וַיֹּ֨אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶל־הָֽאֱלֹהִ֗ים הִנֵּ֨ה אָנֹכִ֣י בָא֮ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וְאָמַרְתִּ֣י לָהֶ֔ם אֱלֹהֵ֥י אֲבוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם שְׁלָחַ֣נִי אֲלֵיכֶ֑ם וְאָֽמְרוּ־לִ֣י מַה־שְּׁמ֔וֹ מָ֥ה אֹמַ֖ר אֲלֵהֶֽם׃
모세가 하나님께 고하되 내가 이스라엘 자손에게 가서 이르기를 너희 조상의 하나님이 나를 너희에게 보내셨다 하면 그들이 내게 묻기를 그의 이름이 무엇이냐 하리니 내가 무엇이라고 그들에게 말하리이까
Shemot Rabbah
“Moses said to God: Behold, when I come to the children of Israel, and say to them: The God of your fathers has sent me to you; and they say to me: What is His name? What shall I say to them?” (Exodus 3:13).
“Moses said to God: Behold, when I come…” – Rabbi Shimon of Lod said in the name of Rabbi Simon in the name of Reish Lakish: Moses said: I am destined to become an intermediary between You and them when You give them the Torah and say to them: “I am the Lord your God” (Exodus 20:2).
“The God of your fathers has sent me to you” – at that moment, Moses was clarifying his undertaking, as he feared if they asked him “what is His name” what would he say to them? At that moment, Moses requested that the Holy One blessed be He make known to him His great name.
“Moses said to God: Behold, when I come…” – Rabbi Shimon of Lod said in the name of Rabbi Simon in the name of Reish Lakish: Moses said: I am destined to become an intermediary between You and them when You give them the Torah and say to them: “I am the Lord your God” (Exodus 20:2).
“The God of your fathers has sent me to you” – at that moment, Moses was clarifying his undertaking, as he feared if they asked him “what is His name” what would he say to them? At that moment, Moses requested that the Holy One blessed be He make known to him His great name.
Otzar Midrashim
And [R. Avraham Saba] also explains the reason for the counting of the omer in Parashat Emor, and these are [his] words: And in the Midrash HaGalui, "'And you shall count seven weeks' - this counting is because the Lord, may He be blessed, said to Moshe (Exodus 3:13), 'When you take the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God' (and receive the Torah). And since the Torah was beloved to them, they counted the days, the nights and the moments until the time would come. It can be compared to a man who will be receiving a desired object or marrying a woman at the end of fifty days; so due to his great desire, he counts the days and the moments. Likewise is Israel [with this]. And that is why they said (Menachot 66), 'It is a commandment to count days and it is a commandment to count weeks.'" To here are [the words] of the midrash. (Rav Paalim 42)
Shemot Rabbah
“Moses went and returned to Yeter his father-in-law and he said to him: Please, let me go and return to my brethren who are in Egypt and see if they are still alive. Yitro said to Moses: Go in peace” (Exodus 4:18).
“Moses went and returned to Yeter his father-in-law” – that is what is written: “[Who shall ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who shall stand in His holy place?] He who has clean hands and is pure of heart, [who has not taken My name in vain, nor taken an oath deceitfully]” (Psalms 24:3–4). Who is able to climb the mountain of God? One who has these attributes; and all of them were stated in Moses’s regard.
“Clean hands” – this is Moses, as it is stated: “I have not taken [nasati] one donkey from them…” (Numbers 16:15). Had he taken a donkey that was theirs, how would he be different from robbers? Rather, so said Moses: All those journeys that we traveled in the wilderness, I did not say to one of them to take an item of mine and load it on his donkey. Nesia is an expression of nothing other than loading, as it is stated: “Each man loaded his donkey” (Genesis 44:13).
“Pure of heart” – this is Moses, who did not set out on the mission of the Holy One blessed be He, until he clarified his undertaking, as it is stated: “And they will say to me: What is His name, [what shall I say to them?]” (Exodus 3:13).
“Who has not taken My name in vain” – this is the life of the Egyptian, as he killed the Egyptian only after he judged him and saw that he was liable for execution.1This derivation is based on the unusual way in which the verse states “My name” – nafshi, which is from the word nefesh, which generally means life. Alternatively, it is based on the opinion that Moses killed the Egyptian by mentioning the name of God (See Shemot Rabba 1:29).
“Nor taken an oath deceitfully” – this is Moses. When he went to Yitro he took an oath to him that he would not leave without his knowledge. When he went on the mission of the Holy One blessed be He, he went to Yitro and nullified his oath.2He received permission from Yitro to leave, and therefore did not violate his oath (Yefei Toar). That is what is written: “He returned to Yeter his father-in-law.”
“Moses went and returned to Yeter his father-in-law” – that is what is written: “[Who shall ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who shall stand in His holy place?] He who has clean hands and is pure of heart, [who has not taken My name in vain, nor taken an oath deceitfully]” (Psalms 24:3–4). Who is able to climb the mountain of God? One who has these attributes; and all of them were stated in Moses’s regard.
“Clean hands” – this is Moses, as it is stated: “I have not taken [nasati] one donkey from them…” (Numbers 16:15). Had he taken a donkey that was theirs, how would he be different from robbers? Rather, so said Moses: All those journeys that we traveled in the wilderness, I did not say to one of them to take an item of mine and load it on his donkey. Nesia is an expression of nothing other than loading, as it is stated: “Each man loaded his donkey” (Genesis 44:13).
“Pure of heart” – this is Moses, who did not set out on the mission of the Holy One blessed be He, until he clarified his undertaking, as it is stated: “And they will say to me: What is His name, [what shall I say to them?]” (Exodus 3:13).
“Who has not taken My name in vain” – this is the life of the Egyptian, as he killed the Egyptian only after he judged him and saw that he was liable for execution.1This derivation is based on the unusual way in which the verse states “My name” – nafshi, which is from the word nefesh, which generally means life. Alternatively, it is based on the opinion that Moses killed the Egyptian by mentioning the name of God (See Shemot Rabba 1:29).
“Nor taken an oath deceitfully” – this is Moses. When he went to Yitro he took an oath to him that he would not leave without his knowledge. When he went on the mission of the Holy One blessed be He, he went to Yitro and nullified his oath.2He received permission from Yitro to leave, and therefore did not violate his oath (Yefei Toar). That is what is written: “He returned to Yeter his father-in-law.”