פירוש על שמות 3:12

ויאמר כי אהיה עמך AND HE SAID, BECAUSE I WILL BE WITH THEE — He answered his first question first and his last question last: as regards what thou hast said, “Who am I that I should go unto Pharaoh?” i. e. of what importance am I to speak with kings, I reply, it is not an undertaking of yours, but it is partly mine for “I” will be with thee”, וזה AND THIS — i. e. the sight which thou hast witnessed in the bush, לך האות כי אנכי שלחתיך SHALL BE A SIGN UNTO THEE, BECAUSE (כי) “I” HAVE SENT THEE and “I” am competent to save: just as thou hast seen the bush carrying out the mission I laid upon it and it was not consumed, so go thou too on the mission I entrust to thee and thou shalt suffer no harm. And as regards thy question: What merit have the Israelites that they should go forth from Egypt? — I reply that I have a great purpose in this, My bringing them forth, for they are destined to accept the Torah upon this mountain at the expiration of three months after they leave Egypt (cf. Exodus Rabbah 3:4). Another explanation is: כי אהיה עמך FOR I WILL BE WITH THEE and thou wilt therefore succeed, וזה AND THIS — viz., the fact that thou wilt succeed in thy mission לך האות WILL BE A SIGN UNTO THEE with respect to another promise: for I promise thee that when thou hast brought them forth from Egypt ye will serve Me upon this mountain — i. e. that ye will receive the Torah upon it. This is the merit which is an advocate for Israel. An exactly similar use of the word אות, where something that will happen in the future is to serve as an אות in regard to an event that will transpire in the more distant future we find elsewhere: (Isaiah 27:30.) “And this shall be a sign unto thee — for ye shall eat this year that which groweth of itself etc.” (the passage proceeds to state that after a few years the devastated land will have regained its former fertility) — this, i. e, the fall of Sennacherib promised in the preceding section of that chapter shall be a sign to thee in respect to another promise: for your land is now barren of fruits, but I will bless that which grows of itself and the land shall bring forth fruits in abundance.

AND HE SAID: BECAUSE I WILL BE WITH THEE; AND THIS SHALL BE THE TOKEN UNTO THEE, THAT I HAVE SENT THEE: WHEN THOU HAST BROUGHT FORTH THE PEOPLE OUT OF EGYPT, YE SHALL SERVE G-D UPON THIS MOUNTAIN. Explanations of this verse are numerous. The correct interpretation in line with the simple meaning of Scripture is that the Holy One, blessed be He, had said two things to Moses. [First], He would come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians.¹⁸²Verse 8. This might mean that He will deliver them out of their hands while they will remain in the land of Goshen itself or in some place nearby. Therefore, He further promised to bring them up out of that entire land to the place of the Canaanite.¹⁸²Verse 8.
But Moses was fearful of both [promises], saying, “Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh?¹⁸³Verse 11. I am but a humble person, a keeper of the flock, and he is a great king. If I will tell him to let the people go altogether, he will kill me.” This is similar in meaning to that which Samuel said. And if Saul hear it, he will kill me.¹⁸⁴I Samuel 16:2. And Moses said further, “Who am I … that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt,¹⁸³Verse 11. as Thou didst tell me to bring them up to the land of Canaan. Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people,¹⁸⁵Deuteronomy 4:6. and they will not hold me in sufficient esteem to go after me to the land of nations greater and mightier than they,¹⁸⁶See ibid., Verse 38. as Thou hadst said, to bring them up … unto a good and large land … unto the place of the Canaanite.¹⁸²Verse 8. The delivery from the hand of Pharaoh — whether he will listen and lighten his yoke from upon them and thus deliver them [from bondage], or drive them out of his land against their will¹⁸⁷Further, 6:1. See also Rashi there. — is not dependent on them. Besides, they themselves will listen to any one on this matter — for what man is there who would not want to go out from unparalleled cruel bondage — but they will not give heed to go up to the land of Canaan.” Such indeed was the case. The war against those nations [in the land of Canaan] was hard on them from beginning to end, and they feared it while still in Egypt and later when they were in the desert. This then was the fear of Moses our teacher, of Pharaoh, and his apprehension of the children of Israel.
And the Eternal answered him on both matters. He said to him: “Do not fear Pharaoh for I will be with thee to save thee. And this shall be the token unto thee for the people that I have sent thee to them, for when thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve G-d upon this mountain. From then on, they will take upon themselves the worship of G-d and walk in His commandments,¹⁸⁸See II Chronicles 17:4. and they will also believe in thee forever,¹⁸⁹Further, 19:9. and they will run after thee¹⁹⁰See Song of Songs 1:4. wherever thou shalt command them [to go]. Now I have revealed Myself to thee on this mountain in a flame of fire, for so it will be in front of all the people when they will serve Me on this mountain.”
Thus in that which he saw, there was a sign for Moses that he should not fear Pharaoh since G-d assured him his deliverance. For Israel it was to be a sign that they should not fear the nations upon their coming to Mount Sinai, for to go out from Egypt — with Pharaoh’s consent — to a nearby place a three days’ journey,¹⁹¹Further, Verse 18. See also Ramban further, 19:1. they would surely give heed and do so whether willingly or unwillingly.¹⁹²In the Tur’s rendition of Ramban: “they will surely listen and not ask for a sign.”
By way of the Truth, [the mystic lore of the Cabala], ‘V’zeh’ (And this) shall be the token unto thee, is like the verse, ‘Zeh li’ (I have now been) twenty years in thy house,¹⁹³Genesis 31:41. Literally: “this to me is twenty years.” Rabbeinu Bachya ben Asher here intimates that Ramban’s intent is to be understood in the light of the verse, ‘Zeh’ (This) is my G-d, and I will glorify Him (further, 15:2). See my Hebrew commentary here on Ramban, p. 290. thus alluding to the verses, Because I will be with thee, and behold there is a sign unto thee, the sign of the covenant that “I will be with thee always,” just as it is intimated in the verse, As for Me, behold, My covenant is with thee.¹⁹⁴Genesis 17:4. “It is I who send you that you should serve G-d upon this mountain, and then I too will go up in the midst of this people into the place which I have prepared.”¹⁹⁵Further, 23:20.

כי אהיה עמך וזה לך האות, that you will not only issue decrees but will carry them out successfully wherever you turn. Your very success will convince everyone that I must be the One who has sent you. They will therefore take you and your words very seriously. We find that this did indeed come true in Exodus 11,3 והאיש משה גדול מאד בכל ארץ מצרים, “the man Moses was very great in the whole land of Egypt.”