“Moses was herding the flock of his father-in-law Yitro, the priest of Midyan, and he led the flock into the wilderness, and he arrived at the mountain of God, to Ḥorev” (Exodus 3:1). “Moses was” – that is what is written: “He makes known to Moses His ways, His deeds [alilotav] to the children of Israel” (Psalms 103:7). The attributes and deeds of flesh and blood are distorted, as it is stated: “He pressed false charges against her” (Deuteronomy 22:14).
However, the attributes and deeds of the Holy One blessed be He are merciful, as it is stated: “The Lord is compassionate and gracious” (Psalms 103:8). He made known to Moses those attributes at the moment that he [Moses] said to Him: “Please make known to me Your ways” (Exodus 33:13). The Holy One blessed be He said to him: “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious” (Exodus 33:19). That is, “the Lord is compassionate and gracious.”
“He makes known to Moses His ways…” – He made known to Moses the path to the culmination [the redemption], as it is stated: “Moses was herding.1God informed Moses of the path to the culmination of the Egyptian exile when He appeared to him as he was herding the flock.” “…His deeds [alilotav] to the children of Israel” – He performed His deeds in Egypt so that Israel would relate the deeds that the Holy One blessed be He did to Egypt.
That is what is written: “So that you relate in the ears of your sons […what I wrought [hitallalti] upon Egypt]” (Exodus 10:2). “Compassionate” – He had compassion on Israel and the plagues did not touch them. “And gracious” – that they found grace in the eyes of Egypt. “Forbearing” (Psalms 103:8) – He was forbearing with them, as He tilts the scales in favor of kindness, and He looked to the good and not to the evil that they were destined to perform.