“The Lord said: Behold, there is a place with Me, and you shall stand on the rock” (Exodus 33:21). “The Lord said: Behold, there is a place with Me, and you shall stand on the rock.” Rabbi Yosei bar Rabbi Ḥanina said: “Behold I am at this place” is not written here, but rather, “there is a place with Me.” My place is ancillary to Me and I am not ancillary to My place.
“I will remove My hand and you will see My back, but My face will not be seen” (Exodus 33:23). “I will remove My hand.” The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘I will show you the reward of the righteous that I am destined to grant them at the end of days.’ Rabbi Asi said: The prophets saw the feast of the Garden of Eden, but they did not see the granting of reward, as it is stated: “No eye has seen it, God, other than You, who will do for one who awaits Him” (Isaiah 64:3).
Likewise, David said: “How great is the goodness that You have stored for those who fear You” (Psalms 31:20). He said: I will pass all My goodness before you and I will call in the name of the Lord before you, and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and I will have mercy upon whom I will have mercy” (Exodus 33:19). What is written above? “I will pass all My goodness before you” – the attribute of goodness and the attribute of punishment.21The verse could have stated simply “I will pass My goodness before you,” but instead states “I will pass all My goodness before you.”
The word “all” alludes to the fact that even God’s punishments are good. “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious.” At that moment, the Holy One blessed be He showed him all the storehouses of reward that are designated for the righteous. [Moses] said: ‘Who does this storehouse belong to?’ [God] said: ‘It belongs to those who perform mitzvot.’ ‘And who does this storehouse belong to?’ ‘It belongs to those who raise orphans.’
So it was for each and every storehouse. Then he saw a great storehouse. He said: ‘Who does this storehouse belong to?’ He said to him: ‘One who has, I grant him from his reward; one who does not have, I grant it to him gratis, and I grant him from this,’22This storehouse was for people who did not have a right to receive reward from any other storehouse.
It was large because of the very many people included in this category (Etz Yosef). as it is stated: “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious,” to whom I wish to be gracious. Likewise, “I will have mercy upon whom I will have mercy.”