Kabbalah sa Exodo 3:13: The Beginning & Zohar

(The matter of the Divine names and principles pertaining to them)
60. [When our teacher Moshe was about to go down to Egypt to redeem the children of Israel, he asked God,⁶¹Exodus 3:13 “Now, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your forefathers sent me to you,’ and they will ask me, ‘What is His name?’ what should I say to them?” He was asking to know the Essential Name HaShem-יהו"ה, which is called Shem HaEtzem-the Name of His Essential Self. Since this Name cannot be grasped by any being other than HaShem-יהו"ה Himself, HaShem-יהו"ה did not fulfill his request, but instead answered, “I shall be as I shall be – אהי"ה אשר אהי"ה.”]⁶²See at length in Ginat Egoz of Rabbi Yosef Gikatilla, translated as HaShem Is One, Vol. 1, The Gate of Intrinsic Being (Shaar HaHavayah), section on Eheyeh-אהי״ה. In Midrash Rabba, our sages, of blessed memory explained,⁶³Midrash Rabbah, Shemot, Parasha 3. “HaShem-יהו"ה said to Moshe, ‘You wish to know My name? [In My relationship to My world] I am called according to my deeds. I may be called El Shaddai-א"ל שד"י, Tzvaoth-צבאות, Eloh”im-אלהי"ם or HaShem-יהו"ה. When I judge the creatures, I am called Eloh”im-אלהי"ם, when I battle the wicked, I am called Tzvaoth-צבאות, when I suspend the sins of man, I am called⁶⁴The Lunar year consists of 354 days. The forty days from the beginning of the month of Elul are days of Judgement. Minus these days, there are the 314 days of the rest of the year, the numerical value of Shaddai-שד"י-314. El Shaddai-א"ל שד"י and when I have mercy upon My world, I am called HaShem-יהו"ה.’” In His relationship with His world the name HaShem-יהו"ה always denotes the quality of mercy, as stated, “HaShem-יהו״ה, HaShem-יהו״ה is a merciful and gracious God.”⁶⁵Exodus 34:6 This is the meaning of “I shall be as I shall be,”⁶⁶Exodus 3:14 that is “I will be called according to my deeds.” (The sages stated that also the names of the angels correspond to their mission, and differ accordingly.)⁶⁷Rashi, Genesis 32:30 based on Midrash Rabbah, Bereshit, Parsha 78.

The Holy One, blessed be He, thus bound him to Himself in heavenly love and affection, made him, as it were, steward of the House, so that he had only to order and the Holy One would execute that decree, as when he said, “and the ground shall open her mouth”, etc. (Num. 16, 30), and we are told, “And it came to pass as he made an end of speaking… that the ground did cleave asunder” (Ibid. 31); or again, as when he said, “Rise up, O Lord… Return, O Lord” (Ibid. 10, 35-36). It is thus written: “as they were counted (puqqad) under the commandment of Moses”, for it was under the command of Moses that the whole was accomplished and the sum of it counted. The word piqude (numberings) here contains an allusion to the message which God gave to Moses, saying: “I have indeed taken count (paqod paqadti) of you” (Ex. 3, 16). For it was Moses who constituted the voice that uttered the message which heralded the departure of Israel from exile.’

The Holy One, blessed be He, thus bound him to Himself in heavenly love and affection, made him, as it were, steward of the House, so that he had only to order and the Holy One would execute that decree, as when he said, “and the ground shall open her mouth”, etc. (Num. 16, 30), and we are told, “And it came to pass as he made an end of speaking… that the ground did cleave asunder” (Ibid. 31); or again, as when he said, “Rise up, O Lord… Return, O Lord” (Ibid. 10, 35-36). It is thus written: “as they were counted (puqqad) under the commandment of Moses”, for it was under the command of Moses that the whole was accomplished and the sum of it counted. The word piqude (numberings) here contains an allusion to the message which God gave to Moses, saying: “I have indeed taken count (paqod paqadti) of you” (Ex. 3, 16). For it was Moses who constituted the voice that uttered the message which heralded the departure of Israel from exile.’