וַיֹּ֤אמֶר מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶל־הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים מִ֣י אָנֹ֔כִי כִּ֥י אֵלֵ֖ךְ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֑ה וְכִ֥י אוֹצִ֛יא אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃
At sinabi ni Moises sa Diyos: “Sino ba ako upang pumunta kay Faraon, at upang ilabas ang mga anak ni Israel mula sa Egipto?”
Shemot Rabbah
“Moses said to God: 'Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should take the children of Israel out of Egypt?’” (Exodus 3:11)
“Moses said to God: Who am I [anokhi]?” Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: This is analogous to a king who married off his daughter and committed to give her one province and gentlewoman as a maidservant, and he gave her a Kushite maidservant. His son-in-law said: ‘Didn’t you commit to give me a gentlewoman as a maidservant?’ So, Moses said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, when Jacob descended to Egypt, didn’t you say this to them: “I [Anokhi] will descend with you into Egypt and I [Anokhi] will take you up” (Genesis 46:4), and now you say to me: “Go now, and I will send you to Pharaoh”? It is not I [anokhi] about whom you said: “And I [Anokhi] will take you up.”’12Moses is, as it were, pointing out to God that He promised to take Israel out of Egypt Himself, and not by means of an agent.
Another interpretation: Rabbi Nehorai says: Moses said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘You say to me: Go and take Israel out. Where do I shelter13Following Rabbi David Luria’s emendation mashkinam rather that mashkim. them in the summer due to the sun, and in the winter due to the cold? From where do I provide food and drink? How many birth mothers are among them, how many pregnant women, how many children are among them, how many types of foods have you provided them to sustain them, how many delicacies have you prepared for the pregnant women, how much toasted grain and how many nuts have you provided for the children?’ Where is this matter explicated? It is in Song of Songs, as it is stated: “Tell me, whom my soul loves…” (Song of Songs 1:7). The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘The bread that came out with them from Egypt will suffice them for thirty days; you know how I am destined to lead them.’
Another interpretation: “Who am I?” – He [Moses] said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, how am I able to enter a place of robbers and a place of murderers? That is: “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh…” “And that I should take the children of Israel out” – what merit do they possess that will enable me to take them out?’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: “Because I will be with you” (Exodus 3:12). One says “I will be with you” only to someone who is afraid.
“He said: Because I will be with you, and this is your sign that it is I who sent you: When you take the people out of Egypt, you will serve God upon this mountain” (Exodus 3:12).
“And this is your sign that I sent you” – and in this manner it will be apparent that you are My emissary, because I will be with you and anything you wish I will perform.
“When you take the people out of Egypt, you will serve God upon this mountain.” That which you said: ‘With what merit will I take them out of Egypt?’ Know that due to the merit of the Torah that they are destined to receive through you on this mountain they will emerge from there.
Another matter: “[you will serve] God” – what is it that He said to him: “That I [anokhi] sent you”?14Why does the verse change from first person to third person? “This is your sign that it is I who sent you…you will serve God.” Our Rabbis of blessed memory said: A sign of the first deliverance is that Israel went down to Egypt with anokhi, as it is stated: “I [anokhi] will go down with you to Egypt” (Genesis 46:4), and with anokhi I will take you up. A sign of the ultimate redemption is that with anokhi they will be cured and are destined to be delivered, as it is stated: “Behold I [anokhi] will send you Elijah the prophet” (Malachi 3:23).
“Moses said to God: Who am I [anokhi]?” Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: This is analogous to a king who married off his daughter and committed to give her one province and gentlewoman as a maidservant, and he gave her a Kushite maidservant. His son-in-law said: ‘Didn’t you commit to give me a gentlewoman as a maidservant?’ So, Moses said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, when Jacob descended to Egypt, didn’t you say this to them: “I [Anokhi] will descend with you into Egypt and I [Anokhi] will take you up” (Genesis 46:4), and now you say to me: “Go now, and I will send you to Pharaoh”? It is not I [anokhi] about whom you said: “And I [Anokhi] will take you up.”’12Moses is, as it were, pointing out to God that He promised to take Israel out of Egypt Himself, and not by means of an agent.
Another interpretation: Rabbi Nehorai says: Moses said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘You say to me: Go and take Israel out. Where do I shelter13Following Rabbi David Luria’s emendation mashkinam rather that mashkim. them in the summer due to the sun, and in the winter due to the cold? From where do I provide food and drink? How many birth mothers are among them, how many pregnant women, how many children are among them, how many types of foods have you provided them to sustain them, how many delicacies have you prepared for the pregnant women, how much toasted grain and how many nuts have you provided for the children?’ Where is this matter explicated? It is in Song of Songs, as it is stated: “Tell me, whom my soul loves…” (Song of Songs 1:7). The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘The bread that came out with them from Egypt will suffice them for thirty days; you know how I am destined to lead them.’
Another interpretation: “Who am I?” – He [Moses] said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, how am I able to enter a place of robbers and a place of murderers? That is: “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh…” “And that I should take the children of Israel out” – what merit do they possess that will enable me to take them out?’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: “Because I will be with you” (Exodus 3:12). One says “I will be with you” only to someone who is afraid.
“He said: Because I will be with you, and this is your sign that it is I who sent you: When you take the people out of Egypt, you will serve God upon this mountain” (Exodus 3:12).
“And this is your sign that I sent you” – and in this manner it will be apparent that you are My emissary, because I will be with you and anything you wish I will perform.
“When you take the people out of Egypt, you will serve God upon this mountain.” That which you said: ‘With what merit will I take them out of Egypt?’ Know that due to the merit of the Torah that they are destined to receive through you on this mountain they will emerge from there.
Another matter: “[you will serve] God” – what is it that He said to him: “That I [anokhi] sent you”?14Why does the verse change from first person to third person? “This is your sign that it is I who sent you…you will serve God.” Our Rabbis of blessed memory said: A sign of the first deliverance is that Israel went down to Egypt with anokhi, as it is stated: “I [anokhi] will go down with you to Egypt” (Genesis 46:4), and with anokhi I will take you up. A sign of the ultimate redemption is that with anokhi they will be cured and are destined to be delivered, as it is stated: “Behold I [anokhi] will send you Elijah the prophet” (Malachi 3:23).
Midrash Tanchuma
When the Holy One, blessed be He, wills it, even the organs under a man’s control may be taken out of his control. How do we know this? We know it from Moses, Balaam, Jonah, Jeremiah, and Jeroboam. Where do we learn this about Moses? R. Samuel the son of Nahman said: The Holy One, blessed be He, tried for seven days to persuade Moses from the midst of the burning bush, as is said: Come now, therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh (Exod. 3:11), but Moses replied: O Lord, I am not a man of words, neither heretofore, nor since Thou hast spoken unto thy servant (ibid. 4:10). This verse indicates that the Holy One, blessed be He, tried for seven days to persuade him to go to Pharaoh.12Translated literally, Exod. 4:10 reads: O Lord, I am not a man of words, also from yesterday, also from the day before yesterday, also since Thou hast spoken unto Thy servant. Yesterday and the day before yesterday indicate three days; the word also is repeated three times, implying three more days; and the day on which Moses asked God to send someone else is the seventh day. He replied: Send please, whomever you will send. The Holy One, blessed be He, rebuked him, saying: Do you believe that your feet are under your control? Thereupon, Moses went to Pharaoh against his will. In the case of Jonah, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city (Jonah 1:2). But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord; and he went down to Joppa (ibid., v. 3). Ultimately, He inflicted upon him all the terrors of the sea: The fish swallowed him, and he cried out to the Holy One, blessed be He, from the belly of the fish; and the hair of his head and beard fell out because of the heat within the fish’s belly. Finally, he went to Nineveh, even though he did not desire to do so.
Shemot Rabbah
Another interpretation: “This month shall be for you” (Exodus 12:2) – that is what is written: “I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam before you” (Micah 6:4). That is what Scripture states: “Send Your light [orekha] and Your truth [amitekha]; they will lead me” (Psalms 43:3) – that is Moses and Aaron, as it is stated: “To Levi He said: Your Tumim [tumekha] and Your Urim [ve’urekha]” (Deuteronomy 33:8),39The Urim and the Tumim, which were oracular talismans that were part of the vestments of the High Priest, can be literally translated as ‘lights and virtues,’ which is close to the light and truth of the verse in Psalms. and it is written: “The Torah of truth was in his mouth” (Malachi 2:6).
“I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam before you” (Micah 6:4) – this teaches that he [Moses] was not seeking to redeem Israel; rather, Moses said to the Holy One blessed be He: ‘“Who am I [that I should go]?” (Exodus 3:11). Is this what You promised to their ancestors, that You would take out their descendants by means of flesh and blood? “Who am I that I should go?” “And that I should take the children of Israel out” (Exodus 3:11) – is it about me that it is written: “I will judge” (Genesis 15:14), that You are sending me to deliver them? Did You not promise Abraham and say to him: “And also that nation whom they will serve, I will judge” (Genesis 15:14)? Did You not say to Jacob: “I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will surely take you up” (Genesis 46:4), and You say to me [to do it]? “Who am I?”’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘By your life, I will go down and deliver them. One woman went down to Egypt, and for her sake, I went down and rescued her. When? It was when Pharaoh abducted Sarah, as it is stated: “The Lord afflicted Pharaoh” (Genesis 12:17). If, for the sake of one woman I came down, for six hundred thousand men, six hundred thousand women, and six hundred thousand children will I not come down and deliver them? Rather, you go first and inform My children that I am redeeming them and then I will deliver them.’ That is why it is written: “Send Your light and Your truth; they will lead me.” That is why He said: “I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam before you.”
“I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam before you” (Micah 6:4) – this teaches that he [Moses] was not seeking to redeem Israel; rather, Moses said to the Holy One blessed be He: ‘“Who am I [that I should go]?” (Exodus 3:11). Is this what You promised to their ancestors, that You would take out their descendants by means of flesh and blood? “Who am I that I should go?” “And that I should take the children of Israel out” (Exodus 3:11) – is it about me that it is written: “I will judge” (Genesis 15:14), that You are sending me to deliver them? Did You not promise Abraham and say to him: “And also that nation whom they will serve, I will judge” (Genesis 15:14)? Did You not say to Jacob: “I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will surely take you up” (Genesis 46:4), and You say to me [to do it]? “Who am I?”’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘By your life, I will go down and deliver them. One woman went down to Egypt, and for her sake, I went down and rescued her. When? It was when Pharaoh abducted Sarah, as it is stated: “The Lord afflicted Pharaoh” (Genesis 12:17). If, for the sake of one woman I came down, for six hundred thousand men, six hundred thousand women, and six hundred thousand children will I not come down and deliver them? Rather, you go first and inform My children that I am redeeming them and then I will deliver them.’ That is why it is written: “Send Your light and Your truth; they will lead me.” That is why He said: “I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam before you.”