had given My consent no creature could continue to exist.

וידבר אלוקים אל משה, G'd spoke sternly to Moses, etc. Why did the Torah not tell us what G'd said? Besides, why did G'd refer to Himself as י־ה־ו־ה after He had already told Moses who He was in 3,15? At that time He had added: "this is My name forever!" Why then did He have to tell Moses at this juncture אני ה׳?

וידבר אלוקים....וארא אל אברהם, “G’d said….I have appeared to Avraham, etc.” Rashi explains that instead of writing הודעתי, “I have made known,” the Torah wrote a passive mode לא נודעתי, “I have not become well known.” This means that G’d’s attribute of Hashem had not become properly known, familiar, to the patriarchs. Seeing that this attribute reveals more of G’d’s essence than such attributes as shaddai, or elokim, the element of G’d’s fulfilling commitments He made of a long term nature, such as the promise to Avraham that his descendants would survive 400 years of exile and enslavement and proceed to the land of Canaan and take it over as their ancestral homeland, this attribute would from now on become better known. G’d implies that seeing that the time frame after which the redemption was supposed to occur had not yet been completed, the fact that this attribute of G’d had not yet been appreciated was not a reflection of G’d having withheld important information. Rashi also quotes an alternate commentary which suggests that the people should have inquired after this attribute of G’d, [why He had failed to keep His promises, the ones made to the patriarchs, Ed.] and that G’d now explains the reason why He had not yet seen fit to do so. Rashi rejects such a commentary saying that the time for G’d fulfilling His promises had not arrived yet, so that such a complaint would have been inappropriate. The problem with such interpretations is that already during the very first revelation of G’d to Avraham at the covenant between the pieces (Genesis chapter 15), the Torah clearly states that “the word of Hashem came to Avram,” In other words, G’d introduced Himself to Avram not as shaddai or as elokim, but by His name Hashem.” He had added further that His claim on Avraham’s obedience was based on His having saved him from the furnace Nimrod had thrown him into in Ur Casdim. Rashi’s rejecting לא נודעתי as meaning “I have not made known,” is based on this appearance of G’d precisely as the attribute of Mercy, an essential attribute, as Avraham had not had a claim to being saved at the time, seeing he had voluntarily submitted to that test of his faith. [my words based on Rabbi Yitzchok Arama. Ed.] The question is why did G’d have to tell Moses: “I am Hashem,” seeing that He had been known as such to the patriarchs. I believe that the answer is simple. G’d tells Moses that although He had been known in His capacity as Hashem to the patriarchs, [compare how Avraham describes Mount Moriah after the binding of Yitzchok, as compared to the opening lines of that chapter (Genesis 22) Ed.] He had not appeared in that guise to the Jewish people as yet. The problem was that the people had not enquired as to the difference between these various attributes of G’d, i.e. when He would prefer to relate to them under one heading (attribute), and when He would prefer to relate to them under a different heading (attribute). Knowing all this, we can better understand Moses’ question to G’d in 3,13 “which of Your attributes (name) shall I say to them is the one which will orchestrate the redemption?” According to the interpretation of לא נודעתי להם, “I have not been known to them,” Moses’ question at that time should have been: “when they ask me what shall I tell them?” Rashi’s explanation that the entire paragraph contains a criticism of Moses who had questioned G’d’s handling of the situation since He had appointed him as leader, was to contrast his behaviour with that of the patriarchs who, even when faced with what appeared G’d’s inexplicable behaviour, had not questioned this. [I find all this somewhat strange. Avraham, when having to come to terms with G’d’s treatment of others, such as the people of Sodom had questioned G’d’s judgment, though he had never questioned it when it concerned his own fate. Moses too, questions why his people are suffering more; he does not question his own image being tarnished. Ed.] At any rate, we must not mistakenly understand G’d as saying that He had not been known as possessing the attribute of Hashem, but as explaining that only now had the time come to guide the fate of the Jewish people under that heading. Ibn Ezra writes that the letter ב in the word בא-ל, suggests that it applies also to an additional factor, i.e. meaning ”with.” [as in “and in addition to”, i.e. ובשמי ה', “and with My additional name, etc.” Ed.] Accordingly, we are to understand the line וארא אל אברהם ואל יצחק ואל יעקב בא-ל שדי ובשמי ה' לא נודעתי להם, “My task in appearing to the patriarchs as the attribute shaddai, i.e. the attribute which governs My power to control nature, the sun, moon, etc., was different from My task at this time when I have to demonstrate My power on earth, a domain basically assigned to man. [some of these words are my own, though I trust they reflect that of the author quoted. Ed.] The patriarchs had been taught that their experience when G’d saved them from famine, from the sword during war, etc., that these were phenomena not related to their specific good deeds, but to G’d exercising His השגחה, benevolent providence, as part of the השגחה כללית, supervision of the universe as a whole. [When directing phenomena devoid of free will such as nature, G’d employs a different attribute from that which He has to employ when facing opposing forces equipped with a free will, such as man. Ed.] During His guidance of the universe at the time of the patriarchs, He did not confront man’s free will. The blessings and curses promised in the Torah are not addressed to the conduct of individuals but to the conduct of mankind as a whole or the Jewish people as a whole, [although G’d warns individuals not to use the people as a whole as an umbrella to hide their individual misdeeds (Deuteronomy 29,17-20) Ed.] The real reward in this life for observing the Torah’s commandments is something known only to G’d, the lawgiver, it is in the nature of a נס נסתר, “a hidden miracle,” i.e. when it does occur no one can pinpoint it as something unnatural. [the concept is familiar from the string of “natural” coincidences and their timing which combine to make up the Purim story. Ed.] These apparent coincidences are actually part of the process of reward and punishment, except that they are not recognized by us as such at the time. The reason why the sages tell us that astronomical influences, i.e. mazzal, do not govern the lives of the Israelites is that the same G’d Who runs nature, also interferes in an invisible manner in what astrologers believed was a forecast of their fates in the stars. This does not mean that astrology is “for the birds,” on the contrary, it means that the Creator can manipulate the events forecast by astrology in a manner which changes their impact on the individuals whom He chooses to be so impacted. Such intervention enabled Rivkah to become pregnant and have children, and it resulted in the Jewish people surviving a bloody encounter forecast by the stars, by the blood in question becoming the blood of the mass circumcision performed by Joshua, instead of becoming the loss of their lifeblood. Moses had actually posed two questions to G’d. 1) Why did you send me on this mission at all? 2) Why have you so far failed to save the Jewish people from their misery? Concerning his second question G’d answered him: “now you are going to see why I sent you. You will witness what I am about to do to Pharaoh.” Concerning Moses’ first question G’d said: “I am Hashem.” G’d told him that He had used the patriarchs to demonstrate His stature as shaddai, the G’d controlling events from the heavenly throne, whereas now He would employ Moses to demonstrate how He organized events on earth, by Moses being as it were “His hand and His outstretched arm.” It is your task to make My attribute of Hashem familiar both to the Israelites and to the Egyptians, i.e. the rest of mankind.

He spoke to him with severity. . . Rashi infers this since it is written אלהים , [a Name] which denotes Divine judgment. Alternatively, Rashi infers this since it is written וידבר , an expression which denotes harsh speech. (Re’m) And we need not ask: In many verses it is written וידבר ה אל משה לאמר , yet there it does not imply harshness. [Why then is it different here?] The answer is: Usually, after וידבר it is written לאמר , [which implies soft speech]. Thus וידבר is general (klal), and לאמר is a specific (prat) which tells us what is included in וידבר . But here there is no לאמר written afterward, since ויאמר אליו אני יהוה is not a prat but an independent clause. It relates to what Moshe said [at the end of Parshas Shemos] — “Why did you send me?” — as Rashi here explains. [Alternatively,] it seems to me that [Rashi infers this since] it says afterward אני יהוה , [a Name denoting Divine mercy,] which is the opposite [of the Name אלהים that the verse began with]. And that is why Rashi makes this comment here, and not in the other places. (Maharshal)

V. 2. אני ד׳. Dieses kurze Wort enthält die ganze Antwort auf Mosches Verzweiflung, die bereits in dem vorangehenden Verse im allgemeinen eine tröstende Entgegnung gefunden, welche nunmehr ausführlich entwickelt wird.

'אני ה, “I am the Lord;” even though I have told you that you will be elohim as far as Pharaoh is concerned, I did not mean that Pharaoh is to stand in awe of you. He too is to stand in awe of Me. Rashi understands the line as “I am the One who is certain to reward and punish as and when required.” If you were to ask how the 4-lettered tetragram conveys that G-d rewards and punishes, and that this applies to this attribute of His more so than to any other attribute, this is the meaning when He explained in Exodus 3,14-15 that the very fact of His being eternal, and enjoying a full view of past and future developments, “this enables Me to mete out both reward and punishment equitably as I can foresee the implications of all of My actions.”

ויאמר אליו אני ה׳ AND HE SAID UNTO HIM, I AM THE LORD, Who am faithful to recompense with a full reward those who walk before Me. Nor have I sent you with no purpose in view (cf. 5:22), but to fulfil the promise which I made to the early patriarchs. In this sense we find that the phrase is to be explained in many passages: אני ה׳ signifies, I am the Lord, Who am faithful to exact punishment — when it is spoken in reference to a matter that demands punishment, as, for instance, (Leviticus 19:12) “And thou profanest the name of thy God; I am the Lord”; and when it is spoken in reference to observing the Divine commands — as in, (Leviticus 22:31) “Ye shall keep my commandments and do them; I am the Lord” — it signifies, “I am the Lord Who am faithful to give reward.”

'אני ה, My name will convey that I am the One able to keep all His promises.

By way of the Truth, [the mystic teachings of the Cabala], the verse can be explained in consonance with its plain meaning and intent.²⁴Ramban is suggesting that whereas in other places the mystic teachings of the Cabala do not reflect the plain meaning of Scripture, here “the way of the Truth” is in harmony with the plain meaning and import of the text. He is saying: “I the Eternal appeared to the patriarchs through the speculum of E-il Sha-dai,” just as is the sense of the verse, In a vision do I make Myself known to him.²⁵Numbers 12:6. “But Myself, I the Eternal did not make Myself known to them, as they did not contemplate [Me] through a lucid speculum so that they should know me,” just as is the sense of the verse, And there hath not arisen a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Eternal knew face to face.²³Deuteronomy 34:10. The patriarchs did know the Proper Name of the Eternal, but it was not known to them through prophecy. Therefore when Abraham spoke with G-d, he mentioned the Proper Name together with the Name Aleph Dalet²⁶Genesis 15:2. See Ramban, ibid., 17:1 (Vol. I, p. 216). or Aleph Dalet alone.²⁷Ibid., 18:30. The purport thereof is that the revelation of the Divine Presence and His communication with them came to them through an ameliorated attribute of justice,²⁸See Vol. I, p. 543. and with that attribute was His conduct towards them. But with Moses, His conduct and His recognition to him were by the attribute of mercy, which is indicated by His Great Name, [i.e., the Tetragrammaton — the Eternal], just as is denoted in the verse, He caused His glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses,²⁹Isaiah 63:12. and it is written, So didst Thou lead Thy people, to make Thyself a glorious name.³⁰Ibid., Verse 14. Therefore Moses does not henceforth mention the name E-il Sha-dai, for the Torah was given with His great Name, as it is said, I am the Eternal thy G-d.³¹Further, 20:2. This is the sense of the verse, Our of heaven He made thee to hear His voice, that He might instruct thee; and upon earth He made thee to see His great fire.³²Deuteronomy 4:36. I have already alluded to the explanation of the word hashamayim (the heaven).³³In Genesis 1:8 (Vol. I, p. 37). May the Holy One, blessed be He, open our eyes and show us wonders in His Torah.

It is not in vain that I sent you. . . In other words, Moshe said (5:22): “Why did you send me?” and Hashem answers him: “It is not in vain that I sent you”. (Re’m) The Re’m’’s words on this verse, [in which he also says that “Elohim spoke (harshly) to Moshe” refers back to Moshe’s question of “Why have you brought harm?”] are too lengthy to quote. However, it seems to me that this is not Hashem’s answer to what [Moshe said] before, in the way the Re’m explained it. Rather, Rashi means to say as follows: Hashem spoke to Moshe with משפט , i.e., harshly and unpleasantly, because Moshe spoke harshly when he said “Why have You brought harm. . .?” [But Hashem’s harshness was not for this question itself,] as this is merely the beginning of [the more important phrase:] “. . .Why did you send me?” where Moshe was concerned over his own honor, as Rashi explained ad loc. [And that is why Hashem spoke harshly.] And when Rashi here explains, “It is not in vain that I sent you,” this also is not in answer to [Moshe’s question] which came before. Instead, [it is an independent point in which] Hashem is saying to Moshe, “Perhaps you think that you will not succeed in your mission? [This is not so;] it is not in vain that I sent you. . .” (Maharshal)

Inasmuch as Moses had spoken in an unseemly manner in the presence of the Almighty, something that he never would have dared to do if G'd had not previously shown him His smiling face as represented by the attribute י־ה־ו־ה, G'd had to show him a different attribute i.e. אלוקים before answering him in detail. The Torah introduces this chapter (from verse 2) by letting us know that G'd spoke in His capacity as the attribute of Justice, i.e. אלוקים.

אלקים waltende Unsichtbare. Es ist derjenige (אלה) ist: der in dem Sichtbaren אלקי׳ der alles bisher Geschehene unsichtbar gelenkt hat. Die ganze Verzweiflung, all der Hohn, das Elend und der Jammer, waren bisher aus den natürlichen Verhältnissen geflossen, die Gott sich so hatte gestalten lassen. Sie waren das Ergebnis aus Ägyptens Entartung und Macht und Israels Ohnmacht und Schwäche. Nunmehr aber אני ה׳: מהוה חדשות der, unabhängig von den bestehenden Verhältnissen, ja in völligem Gegensatz zu ihnen, seinen Willen ins Dasein Setzende. Mit diesem Momente soll eine ganz neue Welt im Schoße der Menschheit ins Dasein treten, die von allen Bedingungen, von welchen die bisherigen weltgeschichtlichen Erscheinungen bedingt waren, unabhängig ist.

I am Adonoy. This teaches that the entire world is perpetuated by Hashem, utilizing Divine Providence. In contradistinction to a house, for example, that once it has been built the builder ceases work and it stands on its own, the world continues to exist only because Hashem keeps it in existence. With this, Hashem answered Moshe’s question in which he implied that Pharaoh’s decree was merely a result of natural events without Hashem’s Providence; Hashem replied that nature is also a result of Divine Providence.

When G'd appears to make a turnabout at the end of our verse and refers to Himself as the attribute of Mercy this is in line with the principle expressed in Berachot 30 that "wherever there is גלה, joy in one's relationship with G'd, there must be רעדה, fear or dread, simultaneously." Although G'd had previously displayed His attribute of Mercy this did not mean that man should not display an appropriate degree of trepidation when facing Him.

Our verse may also be understood thus: וידבר אלוקים, G'd spoke to Moses on matters of justice. Since G'd wanted Moses to know that his argument had been heard and considered, He added: אני השם. The use of this attribute at this juncture is equivalent to G'd asking Moses: "how could you attribute to Me a negative virtue such as being the originator of harm befalling My people? My outstanding characteristic is the sttribute of חסד, love, mercy, etc." Even the prophet Jeremiah has already made it plain that evil never originates with G'd (compare Lamentations 3,38: "Evil does not originate from G'd (but only Good)." The letter ו in front of the word והטוב in the verse in Lamentations refers to the fact that G'd does not interfere if a person wants to be good or evil. These decisions are up to each individual. It is up to man to choose good rather than evil. When you study the Bible you will find that whenever G'd mentions that the wicked are being remembered when they receive their deserts, the Bible underlines that the evil they are being punished for is of their own making. Compare in this respect Samuel I 24,13: "Wicked deeds come from wicked men." Jeremiah 2,19: "Your evil deeds will cause you to be disciplined." Isaiah 64,6: "You have made us melt because of our iniquities." There are many more similar quotations in the Bible. In view of this what gave Moses the right to assume that the Israelites' additional hardships were not due to something they had done themselves? It is also possible that the Israelites had not yet been adequately punished for whatever they had been guilty of prior to Moses' appointment. Perhaps some of the people had even become guilty of lack of faith after Moses had accredited himself as their prophet and leader. Your best proof that this was possible is the fact that the elders who set out to face Pharaoh together with Moses and Aaron dropped out on the way. Perhaps G'd would not have allowed Pharaoh to make the decree of withholding straw if the elders had not abandoned Moses on the way? At any rate Moses had been too quick to describe what happened to the people as being G'd's fault.

Perhaps G'd simply responded to the two questions Moses had raised in their proper order. G'd responded harshly to the question: "Why have You let evil happen to the people? Moses' question/accusation had been inappropriate. The Torah was so concerned about Moses' honour that it did not spell out the fact that he had spoken in an inadmissible fashion. G'd responded kindly to Moses' question: "Why have You sent me?" G'd may even have hinted that in due course Moses would have to answer for his question and this is why the details are not spelled out here. When G'd reverted to "I am the merciful G'd," this was the answer to "Why have You sent me?" G'd meant that He had sent Moses because He could not longer sit idly by when His people were being tortured, and this is why He had decided to advance the date when they would cease to suffer by sending Moses now so that he could orchestrate a string of plagues with which G'd would hit the Egyptians. Moses would begin to see immediately how at least the slave labour would come to an end.

Perhaps we can understand G'd manifesting Himself simultaneously as the attribute of Justice and the attribute of Mercy through reference to Bamidbar Rabbah 3,6 where we find a discussion about what merit led to the Exodus of the Jewish people from Egypt. One of the sages quotes Psalms 68,7 מוציא אסירים בכושרות to mean that the word כושרות is a combined form of בכי, weeping, and שיר song. Accordingly, two attributes of G'd were at work during the Exodus. G'd applied His attribute of Justice to the Egyptians, hence weeping, whereas He applied His attribute of Mercy to the Israelites, hence song. In our verse we find a parallel to that when G'd is introduced as אלוקים i.e. His attitude to the Egyptians, and immediately afterwards as י־ה־ו־ה i.e. as His attitude to the Jews. We have a principle that once G'd allows the destructive forces free reign, those forces do not distinguish between the guilty and the innocent. This principle is especially apparent when the innocent and the guity dwell in close proximity to one another, something that was certainly the case with Jews and Egyptians at that time. Moses would have assumed that when G'd would bring the plagues on the Egyptians there would be a negative fallout also on the Israelites. This is why G'd hinted already at this time that whereas He would act as אלוקים against the Egyptians, He would at one and the same time act as השם towards the Jews so that they would not suffer from any of these plagues. All of this is spelled out later in greater detail such as that even in the midst of such a plague as darkness no darkness engulfed a single Jew (compare Exodus 10,23). The same occurred in 9,6 during the plague of pestilence when not a single one of the animals owned by Jews died.

We have a tradition expressed in Bereshit Rabbah 73,3 that "wicked people can cause the attribute of Mercy to be converted into the attribute of Justice." Our verse may refer to such an instance. It commences with the attribute of Justice, and continues by mentioning the attribute of Mercy. This is a way of the Torah telling us that the attribute of Mercy agreed with what the attribute of Justice was about to do to Pharaoh and the Egyptians.

In the same Midrash where we are told that the wicked may cause the attribute of Mercy to co-operate with the attribute of Justice, we are also told "hail to the righteous who are able to convert even the attribute of Justice to co-operate with the attribute of Mercy." Accordingly, the Torah i.e. וידבר אלוקים ויאמר may tell us that the reason the verse commences with G'd as His attribute of Justice and then appearing as the attribute of Mercy is, that even the attribute of Mercy had agreed to the proposal of the attribute of Justice that the Jews should cease to perform slave labour and that the means to bring this about was the infliction of the plagues on the Egyptians.

We may also see in this verse G'd's response to Moses' amazement why He had not reacted to the insult Pharaoh had committed when he denied His existence. The words וידבר אלוקים are directed at Pharaoh who was about to experience proof of G'd's existence by being subjected to a string of retributory plagues. G'd could have eliminated Pharaoh in a single plague if He had employed only the attribute of Justice. The reason He chose not to do so was that He wanted to acquaint Pharaoh with one of His other attributes, i.e. His long patience, ארך אפים. G'd is in no hurry to conclude His dealings with the recalcitrant sinners, giving them a chance to repent. This is why we have input by the attribute of Mercy even in His dealings with Pharaoh.

On the other hand, G'd may have demonstrated that His harshness, i.e. וידבר אלוקים was reserved for the messenger, i.e. Moses. The Jewish people, i.e. the ones under the messenger's care, were not to suffer from the mistake their leader had made. This is why G'd continued: ויאמר השם.

G'd may also have told Moses here that although He ought to employ the attribute of Justice against him at this stage, He did not do so because He kept in mind that that attribute was reserved for people who had committed a sin consciously (compare Rosh Hashanah 17 defining עובר על פשע). It is well known that Moses was extremely humble; as a result, G'd employed His own attribute of being נושא עון, demonstrating a forgiving nature, when reacting to Moses' error in this instance. He alluded to this when He told him אני השם.

Finally, G'd may have revealed a mystical dimension of His to Moses when He explained that He could combine the attribute of Justice and the attribute of Mercy within Himself; this was a new aspect of G'd's unity which Moses had not been aware of.