וַֽ֭יּוֹשִׁיעֵם לְמַ֣עַן שְׁמ֑וֹ לְ֝הוֹדִ֗יעַ אֶת־גְּבוּרָתֽוֹ׃
A pomógł im gwoli imieniu Swojemu, by objawić potęgę Swoję.
Shemot Rabbah
“God saw the children of Israel, and God knew.” The Holy One blessed be He knew that it was incumbent upon Him to redeem them for the sake of His name, and because of the covenant that he made with the patriarchs. Likewise it says: “God remembered His covenant” (Exodus 2:24). And that is what He said by means of Ezekiel: “But I acted for the sake of My name” (Ezekiel 20:9).
Alternatively, “God saw,” – Reish Lakish said that He saw that they were destined to be defiant at the Red Sea, as it is written: “They were defiant at the Red Sea” (Psalms 106:7). “And God knew,” He knew that they were destined to say: “This is my God” (Exodus 15:2).
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: He saw that they were destined to say: “This is your god, Israel” (Exodus 32:4).78This was stated in reference to the golden calf. “And God knew” that they were destined to say “we will do” before “we will listen.”79By accepting the obligation to perform the commandments before even hearing what they were, the Israelites demonstrated their faith in God (see Exodus 24:7).
The Rabbis say: “God saw” that the mediocre people repented, and even the wicked contemplated repenting, as it is written: “The fig tree developed its unripe figs” (Song of Songs 2:13).80The unripe figs represent the wicked; they began to develop, even though their repentance was not outwardly discernible. The verse continues: “And the vines in blossom emitted fragrance,” which is a reference to the mediocre people, who actually repented, and therefore their repentance was outwardly discernible, like a fragrance. “And God knew” [indicates] that one did not even know about another; only the Holy One blessed be He knew. This one was focusing his heart, and that one was focusing his heart, and they were repenting. But even though they repented, were it not for the merit of the patriarchs, they would not have emerged from there, because the attribute of justice was denouncing them because of the calf that they were destined to craft.
Regarding this, it is written: “You shall take a bundle of hyssop” (Exodus 12:22), because they lowered themselves like a hyssop, to repent. “And dip it into the blood that is in the basin,” (ibid.), due to the merit of the Torah that they were destined to receive, as it is written at the revelation at Sinai: “Moses took the blood” (Exodus 24:8). And it is written: “And touch the lintel” (Exodus 12:22), as Abraham was the greatest of the converts; just as the lintel is high, so too, he was the greatest of the patriarchs; “and the two doorposts” (ibid.), in the merit of Isaac and Jacob, to teach you that it was due to the merit of all of them [the patriarchs] that they emerged.
Alternatively, “God saw” the forced separation between them. “And God knew” that the time that He said to Abraham was approaching, and He appeared to Moses to inform him, while he was herding the flocks.
Alternatively, “God saw,” – Reish Lakish said that He saw that they were destined to be defiant at the Red Sea, as it is written: “They were defiant at the Red Sea” (Psalms 106:7). “And God knew,” He knew that they were destined to say: “This is my God” (Exodus 15:2).
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: He saw that they were destined to say: “This is your god, Israel” (Exodus 32:4).78This was stated in reference to the golden calf. “And God knew” that they were destined to say “we will do” before “we will listen.”79By accepting the obligation to perform the commandments before even hearing what they were, the Israelites demonstrated their faith in God (see Exodus 24:7).
The Rabbis say: “God saw” that the mediocre people repented, and even the wicked contemplated repenting, as it is written: “The fig tree developed its unripe figs” (Song of Songs 2:13).80The unripe figs represent the wicked; they began to develop, even though their repentance was not outwardly discernible. The verse continues: “And the vines in blossom emitted fragrance,” which is a reference to the mediocre people, who actually repented, and therefore their repentance was outwardly discernible, like a fragrance. “And God knew” [indicates] that one did not even know about another; only the Holy One blessed be He knew. This one was focusing his heart, and that one was focusing his heart, and they were repenting. But even though they repented, were it not for the merit of the patriarchs, they would not have emerged from there, because the attribute of justice was denouncing them because of the calf that they were destined to craft.
Regarding this, it is written: “You shall take a bundle of hyssop” (Exodus 12:22), because they lowered themselves like a hyssop, to repent. “And dip it into the blood that is in the basin,” (ibid.), due to the merit of the Torah that they were destined to receive, as it is written at the revelation at Sinai: “Moses took the blood” (Exodus 24:8). And it is written: “And touch the lintel” (Exodus 12:22), as Abraham was the greatest of the converts; just as the lintel is high, so too, he was the greatest of the patriarchs; “and the two doorposts” (ibid.), in the merit of Isaac and Jacob, to teach you that it was due to the merit of all of them [the patriarchs] that they emerged.
Alternatively, “God saw” the forced separation between them. “And God knew” that the time that He said to Abraham was approaching, and He appeared to Moses to inform him, while he was herding the flocks.
Midrash Tanchuma
Moses was keeping the flock. Though the time for their redemption was at hand, they had not as yet performed any meritorious deeds. Scripture declares this through the words of Ezekiel: I caused thee in increase even as the growth of the field … thy breasts were fattened, and thy hair was grown, yet thou wast naked and bare (Ezek. 16:7). Is it not so that the Holy One, blessed be He, would not have written breasts and hair except for the fact that breasts and hair allude to Moses and Aaron? Inasmuch as it is said concerning them: Thy two breasts are like two fawns, that are twins of a gazelle (Song 4:5). Thy hair was grown implies that the time for redemption had arrived, but naked and bare signify that Israel had not yet performed any good deeds. The verse For thy love is better than wine (ibid. 1:2) refers to the patriarchs, who are called beloved. And God heard their groaning, and remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God saw the children of Israel (Exod. 2:24). That is, though He saw that they had not yet performed any meritorious deeds, He redeemed them nevertheless, as is said: He saved them for His name’s sake (Ps. 106:8).
Shemot Rabbah
“The Lord will pass to smite Egypt” – some say by means of an angel, and some say the Holy One blessed be He Himself. What is it that is stated: “To smite [lingof]”? It teaches that even the pregnant women miscarried and the mothers died, and the destroyer emerged and harmed everything that it found. Lingof refers to nothing other than pregnant women, as it is stated: “And they strike [venagefu] a pregnant woman” (Exodus 21:22). The Holy One blessed be He was destroying the firstborn of Egypt, and Israel was performing everything that the Holy One blessed be He said to them, as it is stated: “The children of Israel went and did as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron” (Exodus 12:28).
To what were the Holy One blessed be He and Israel comparable? To a king who travelled with his sons by sea, and pirate ships surrounded them. He said to them: Here are my giant spears, all prepared, with which I pass over the sea waves and do battle. So, the Holy One blessed be He was with His children in Egypt, and the Egyptian camps were plotting against them all night. The Holy One blessed be He said to them: Such wicked ones, are you plotting against My children? My giant spears are prepared, as it is stated: “He saved them for His name’s sake” (Psalms 106:8).
[The Israelites] were engaged in roasting [the paschal offering], and the Holy One blessed be He was killing the firstborn of Egypt; they were sprinkling [blood] on their entrances, and His great name was standing over their entrances. They were engaged in Hallel, and the laws of the paschal offering, and God was distinguishing so that the blood of the impure would atone for the blood of the pure,3The death of the Egyptian firstborn atoned for the firstborn of Israel. as it is stated: “The Lord redeems the soul of His servants” (Psalms 34:23). They were engaged in their matzot, as they were grinding and kneading, and the Holy One blessed be He was uprooting the plants4The reference is to the Egyptian firstborn, who were killed even in utero. of Egypt, as it is stated: “Arise, Lord, in your anger [lift Yourself up in indignation [be’avrot]5The midrash expounds be’avrot, indignation, as though it were be’ubarot, meaning fetuses. against my adversaries]” (Psalms 7:7).
To what were the Holy One blessed be He and Israel comparable? To a king who travelled with his sons by sea, and pirate ships surrounded them. He said to them: Here are my giant spears, all prepared, with which I pass over the sea waves and do battle. So, the Holy One blessed be He was with His children in Egypt, and the Egyptian camps were plotting against them all night. The Holy One blessed be He said to them: Such wicked ones, are you plotting against My children? My giant spears are prepared, as it is stated: “He saved them for His name’s sake” (Psalms 106:8).
[The Israelites] were engaged in roasting [the paschal offering], and the Holy One blessed be He was killing the firstborn of Egypt; they were sprinkling [blood] on their entrances, and His great name was standing over their entrances. They were engaged in Hallel, and the laws of the paschal offering, and God was distinguishing so that the blood of the impure would atone for the blood of the pure,3The death of the Egyptian firstborn atoned for the firstborn of Israel. as it is stated: “The Lord redeems the soul of His servants” (Psalms 34:23). They were engaged in their matzot, as they were grinding and kneading, and the Holy One blessed be He was uprooting the plants4The reference is to the Egyptian firstborn, who were killed even in utero. of Egypt, as it is stated: “Arise, Lord, in your anger [lift Yourself up in indignation [be’avrot]5The midrash expounds be’avrot, indignation, as though it were be’ubarot, meaning fetuses. against my adversaries]” (Psalms 7:7).