Комментарий к Шмот 3:13
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶל־הָֽאֱלֹהִ֗ים הִנֵּ֨ה אָנֹכִ֣י בָא֮ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וְאָמַרְתִּ֣י לָהֶ֔ם אֱלֹהֵ֥י אֲבוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם שְׁלָחַ֣נִי אֲלֵיכֶ֑ם וְאָֽמְרוּ־לִ֣י מַה־שְּׁמ֔וֹ מָ֥ה אֹמַ֖ר אֲלֵהֶֽם׃
И сказал Моисей Богу: 'Вот, когда я приду к сынам Израилевым и скажу им: Бог отцов ваших послал меня к вам; и они скажут мне: как его зовут? что мне сказать им?'
Ramban on Exodus
AND THEY SHALL SAY UNTO ME: WHAT IS HIS NAME? WHAT SHALL I SAY UNTO THEM? This verse calls aloud for an explanation. It is incomprehensible that Moses should say, And they shall say unto me: What is His name? meaning that this will be a sign to them to believe in him. The asking for His Name and Moses’ telling it to them are no sign to anyone who did not believe in Moses to begin with. If Israel knew that Name, Moses likewise knew it, and thus his knowledge thereof was equivalent to theirs and it would be no sign or wonder at all. If they had not heard of it previously, what proof would that be that they should believe in his words altogether? And now even after He informed him of the Great Name, Moses still said, But, behold, they will not believe me,196Ibid., 4:1. and then He gave him the various signs!197Ibid., Verses 2-9.
Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that Moses asked which of G-d’s Names he should mention to Israel, for the Name of E-il Sha-dai (G-d Almighty) does not signify the performance of miraculous signs; only the Great Name, [i.e., the Tetragrammaton], indicates that. But this interpretation does not appear correct to me. Moses had not yet been told that He would make great and wondrous signs and portents at the going forth from Egypt. Rather, he was told that He would save them from the hand of the Egyptians and bring them up to the land of Canaan, and for that — to strike at the heart of Pharaoh, as well as to be victorious over the seven nations — the name E-il Sha-dai suffices. Sarah was taken out from Pharaoh’s house with great plagues,198Genesis 12:17. and Abraham alone subdued the great kings199Ibid., 14:14-15. — all with the help of E-il Sha-dai, the Divine Name known to the patriarchs,200Further, 6:3. and so likewise He would do to their descendants. Moreover, Jacob had said, And ‘Elokim’ (G-d) will be with you, and bring you back unto the land of your fathers201Genesis 48:21., and Joseph also said, ‘Elokim’ (G-d) will surely remember you.202Ibid., 50:25. Thus the remembrance is by Elokim!
In my opinion, Moses even at that time was already the father of wisdom, great in achievement of the heights of prophecy, and inherent in his question was the request that He inform him Who is sending him, that is to say, by what Divine attribute is he sent to the Israelites, just as Isaiah said, And now the Eternal G-d hath sent me, and His spirit.203Isaiah 48:16. Thus Moses said: “They will ask me concerning my mission whether it is with the attribute of E-il Sha-dai which stood by the patriarchs, or with the high attribute of mercy with which You will do signs and wonders which will be new phenomena in creation.” [Moses was obliged to ask] this question because He had said to him, I am the G-d of thy father, the G-d of Abraham,204Verse 6. and He did not elucidate to him at all any of His sacred Names. Moses then heard that He assured him of the Revelation on Mount Sinai and the Giving of the Torah, and he knew that the Torah would not be given with the Name of E-il Sha-dai mentioned in connection with the patriarchs, but would be given with the Great Name with which the world came into existence. Therefore he asked, What shall I say unto them?
Our Rabbis have alluded to this interpretation. Thus they said:205Shemoth Rabbah 3:6. “And Moses said unto G-d, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel.” Rabbi Shimon related in the name of Rabbi Simon that Moses said: ‘I am destined to become the agent between Thee and them when Thou wilt give them the Torah and say unto them, I am the Eternal thy G-d.’206Further, 20:2. “And if I am worthy to become Thy agent at the Giving of the Torah, I request to be informed now of Thy Great Name” (Eitz Yoseph to Shemoth Rabbah). This conclusion is here implied and is so clearly stated at the end of the Midrash here quoted.
“And I shall say unto them: The G-d of your fathers hath sent me unto you. At that moment, Moses desired to be elucidated concerning his activities, for he feared lest the children of Israel ask him, What is His name? What shall I say unto them? At that moment Moses desired that the Holy One, blessed be He, inform him of the Great Name, [i.e., the Tetragrammaton].” This was the purport of Moses’ question.
Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that Moses asked which of G-d’s Names he should mention to Israel, for the Name of E-il Sha-dai (G-d Almighty) does not signify the performance of miraculous signs; only the Great Name, [i.e., the Tetragrammaton], indicates that. But this interpretation does not appear correct to me. Moses had not yet been told that He would make great and wondrous signs and portents at the going forth from Egypt. Rather, he was told that He would save them from the hand of the Egyptians and bring them up to the land of Canaan, and for that — to strike at the heart of Pharaoh, as well as to be victorious over the seven nations — the name E-il Sha-dai suffices. Sarah was taken out from Pharaoh’s house with great plagues,198Genesis 12:17. and Abraham alone subdued the great kings199Ibid., 14:14-15. — all with the help of E-il Sha-dai, the Divine Name known to the patriarchs,200Further, 6:3. and so likewise He would do to their descendants. Moreover, Jacob had said, And ‘Elokim’ (G-d) will be with you, and bring you back unto the land of your fathers201Genesis 48:21., and Joseph also said, ‘Elokim’ (G-d) will surely remember you.202Ibid., 50:25. Thus the remembrance is by Elokim!
In my opinion, Moses even at that time was already the father of wisdom, great in achievement of the heights of prophecy, and inherent in his question was the request that He inform him Who is sending him, that is to say, by what Divine attribute is he sent to the Israelites, just as Isaiah said, And now the Eternal G-d hath sent me, and His spirit.203Isaiah 48:16. Thus Moses said: “They will ask me concerning my mission whether it is with the attribute of E-il Sha-dai which stood by the patriarchs, or with the high attribute of mercy with which You will do signs and wonders which will be new phenomena in creation.” [Moses was obliged to ask] this question because He had said to him, I am the G-d of thy father, the G-d of Abraham,204Verse 6. and He did not elucidate to him at all any of His sacred Names. Moses then heard that He assured him of the Revelation on Mount Sinai and the Giving of the Torah, and he knew that the Torah would not be given with the Name of E-il Sha-dai mentioned in connection with the patriarchs, but would be given with the Great Name with which the world came into existence. Therefore he asked, What shall I say unto them?
Our Rabbis have alluded to this interpretation. Thus they said:205Shemoth Rabbah 3:6. “And Moses said unto G-d, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel.” Rabbi Shimon related in the name of Rabbi Simon that Moses said: ‘I am destined to become the agent between Thee and them when Thou wilt give them the Torah and say unto them, I am the Eternal thy G-d.’206Further, 20:2. “And if I am worthy to become Thy agent at the Giving of the Torah, I request to be informed now of Thy Great Name” (Eitz Yoseph to Shemoth Rabbah). This conclusion is here implied and is so clearly stated at the end of the Midrash here quoted.
“And I shall say unto them: The G-d of your fathers hath sent me unto you. At that moment, Moses desired to be elucidated concerning his activities, for he feared lest the children of Israel ask him, What is His name? What shall I say unto them? At that moment Moses desired that the Holy One, blessed be He, inform him of the Great Name, [i.e., the Tetragrammaton].” This was the purport of Moses’ question.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Rashbam on Exodus
מה אמר אליהם?, seeing that I do not know Your specific name.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Sforno on Exodus
"ואמרו לי "מה שמו?, a name describes the individual features of a person, Being, or what makes him distinctive. The people could therefore be expected to ask Moses in what manner this G’d whose messenger he claimed to be had distinguished Himself as being special, different from other gods.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy