Another matter, “that You took out of the land of Egypt,” why did he see fit to mention the exodus from Egypt here? Rabbi Yehuda bar Shalom said in the name of Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon, in the name of Rabbi Levi ben Perata: To what is this matter comparable? To one who came to purchase a slave. He said to the master: ‘This slave that you are selling, is he base or noble?’
He said to him: ‘He is base; that is why I am selling him.’ He purchased him and took him to his home. One time, the slave acted corruptly and his master began striking him. He said to him: ‘I will kill you; what, is it a wicked slave that I seek?’
The slave began screaming: ‘You are subjecting me to injustice.’ His master said to him: ‘You acted corruptly; all this corruption, and you scream: You are subjecting me to injustice?’ The slave said: ‘Indeed. You are subjecting me to injustice.’
He said to him: ‘My master, how did you purchase me, as a good slave or as a wicked slave?’ He said to him: ‘As a wicked slave.’ He said to him: ‘You purchased me as a wicked slave and you expect me to be a good slave?’ So said Moses: ‘Master of the universe, did You not say to me: “Now, go and I will send you to Pharaoh” (Exodus 3:10), and I said to you: ‘On the basis of what merit will You redeem them?
They are idolaters.’ You said to me: ‘Now you see them engaging in idol worship, but I see them departing from Egypt, and I will split the sea on their behalf, I will bring them to the wilderness, I will give them the Torah, I will show them My glory face to face, they will accept My kingdom, and they will deny Me after forty days and they will craft the calf. That is what it says: “I have seen [rao ra’iti] the affliction of [oni] My people (Exodus 3:7),” that is the sound of the calf, “the sound of distress [anot], I hear” (Exodus 32:18).20When God said, in Egypt, “I have seen [rao ra’iti] the affliction of [oni] My people,” that statement alludes to the fact that God foresaw the sin of the Golden Calf.
This is implied by the double term used for “seen” as well as the term oni, which has the same root as the term anot used in connection with the Golden Calf. Before You redeemed them, You said to me that they would be crafting a calf, and now that they crafted it, You seek to kill them?’ That is why he mentioned the exodus from Egypt in his plea on their behalf. Rabbi Pinḥas HaKohen ben Ḥama said in the name of Rabbi Abahu, in the name of Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina: What is “I have seen [rao ra’iti]”?21Why does the Hebrew verse employ a double term for seeing?
The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘You see them now, but I see them how they are looking at Me as I emerge in My chariot of glory in order to give them the Torah,’ as it is stated: “The chariots of God are myriad, thousands upon thousands of companies” (Psalms 68:18) ‘and they take one of My four animals,’ as it is written: “The face of an ox to the left of the four of them” (Ezekiel 1:10).
That is why Moses said: ‘“Why is Your wrath enflamed?” You knew them, and now You are angry at them because they crafted the calf?’