Midrash sobre Êxodo 33:12

(Exod. 33:12:) AND MOSES SAID UNTO THE LORD: SEE, YOU <SAY UNTO ME: BRING THIS PEOPLE UP>…. it is written (in Ps. 77:6 [5]): I HAVE CONSIDERED THE DAYS OF OLD. The congregation of Israel said to the Holy One: Sovereign of the World, we sit and consider how many years you took to redeem us from Egypt, how many years you took to redeem us from Greece.⁵⁵Exod. R. 45:2. (Ps. 77:11 [10]) THIS IS MY WEAKNESS (rt.: HLH), THAT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE MOST HIGH MIGHT CHANGE. Resh Laqish said: If they are sick (rt.: HLH), they can be healed.⁵⁶PRK 17:2; Lam. R. 1:2:23. Lam. R. has R. Simeon b. Laqish continue: If there is a change of the right hand, there is no hope.

(Exod. 33:12:) AND MOSES SAID UNTO THE LORD. To what is the matter comparable? To a cavern which was located on the edge of the sea, and <the sea> filled it.⁵⁸Exod. R. 45:3. From then on the sea was flowing into the cave, and the cave making a return to the sea. (Exod. 33:1:) AND THE LORD SPOKE UNTO MOSES. (Exod. 33:5:) AND THE LORD SPOKE UNTO MOSES. (Exod. 33:12:) AND MOSES SAID UNTO THE LORD.⁵⁹In other words, conversation between the Holy One and Moses flowed back and forth like tidal waters flowing in and out of a cavern.

[(Exod. 33:12:) AND MOSES SAID UNTO THE LORD.] What is written above on the matter (in vs. 5)? AND THE LORD SPOKE UNTO MOSES: SAY UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL: YOU ARE A STIFF-NECKED PEOPLE…. NOW THEN, REMOVE YOUR ORNAMENTS. What is the meaning of YOUR ORNAMENTS? R. Simeon said: The weaponry which the Holy One gave them with the Ineffable Name inscribed upon it.⁶⁰Above, Exod. 8:7. Immediately (in vs. 6), SO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL STRIPPED THEMSELVES OF ORNAMENTS (i.e., their weapons). When Moses saw that they had lost the good gift, he became angry with them.

(Exod. 33:8:) AND IT CAME TO PASS THAT WHEN MOSES WOULD GO OUT {TO} [UNTO] THE TENT, they would stand at the sides and honor him by saying: Blessed is the woman who gave birth to Moses.⁶⁴Cf. Luke 11:27. What would he see in it?⁶⁵Exod. R.45:4. (Exod. 33:9:) AND IT CAME TO PASS THAT WHEN MOSES WOULD GO [TO THE TENT], THE PILLAR OF CLOUD WOULD DESCEND. They knew that the Divine Presence was being revealed to Moses. (Exod. 33:10): ALL THE PEOPLE WOULD RISE <AND BOW DOWN, EACH AT THE ENTRANCE OF HIS TENT>. The Holy One said to him: Moses, return unto the camp. He said to him. I am not going back. The Holy One said to him: Be aware that Joshua is in the Tabernacle. To what is the matter comparable? To a matron,⁶⁶Lat.: matrona. who became angry with the king and left the palace.⁶⁷Lat: (palatium). Now she had been raising a certain orphan girl in the palace. The king sent after the matron and said to her: Return unto the palace; but she did not want to return. The Holy one said to her: I am telling you to return, but you are unwilling. Be aware that the orphan girl is being installed in the palace. So (in Exod. 33:11): THE LORD WOULD SPEAK UNTO MOSES FACE TO FACE <AS ONE SPEAKS UNTO HIS FRIEND>. What did he speak? Return unto the camp. But he did not wish to return. The Holy One said: I am telling you to return, but you do not wish <to do so>. By your life, Joshua is in the Tent of meeting.⁶⁸According to Exod. 33:11, HIS ATTENDANT, JOSHUA BIN NUN, A YOUTH, WOULD NOT MOVE OUT OF THE TENT. Moses said to him: Sovereign of the World, was it not for your sake that I was angry with them? (Exod. 33:12:) SEE, YOU SAY UNTO ME: <BRING THIS PEOPLE UP>. See, you cannot forsake them.⁶⁹By using the words of Exod. 33:12, in which the Holy One tells him to BRING THIS PEOPLE UP, Moses reminds him that any plan to forsake them is contradictory. See Exod. R. 45:4. The Holy One said to him: I have already told you (in Exod. 23:20): AND I AM SENDING⁷⁰The wording here is somewhat different from the Masoretic Text, but the translation would be the same. AN ANGEL BEFORE YOU. Moses said to him: Are you delivering me to an angel? (Exod. 33:15:) UNLESS YOUR PRESENCE GOES ALONG, DO NOT MAKE US GO UP FROM HERE. (Exod. 33:13:) AND NOW, IF I HAVE TRULY FOUND FAVOR IN YOUR EYES, < PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAYS KNOWN TO ME>….