In fact, they wrestled with it in their interpretations of the book of Exodus, specifically Exodus 2:25: "God saw the children of Israel, and God knew."

What did God see? What did God know?

The Shemot Rabbah, a classical compilation of rabbinic commentary on Exodus, delves into this very question. It starts by linking this verse to another, Exodus 3:7, where God says, "I have seen the affliction of My people… as I know its pains." So, on one level, God saw their suffering and knew their pain. Simple enough, right?

But the rabbis weren't content with the simple answer. They dug deeper. They asked: Did the Israelites deserve to be redeemed? Did they have enough good deeds, enough mitzvot, to warrant divine intervention?

The Shemot Rabbah offers a startling answer. It suggests that God saw something else entirely: that the Israelites were, essentially, spiritually bankrupt. They lacked the merit, the zechut, to be saved.

To illustrate this, the text turns to the prophet Ezekiel (16:7), who uses powerful imagery to describe Israel's early development: "I rendered you as numerous as the plants of the field [and you increased and grew, and you came to great beauty: Breasts developed and your hair grew, but you were naked and bare]."

Now, pay close attention to the order. Ezekiel says, "breasts developed" before "your hair grew." This seems backward. The rabbis point out that, usually, the appearance of pubic hair precedes the development of breasts as a sign of puberty. So, what's going on here?

The Shemot Rabbah interprets the "breasts" as a metaphor for Moses and Aaron. The Hebrew word used, nakhonu (breasts developed), is related to nekhonim, meaning "prepared." So, the verse is hinting that Moses and Aaron were already prepared to redeem the Israelites. As it says in Song of Songs 4:5, "Your two breasts are like two fawns." This phrase, the Rabbis say, refers to Moses and Aaron.

"And your hair grew," they continue, represents the arrival of the time for redemption.

But here's the kicker: "But you were naked and bare." This, the Shemot Rabbah tells us, means the Israelites were bereft of good deeds.

So, going back to Exodus 2:25, "God saw" that they didn't have the merit to be redeemed.

It's a harsh assessment, isn't it? Why would God redeem a people who didn't deserve it? What does it say about the nature of redemption itself? Does it mean that divine grace is unconditional? That even when we are at our lowest, most undeserving, help can still come?

Perhaps the Shemot Rabbah is suggesting that redemption isn't always about earning our way out. Sometimes, it's about God's unwavering commitment to us, even when we’re spiritually "naked and bare." It’s a reminder that hope can arise even in the direst of circumstances, even when, by all accounts, we don’t deserve it. And maybe, just maybe, that’s the most profound kind of redemption there is.