<b>And he gave unto Moses when he had made an end of speaking (Exod. 31:18).</b> Scripture states with reference to this verse: <i>A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men</i> (Prov. 18:16). The gift a man gives out of his own possessions resounds to his advantage, as is told about Abun Ramaah,<sup class="footnote-marker">20</sup><i class="footnote">See Deut. R. chapter 4, sect. 8, where he is called Abin the deceiver, not deceitful, simply cunning in giving charity.</i> who resided in Bozrah.<sup class="footnote-marker">21</sup><i class="footnote">An Idumean town in which a number of scholars lived.</i> Our rabbis went there to obtain a contribution from him. However, he refused to contribute anything at all until all the men of the community had made their contributions. Then he contributed an amount equal to all the others. That is why he was called Abun, the deceiver. What did our rabbis do after that? They sat him amongst themselves to fulfill what is written: <i>A man’s gift maketh room for him</i>. Another explanation of <i>And He gave unto Moses</i> is contained in the verse: <i>Thou hast also given me Thy shield of salvation, and Thy right hand hath holden me up; and Thy condescension hath made me great</i> (Ps. 18:26). <i>Thou hast given me Thy shield of salvation</i> refers to the Israelites, who trust in the Holy One, blessed be He; <i>Thy right hand hath holden me up</i> alludes to the Torah, as it says: <i>At His right hand a fiery law unto them</i> (Deut. 33:2); <i>And Thy condescension hath made me great</i> relates to the condescension of the Holy One, blessed be He.
Is there any condescension greater than that shown by the Holy One, blessed be He? R. Abba ben Aha said: Ordinarily, a student in the presence of his master will wait for the master to depart before he leaves, but the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Ezekiel: “<i>Arise, go forth into the plain, and I will speak there with thee”; then I arose, and went forth into the plain; and, behold, the Glory of the Lord stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell on my face</i> (Ezek. 3:22–23). This tells us that the Holy One, blessed be He, permitted him to depart first. Is there an example of condescension greater than this? Similarly it is expressed in the verse <i>Moses spoke, and God answered him loudly</i> (Exod. 19:19). Should not the verse say: “The Holy One, blessed be He, spoke, and Moses answered him loudly”? And it is written elsewhere: <i>And the Lord said unto me: “This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, neither shall any man enter it, for the Lord, the God of Israel hath entered in by it”</i> (Ezek. 44:1). <i>But on the Sabbath day it shall be opened, and in the day of the new moon it shall be opened</i> (ibid. 46:1). The honor of a human king demands that he enter through the largest gate rather than through a small one, but the Holy One, blessed be He, entered through the smallest gate.
Similarly God’s condescension is indicated in the verse <i>And the Lord appeared unto him by the terebinths of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day</i> (Gen. 18:1). Normally, if a pupil is ill and his master intends to visit him, his fellow students visit him first and the master comes later. In this instance, however, while Abraham still suffered from the circumcision, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to the angels: Let us go visit him. The Holy One, blessed be He, however, preceded them, as it is said: <i>And He appeared unto him</i>, and that is followed by: <i>And he looked, and behold, three men</i>.
Ben Azzai said: Observe the humility of the Holy One, blessed be He. When a mortal king issues a proclamation in his dominion announcing that so-and-so is to be magistrate, another a prefect, and still another a general, he mentions his own name first and then his selections. However, the Holy One, blessed be He, mentioned his deeds first and then His name, as in the verse: <i>In the beginning created God</i>. Is there any humility greater than this? Ordinarily, a king will set aside supplies and precious gifts for the legionaries who are loyal to him, and he will divide the plunder with them. If they should rebel, however, he no longer feels any obligation to them. Though the Israelites fashioned a golden calf, the Holy One, blessed be He, was concerned with saving their lives, as it is said: <i>For that is thy life and the length of thy days</i> (Deut. 30:20).