God Sits in Judgment Over Moses Then Turns to Mercy

Parashat Va'era. "And God spoke to Moses and said to him, I am the LORD" (Exodus 6:2). This is what Scripture says: "Hear, My people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against you; God, your God, am I" (Psalms 50:7). Rav Pinchas the Priest son of Chama said: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, Because I called you God, as it is said, "See, I have made you a god to Pharaoh" (Exodus 7:1), I am your God; and therefore it is said, "And God spoke to Moses." This is what Scripture says: "For oppression makes a wise man foolish" (Ecclesiastes 7:7) -- when a wise man busies himself with affairs, they confuse him away from wisdom; "and a gift destroys the heart" -- away from the Torah, which is called a gift, as it is said, "and from Mattanah [gift] to Nahaliel" (Numbers 21:19). Even Moses: as it is said, "And Moses returned to the LORD and said, Lord, why have You dealt ill with this people, and from the time I came to Pharaoh" (Exodus 5:22-23). And the LORD said to Moses, "Now you shall see" what I do to Pharaoh and to Egypt you will see, but you will not see, and so on. At that moment the Holy One, blessed be He, sought to sit in judgment over him. From where? As it is said, "And God spoke to Moses," and "God" means nothing other than a judge, as it is said, "You shall not curse the judges [Elohim]" (Exodus 22:27). Then advocacy entered and pleaded merit on his behalf, as it is said, "And He said, I am the LORD"; and "the LORD" means nothing other than mercy, as it is said, "The LORD, the LORD, God merciful and gracious" (Exodus 34:6).