“The Lord said: I have seen My people’s affliction that is in Egypt, and I have heard their outcry because of their taskmasters, as I know their pain” (Exodus 3:7). “The Lord said: I have seen My people’s affliction” – that is what is written: “For He knows vain men [metei shav]” (Job 11:11); The Holy One blessed be He knows the people who die [metim] to perform vanity. Alternatively, The Holy One blessed be He knows the people who are destined to perform vanity and be killed, as it is stated: “Your men [metayikh] will fall by the sword” (Isaiah 3:25).

In contrast, “He sees iniquity but does not consider it” (Job 11:11). How so? You find that at the moment that Hagar left Abraham’s house, she and her son, what is written? “The water in the skin finished…she went and sat down at a distance” (Genesis 21:15–16).

Rabbi Berekhya said: She began reproaching Heaven; she said: ‘Master of the universe, yesterday You said to me: “I will multiply your descendants,” and today he is dying.’ Immediately, “the angel of God called to Hagar” (Genesis 21:17). Rabbi Simon said: The ministering angels sought to denounce him [Ishmael]. They said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, a person who is destined to cause your children to die of thirst,4The reference is unclear.

Possibly it refers to the story in Lamentations Rabba 2:4 in which the Ishmaelites caused refugees from Nebuchadnezzar to die of thirst. are You bringing up a well for him? It is proper to bring it up for six hundred thousand who are destined to recite before You: “This is my God and I will glorify Him”’ (Exodus 15:2). He said to them: ‘Now, is he righteous or wicked’? They said before Him: ‘He is righteous.’

He said to them: ‘I only judge a person at his time.’5Although God perceives future sins, He judges only those actions already performed. Therefore it is written: “He sees iniquity but does not consider it.” Likewise, when Israel was in Egypt, The Holy One blessed be He saw what they were destined to do; that is what is written: “The Lord said: I have seen [ra’o ra’iti].” It does not say ra’iti, but rather, ra’o ra’iti.6That is, the verb is doubled, combining the absolute infinitive ra’o with the first person past ra’iti, meaning ‘I have seen.’

This formulation is common in Biblical Hebrew and is often understood to indicate emphasis. Nevertheless, the midrash takes the opportunity to expound the double verb. The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘You see one sight but I see two sights. You see them arriving at Sinai and receiving My Torah, and I see them receiving My Torah, that is ra’o; [but I also see] ra’iti, that is the sight of the deed of the calf, as it is stated; “I have seen [ra’iti] this people” (Exodus 32:9).

When I come to Sinai to give them the Torah, I descend in my tatramoli,7A quadriga, a chariot drawn by four animals abreast. The allusion is to the divine chariot depicted in Ezekiel 1. and they look at me and remove one of them8One of the creatures depicted in the divine chariot in Ezekiel is a bull. and anger me with it. Nevertheless, I am not judging them on the basis of the actions that they are destined to do but rather according to the situation now.

For I have heard their cry, even though I know their pain that they are destined to cause.’ That is ra’o ra’iti. What is: “As I know their pain?” I know how much they are destined to pain Me in the wilderness,9The midrash is interpreting makhovav, “its pain,” to refer to pain inflicted by Israel, rather than pain they experienced. as it is stated: “How often did they defy Him in the wilderness, and aggrieve Him in the wasteland” (Psalms 78:40).

Nevertheless, I will not refrain from delivering them. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: Otniel ben Kenaz argued this matter before the Holy One blessed be He. He said: ‘Master of the universe, this is what you promised to Moses, whether they do Your will or they do not do Your will, you deliver them, as it is stated: “The spirit of the Lord was upon him, and he judged Israel”’10This is a reference to Otniel ben Kenaz. (Judges 3:10). Therefore, it is written: “As I know their pain.” Nevertheless, I will deliver them.