He's being asked to lead the Israelites, but he feels utterly unprepared, and he's not afraid to tell God exactly how he feels.
The verse that sets the stage is Exodus 33:12: “Moses said to the Lord: See, You say to me: Take this people up, but You have not informed me whom You will send with me. And You said: I know you by name and you have also found favor in My eyes.” It's a powerful moment of vulnerability and a plea for guidance.
Moses's dilemma is then connected to a broader theological concept using a verse from Jeremiah (18:7–8): “One moment I will speak of a nation and of a kingdom, [to uproot, to smash, and to eradicate, but if that nation repents of its evil, that which I spoke of,] I will reconsider the evil [that I thought to perform against it].” The midrash, the rabbinic interpretation, asks: What does "one moment I will speak" even mean? It means that in the blink of an eye, God can decree death, but if the person or nation repents, God can reconcile. for a second. The power of repentance, of teshuvah, is so immense that it can literally change God's mind.
To illustrate this, the text brings in the story of Nineveh from the Book of Jonah. Remember Jonah? God tells him to go to Nineveh, a great and wicked city, and warn them of their impending doom. “Rise, go to Nineveh, the great city” (Jonah 1:2), God commands, "For their wickedness has ascended before Me.” Jonah eventually delivers the message: “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned” (Jonah 3:4). And what happens? The people of Nineveh believe God. They repent, fast, and even put sackcloth on their animals!
“The people of Nineveh believed in God, and they proclaimed a fast and they donned sackcloth” (Jonah 3:5), the text reminds us, emphasizing the totality of their repentance. They even argued before God, “Master of the universe, the animal knows nothing, and you absolve it; we, too, consider us like an animal.” As it is stated: “Man and animal, herd and flock, shall not taste anything” (Jonah 3:7). It's a rather… creative argument. But it works! “God reconsidered the evil that He had said to perform against them and did not perform it” (Jonah 3:10). God sees their sincerity and relents.
But the Rabbis don't stop there. They then circle back to the Israelites. “One moment I will speak of a nation,” they say, this is Israel. We are told, "Who is like Your people, like Israel, a unique nation on the earth” (II Samuel 7:23). “And of a kingdom,” this is Israel, who were called a kingdom, as it is stated: “You shall be for Me a kingdom of priests” (Exodus 19:6).
Remember the sin of the Golden Calf? A major screw-up. Because they performed that act, God sought to destroy them, as it is stated: “Let Me be, and I will destroy them” (Deuteronomy 9:14). But Moses, our man Moses, intercedes. He pleads for mercy, and immediately, “The Lord reconsidered” (Exodus 32:14).
Moses then takes it a step further. He doesn't just want God to forgive them; he wants God to lead them personally. "[Moses] said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, You became full of mercy for them; lead them Yourself to ascend to the land, and not by means of an emissary.’" This brings us back to the original verse: “Moses said to the Lord: See, You say to me: Take this people up.”
So, what’s the takeaway? This passage from Shemot Rabbah is a powerful reminder of the themes of repentance, divine mercy, and the importance of leadership. It shows us that even when faced with seemingly insurmountable challenges, repentance and a heartfelt plea can change the course of events. And it also reminds us that true leaders, like Moses, are willing to stand up to even the highest authority to advocate for their people. It makes you wonder: What impossible task are you facing, and how might these ancient lessons guide you forward?