Midras Keluaran 32:9: Shemot Rabbah, Pesikta Rabbati, Bamidbar Rabbah & Midrash Tanchuma

“The Lord said: I have seen My people’s affliction that is in Egypt, and I have heard their outcry because of their taskmasters, as I know their pain” (Exodus 3:7).
“The Lord said: I have seen My people’s affliction” – that is what is written: “For He knows vain men [metei shav]” (Job 11:11); The Holy One blessed be He knows the people who die [metim] to perform vanity. Alternatively, The Holy One blessed be He knows the people who are destined to perform vanity and be killed, as it is stated: “Your men [metayikh] will fall by the sword” (Isaiah 3:25).
In contrast, “He sees iniquity but does not consider it” (Job 11:11). How so? You find that at the moment that Hagar left Abraham’s house, she and her son, what is written? “The water in the skin finished…she went and sat down at a distance” (Genesis 21:15–16). Rabbi Berekhya said: She began reproaching Heaven; she said: ‘Master of the universe, yesterday You said to me: “I will multiply your descendants,” and today he is dying.’ Immediately, “the angel of God called to Hagar” (Genesis 21:17). Rabbi Simon said: The ministering angels sought to denounce him [Ishmael]. They said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, a person who is destined to cause your children to die of thirst,⁴The reference is unclear. Possibly it refers to the story in Lamentations Rabba 2:4 in which the Ishmaelites caused refugees from Nebuchadnezzar to die of thirst. are You bringing up a well for him? It is proper to bring it up for six hundred thousand who are destined to recite before You: “This is my God and I will glorify Him”’ (Exodus 15:2). He said to them: ‘Now, is he righteous or wicked’? They said before Him: ‘He is righteous.’ He said to them: ‘I only judge a person at his time.’⁵Although God perceives future sins, He judges only those actions already performed. Therefore it is written: “He sees iniquity but does not consider it.”
Likewise, when Israel was in Egypt, The Holy One blessed be He saw what they were destined to do; that is what is written: “The Lord said: I have seen [ra’o ra’iti].” It does not say ra’iti, but rather, ra’o ra’iti.⁶That is, the verb is doubled, combining the absolute infinitive ra’o with the first person past ra’iti, meaning ‘I have seen.’ This formulation is common in Biblical Hebrew and is often understood to indicate emphasis. Nevertheless, the midrash takes the opportunity to expound the double verb. The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘You see one sight but I see two sights. You see them arriving at Sinai and receiving My Torah, and I see them receiving My Torah, that is ra’o; [but I also see] ra’iti, that is the sight of the deed of the calf, as it is stated; “I have seen [ra’iti] this people” (Exodus 32:9). When I come to Sinai to give them the Torah, I descend in my tatramoli,⁷A quadriga, a chariot drawn by four animals abreast. The allusion is to the divine chariot depicted in Ezekiel 1. and they look at me and remove one of them⁸One of the creatures depicted in the divine chariot in Ezekiel is a bull. and anger me with it. Nevertheless, I am not judging them on the basis of the actions that they are destined to do but rather according to the situation now. For I have heard their cry, even though I know their pain that they are destined to cause.’ That is ra’o ra’iti.
What is: “As I know their pain?” I know how much they are destined to pain Me in the wilderness,⁹The midrash is interpreting makhovav, “its pain,” to refer to pain inflicted by Israel, rather than pain they experienced. as it is stated: “How often did they defy Him in the wilderness, and aggrieve Him in the wasteland” (Psalms 78:40). Nevertheless, I will not refrain from delivering them. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: Otniel ben Kenaz argued this matter before the Holy One blessed be He. He said: ‘Master of the universe, this is what you promised to Moses, whether they do Your will or they do not do Your will, you deliver them, as it is stated: “The spirit of the Lord was upon him, and he judged Israel”’¹⁰This is a reference to Otniel ben Kenaz. (Judges 3:10). Therefore, it is written: “As I know their pain.” Nevertheless, I will deliver them.

… it is written there “Behold the heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You…” (Melachim I 8:27) and here it is written “…the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.” (Shemot 40:35) R’ Yehoshua of Sachnin said in the name of R’ Levi ‘to what is this likened? To an open cave at the edge of the sea. When the sea storms the cave is filled, but the sea is not reduced. So too, even though it is written that ‘the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle’ the upper and lower worlds did not lose anything of the brilliance of the glory of the Holy One, just as it is written “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth? says the Lord.” (Yirmiyahu 23:24) Therefore it is written here ‘And it was’. Just as the Divine Presence was here below at the beginning of the creation of the world but withdrew to above, now it returned to be below as it had been “And it was that on the day that Moses finished…” (Bamidbar 7:1) ... [Another explanation. “And it was that on the day that Moses finished erecting the Mishkan…” (Numbers 7:1)] R’ Simon said: at the time when the Holy One told Israel to erect the Tabernacle, He hinted that when the Tabernacle below is erected, the Tabernacle above is erected, as it says “And it was that on the day that Moses finished…” (ibid.) It does not say ‘erecting the Tabernacle’ but rather ‘erecting this (et) the Tabernacle.’ This refers to the Tabernacle above. The Holy One said: in this world, when the Tabernacle was erected, I commanded Aharon and his sons that they bless you. In the time to come I, in my glory, will bless you. So it is written “May the Lord bless you from Zion, He Who made heaven and earth.” (Psalms 134:3)

“It was on the day that Moses concluded erecting the Tabernacle, he anointed it and sanctified it and all its vessels, and the altar and all its vessels; he anointed them and sanctified them” (Numbers 7:1).
“It was on the day that Moses concluded…” – that is what is written: “I will hear what the Almighty Lord has to say, for He will speak peace to His people and to His pious ones; let them not return to folly” (Psalms 85:9). You find that when Israel performed that act¹The Golden Calf., and the Holy One blessed be He grew angry at them, as it is stated: “The Lord said to Moses: I have seen this people…” (Exodus 32:9),²The following verse says: “Now, let Me be, and My wrath will be enflamed against them, and I will destroy them” (Exodus 32:10). "Leave me [and I will destroy them…]" (Deuteronomy 9:14). Immediately, Moses stood and asked for mercy from before Him so that He would reconcile with them, just as it is stated: “Moses implored…” (Exodus 32:11). The Holy One blessed be He reconciled with them, as it is stated: “The Lord reconsidered the evil…” (Exodus 32:14). Nevertheless, umbrage remained in His heart in their regard, as it is stated: “On the day of My reckoning, I will reckon their sin upon them” (Exodus 32:34). When the Tabernacle was crafted, Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon said: Moses went and bent his ear in the Tabernacle. He said: Do you say that umbrage remains in the heart of the Holy One blessed be He in Israel’s regard? That is what is written: “I will hear what the Almighty Lord has to say” (Psalms 85:9). What is “the Almighty [ha’el] Lord? Moses said: Until now has He remained in His anger against them and is He barely with them? Ha’el is nothing other than an expression of strength, just as it says: “And he took the mighty of [eilei] the land” (Ezekiel 17:13). Or is He reconciled with them and He is acting with them with the attribute of mercy; that is what is written: “Lord.” Lord is nothing other than the attribute of mercy, as it is stated: “Lord, Lord, merciful and gracious” (Exodus 34:6). Immediately, the Holy One blessed be He placated him that He has no umbrage in His heart, just as it is written: “The Lord passed [vayaavor] before him” (Exodus 34:6), that He removed [shehe’evir] His fury from them and overlooked [ve’avar] their transgressions. Rabbi Simon said: Why does it say “Lord, Lord” twice? It is, rather, that the Holy One blessed be He placated him and said to Moses: Just as in the past I would act with them with the attribute of mercy before they performed that act, so, too, now, I will act with them with the attribute of mercy.
Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon said: At that moment, Moses heard a pleasant voice, an excellent voice. In the past, Moses would stand, and the divine speech would enter his ear like a current of water. No one of Israel could hear it, but when his face would redden they knew that divine speech had come to him. Once the Tabernacle was crafted, he heard a pleasant voice. What did he hear? “For He will speak peace to His people and to His pious ones” (Psalms 85:9).
Rabbi Berekhya HaKohen said in the name of Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon: The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘In the past there was enmity between Me and My children, hatred between Me and My children, contention between Me and My children, but now that the Tabernacle was crafted there is love between Me and My children, peace between Me and My children.’ That is, “for He will speak peace to His people” (Psalms 85:9) – this is Israel, for crafting the Tabernacle. “And to His pious ones” (Psalms 85:9) – this is the tribe of Levi, in whose regard it is written: “And of Levi he said: Your Tumim and Your Urim for Your pious one” (Deuteronomy 33:8). From where do you know that the verse is speaking regarding the Tabernacle? It is because it is written thereafter: “Indeed, His salvation is near for those who fear Him, so that glory may dwell in our land” (Psalms 85:10). When was there peace for Israel? When the glory of the Holy One blessed be He dwelled in the Tabernacle. It is just as it says: “And the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle” (Exodus 40:34).
Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: Why would I teach this matter from the book of Psalms? It is a matter of Torah. Even from its location there is nothing lacking. See what is written: “And grant you peace” (Numbers 6:26). When? It was “on the day that Moses concluded [erecting the Tabernacle].”