Psalm 18:26 offers a fascinating, and perhaps unsettling, answer: "With a pious person, act piously; with an upright man, be upright; with a pure one, be pure; and with a crooked one, deal crookedly."

Whoa. Deal crookedly? That's a tough one, isn't it? It seems to suggest that God's actions are, in some way, a reflection of our own. And that's exactly what the Rabbis explore in Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Psalms.

The Midrash uses Abraham and Moses as examples, dissecting moments in their lives to illustrate this principle. Rabbi Judah interprets the verse in the context of Abraham’s life. When Abraham walked with God in piety, God walked with him in piety. When Abraham walked with God in innocence, God walked with him in innocence. And when Abraham walked with God in shrewdness, God walked with him in shrewdness. The Midrash asks: When did God walk with Abraham in piety? When Abraham questioned, "O Lord God, what can You give me?" (Genesis 15:2). And what followed? "This man shall not be your heir," (Genesis 15:4) a seemingly harsh response, perhaps mirroring Abraham’s lack of faith.

And when did God walk with Abraham in innocence? When Abraham pleaded, "Please do not pass by Your servant," (Genesis 18:3) offering hospitality to the three angels. The text then notes, "And Abraham was still standing before the Lord," (Genesis 18:22) suggesting a moment of pure, selfless devotion.

But what about shrewdness? The Midrash points to the moment when Abraham asked, "How will I know?" (Genesis 15:8) regarding God's promise of the land. God's response? "You shall surely know," (Genesis 15:13) – a prophecy filled with hardship and exile, a stark and perhaps unavoidable truth.

Rabbi Simon adds a fascinating side note here, suggesting that "The final redaction of the Torah was delayed because the Shechinah" – the divine presence – "was waiting for Moses to finish his conversation with God." It's like the whole universe was holding its breath, waiting for the dialogue between humanity and the Divine to reach its completion.

The Midrash then turns its attention to Moses. Rabbi Nehemiah interprets the same verse, but this time through the lens of Moses’s life. When Moses walked with God in piety, God walked with him in piety. When Moses walked with God in innocence, God walked with him in innocence.

When did God walk with Moses in piety? When Moses wondered, "Why does the bush not burn up?" (Exodus 3:3). It says that his words stood firm with Him. And what immediately follows? "And Moses hid his face," (Exodus 3:6) overwhelmed by the divine encounter.

And when did Moses walk with God in innocence? When Moses asked, "And what shall I say to them?" (Exodus 3:13). God responded with the profound, "I will be who I will be," (Exodus 3:14) – Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh, a statement of pure, unadulterated being.

But the Midrash doesn’t shy away from the difficult moments. When did He come to him stubbornly? At the moment when He said to him (Exodus 4:13), "Please, Lord, send [someone else]." And what's the consequence? "And speak to the people," (Exodus 16:9) a command, a duty.

And when was it clarified about His dealings? At the moment when He said (Exodus 33:18), "Please, show me Your glory." What is written there (Exodus 33:19)? "I will make all My goodness pass before you." God reveals His goodness, but not His full glory, a measured response to Moses's audacious request.

Rabbi Samuel offers yet another layer, suggesting that God deliberately kept Moses occupied for seven days on Mount Sinai, essentially "tempting him." We see Moses's hesitations, his repeated objections: "O my Lord, I am not eloquent," (Exodus 4:10) spanning across those seven days.

On the seventh day, when Moses finally cries out, "Please, Lord, send [someone else]," (Exodus 4:13) he reveals a deeper concern: the suffering of the Israelites. "O Lord of the Universe! I have thought what Thou hast said to our father Abraham, 'And they shall afflict them four hundred years,' and now two hundred and ten years have already passed, and they are still in captivity."

God's response is both firm and compassionate: "I will do what I have already thought. I have anticipated the end from the day when Isaac was born, and it is already accomplished, as it is said (Song of Songs 2:8), 'He stands behind our wall.'" The plan is in motion, the redemption is coming.

This, the Midrash concludes, is what is meant by the verse, "He made known His ways unto Moses, His doings unto the children of Israel," (Psalms 103:7). God reveals His ways to Moses, but His actions are for the benefit of all Israel.

Even in Moses's final plea to enter the Promised Land, we see this dynamic at play. Rabbi Berechiah says that for seven days, Moses sought forgiveness and entreated God. But on the seventh day, God declared, "For you shall not pass over the Jordan," (Deuteronomy 3:27). And Rabbi Helbo adds that even during the seven days of consecration of the Tabernacle, Moses longed to serve as high priest, a wish ultimately unfulfilled.

So, what does all this mean? Is God simply a mirror, reflecting back our own piety, innocence, or even our crookedness? Perhaps. But maybe it’s more nuanced than that. Maybe it suggests that our relationship with the Divine is a constant dance, a back-and-forth of action and response. God meets us where we are, yes, but He also challenges us to become something more. He responds to our doubts, our fears, and our aspirations, guiding us, pushing us, and ultimately, shaping us into the people we are meant to be. It's a powerful and somewhat unsettling thought, isn't it? How will we choose to walk with God today?