<b>And the Lord said: I have surely seen the affliction of my people (Exod. 3:7).</b> Scripture states elsewhere <i>For He knoweth base men; and when He seeth iniquity, will He not then consider it</i> (Job 11:11)? The Holy One, blessed be He said to Moses: <i>I have surely seen</i> (<i>ra’oh ra’iti</i>) indicates that I have beheld two visions.<sup class="footnote-marker">15</sup><i class="footnote">The repetition of the verb in this tense implies that he had two visions.</i> I have seen and I know their grief and will redeem them now, and I have seen this people, and behold, <i>it is a stiff-necked people</i> (Exod. 32:9), who will in the future anger Me by erecting the golden calf. Thus, it says <i>I have surely seen</i>. R. Samuel the son of Nahman stated: Othniel discussed this matter with the Holy One, blessed be He. He said: Master of the Universe how could you have assured Moses that you would redeem them, whether they do your will or not, since it is said: <i>And the spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel; and he went out to war</i> (Judg. 3:10). I could do so because <i>I know their pains</i> (Exod. 3:7) is stated. The Holy One, blessed be He, replied: What can I do? I must redeem them, <i>I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians</i> (ibid., v. 8).
<i>Moses said unto God: Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel and I shall say to them the God of your fathers sent me. What shall I say to them</i> (Exod. 3:13)? Moses pleaded with the Holy One, blessed be He, to divulge His great name to him. He said: If they should ask me, What is His name?, What shall I answer? He answered Moses: Do you desire to know My name? I am known according to My works. When I judge mankind, I am called God; when I take revenge upon the wicked, I am called Hosts; when I consider the sins of man, I am called Almighty God; and when I sit in merciful judgment, I am called Merciful One. My name conforms to My deeds. I urge you, however, to say to them: <i>The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob has sent me unto you; this is My name forever, and this is My memorial unto all generations</i> (ibid., v. 15).
Master of the Universe, he exclaimed: I have sworn to Jethro that I would not leave without his permission. And He answered: Return to Midian and I will release you from your vow. Therefore, he spoke with him once again in Midian, as it is said: <i>And the Lord said unto Moses in Midian. Moses went, and returned to Jethro his father-in-law</i> (ibid. 4:18). Surely it would have been necessary to say only He returned to Midian, why then, does Scripture say <i>and he returned to Jethro his father-in-law</i>? It is to tell us that he went to him to be released from his vow and to obtain his permission to depart, as it is said: <i>Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren</i> (ibid.).