וַיֵּלֶךְ מֹשֶׁה וַיָּשָׁב אֶל יֶתֶר חֹתְנוֹ. זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: וְהוּא בְאֶחָד וּמִי יְשִׁיבֶנּוּ וְנַפְשׁוֹ אִוְּתָה וַיָּעַשׂ (איוב כג, יג). דָּרַשׁ רַבִּי פַּפּוֹס, לְפִי שֶׁהוּא יָחִיד בָּעוֹלָם וְאֵין מִי שֶׁיִּמְחֶה בְּיָדוֹ, כָל מַה שֶּׁרוֹצֶה לַעֲשׂוֹת עוֹשֶׂה, וְנַפְשׁוֹ אִוְּתָה וַיָּעַשׂ. אָמַר לוֹ רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא, חַיֶּיךָ פַּפּוֹס, אֵין דּוֹרְשִׁין כֵּן. אָמַר לוֹ: וּמַהוּ וְהוּא בְאֶחָד וּמִי יְשִׁיבֶנּוּ? אָמַר לוֹ: כְּשֵׁם שֶׁהַשּׁוֹאֵל שׁוֹאֵל לְמַטָּן, כָּךְ לְמַעְלָן. מִנַּיִן? דִּכְתִיב: בִּגְזֵרַת עִירִין פִּתְגָמָא וּמֵאמַר קַדִּישִׁין שְׁאֵלְתָא עַד דִבְרַת דִּי יִנְדְּעוּן חַיַּיָּא דִּי שַׁלִּיט עִלָּאָה בְּמַלְכוּת אֲנָשָׁא וּלְמַן דִּי יִצְבֵּא יִתְּנִנַּהּ וּשְׁפַל אֲנָשִׁים יְקִים עֲלַהּ (דניאל ד, יד). כְּשֵׁם שֶׁנּוֹשְׂאִין וְנוֹתְנִין בַּהֲלָכָה לְמַטָּן, כָּךְ נוֹשְׂאִין וְנוֹתְנִין בַּהֲלָכָה לְמַעְלָן, וְהַכֹּל בְּמִשְׁפָּט, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: אֲבָל אַגִּיד לְךָ אֶת הָרָשׁוּם בִּכְתָב אֱמֶת (דניאל י, כא). And Moses went and returned to Jethro, his father-in-law (Exod. 4:18). Scripture states elsewhere: But he is at one with Himself, and who can turn Him? And what His soul desireth, even that He doeth (Job 23:13). R. Pappos explained this verse as follows: Because He is the Unique One in the world, no one can stay His hand. He does whatever He desires, for what His soul desireth, even that He doeth. R. Akiba replied: By your life, Pappos, that is not the correct interpretation of this verse. Pappos then asked: What then is the meaning of He is at one with Himself and who can turn him? He replied: Just as men consult each other on earth, so the heavenly beings consult each other. How do we know that? It is written: The matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the sentence by the word of the holy ones; to the intent that the living may know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth it up over it the lowest of men (Dan. 4:14). In other words, just as men debate a law here on earth, so do those above, and every decision rendered is in accordance with the law, as it is said: Howbeit I will declare unto thee that which is inscribed in the writing of truth (ibid. 10:21).
וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא נוֹשֵׂא וְנוֹתֵן בְּמִשְׁפָּט וְאוֹמֵר: הֵיאַךְ יָצָא מִשְׁפַּט פְּלוֹנִי. וְהֵם אוֹמְרִים: כָּךְ וְכָךְ יָצָא. וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַסְכִּים עִמָּהֶן. מִמִּי אַתָּה לָמֵד? מִמִּיכָה. רְאֵה מַה כְּתִיב וַיֹּאמֶר מִיכָיְהוּ לָכֵן שְׁמַע דְּבַר ה' רָאִיתִי אֶת ה' ישֵׁב עַל כִּסְאוֹ וְכָל צְבָא הַשָּׁמַיִם עֹמֵד עָלָיו מִימִינוֹ וּמִשְּׂמֹאלוֹ (מלכים א כב, יט). וְכִי יֵשׁ שְׂמֹאל לְמַעְלָן? אֶלָּא אֵלּוּ מַיְמִינִים, מַטִּין לְכַף זְכוּת. וְאֵלּוּ מַשְׂמְאִילִים, מַטִּין לְכַף חוֹבָה. וַיֹּאמֶר ה' מִי יְפַתֶּה אֶת אַחְאָב וְיַעַל וְיִפֹּל בְּרָמֹת גִּלְעָד וַיֹּאמֶר זֶה בְּכֹה וְזֶה אֹמַר בְּכֹה. לְלַמֶּדְךָ, שֶׁהַכֹּל בְּמִשְׁפָּט, שֶׁנּוֹשְׂאִין וְנוֹתְנִין בַּדִּין. וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא נוֹשֵׂא וְנוֹתֵן עִמָּהֶן. The Holy One, blessed be He, ponders the matter in question and asks: What should the law be? Whereupon they respond: It should be such-and-such. Then the Holy One, blessed be He, decrees, as you may learn from Micaiah: And Micaiah said: “Therefore hear thou the word of the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the hosts of heaven standing by Him on His right hand and on His left hand (I Kings 22:19). But is there actually a left hand on high? No; it means that those on the right (side of God) balance the scale on the side of merit, and those on the left balance the scale on the side of guilt. And the Lord said: “Who shall entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?” And one said: On this manner; another said: On that manner (ibid., v. 20). This teaches us that they considered every decision with regard to the law, and the Holy One, blessed be He, discussed the law with them.
וּמַה הוּא וְהוּא בְּאֶחָד וּמִי יְשִׁיבֶנּוּ. שֶׁמִּשֶׁנִּגְמַר הַדִּין, הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא נִכְנָס לְמָקוֹם שֶׁאֵין לָהֶם רְשׁוּת לִכָּנֵס וְחוֹתֵם אֶת הַדִּין, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְהוּא בְאֶחָד וּמִי יְשִׁיבֶנּוּ, וְהוּא יוֹדֵעַ דַּעַת כָּל בְּרִיּוֹתָיו וְאֵין מִי שֶׁיָּשִׁיב עַל דְּבָרָיו. What is meant by But He is at one with Himself, and who can turn Him? (Job 23:13). It means that after the law was determined, the Holy One, blessed be He, would enter the place in which they were not permitted to go and seal the judgment, as it is said: He is at one with Himself, and who can turn Him? That is, He knows the opinions of all His creatures, and there are none who could challenge His words.
דָּבָר אַחֵר, וְהוּא בְאֶחָד וּמִי יְשִׁיבֶנּוּ, עַל שֶׁהוּא יְחִידִי בְּעוֹלָמוֹ. רְאֵה, שֶׁאֵין מֵשִׁיב עַל דְבָרָיו. תֵּדַע לְךָ, כַּמָּה נִתְקַשָּׁה יוֹנָה שֶׁלֹּא לֵילֵךְ בִּשְׁלִיחוּתוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיָּקָם יוֹנָה לִבְרֹחַ תַּרְשִׁישָׁה (יונה א, ג). אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: נִרְאֶה שֶׁל מִי עוֹמֵד. לֹא זָז עַד שֶׁהָלַךְ. וַיָּקָם יוֹנָה וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל נִינְוֵה כִּדְבַר ה'. Another comment on He is at one with Himself, and who can turn Him? Because He is the Unique One in the world, no one can challenge His words. You know this from the fact that though Jonah strove to avoid fulfilling his assignment, as it is said: And Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish (Jonah 1:1), the Holy One, blessed be He, said: We see one who is ready to flee but he goes (where he is commanded to go). So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord (ibid. 3:3).
וְיִרְמְיָה אָמַר: לֹא יָדַעְתִּי דַּבֵּר כִּי נַעַר אָנֹכִי (ירמיה א, ו). אָמַר לוֹ: אַל תֹּאמַר נַעַר אָנֹכִי כִּי עַל כָּל אֲשֶׁר אֶשְׁלָחֲךָ תֵּלֵךְ. לֹא זָז עַד שֶׁהָלַךְ. הֱוֵי וְנַפְשׁוֹ אִוְּתָה וַיָּעַשׂ. מֹשֶׁה, אָמַר לוֹ: וְעַתָּה לְכָה וְגוֹ'. אָמַר לוֹ: שְׁלַח נָא בְּיַד תִּשְׁלָח. לֹא זָז עַד שֶׁהָלַךְ. Jeremiah said: I cannot speak, for I am a child (Jer. 1:6). However, the Holy One, blessed be He, replied to him: Say not: “I am a child”; for to whomsoever I shall send thee, thou shalt go (ibid.). He did not leave where he was until he went where he was commanded to go. Hence, And what His soul desireth, even that He doeth. Moses said: Send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send (Exod. 14:13). And he did not depart until he went (where he was commanded to go).
וַיֵּלֶךְ מֹשֶׁה וַיָּשָׁב אֶל יֶתֶר חֹתְנוֹ וְגוֹ'. מַה כְּתִיב לְמַעְלָה מִן הָעִנְיָן, וַיַּרְא ה' כִּי סָר לִרְאוֹת. רַבִּי אַבָּא בַּר כַּהֲנָא אָמַר: כָּל מִי שֶׁנִּכְפַּל שְׁמוֹ, הוּא בִּשְׁנֵי עוֹלָמוֹת. נֹחַ נֹחַ (בראשית ז, ט). אַבְרָהָם אַבְרָהָם (בראשית כב, יב). יַעֲקֹב יַעֲקֹב (בראשית מו, ב). מֹשֶׁה מֹשֶׁה, שְׁמוּאֵל שְׁמוּאֵל (ש״א ג, ו). פֶּרֶץ פֶּרֶץ (רות ז, יח). אָמְרוּ לוֹ: וַהֲרֵי כְּתִיב אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת תֶּרַח תֶּרַח. אָמַר לָהֶם: אַף הוּא יֵשׁ לוֹ חֵלֶק בִּשְׁנֵי עוֹלָמוֹת. וְלֹא נֶאֱסַף אָבִינוּ אַבְרָהָם, עַד שֶׁנִּתְבַּשֵּׂר שֶׁעָשָׂה תֶּרַח אָבִיו תְּשׁוּבָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְאַתָּה תָּבוֹא אֶל אֲבֹתֶיךָ בְּשָׁלוֹם (בראשית טו, טו). אָמַר אַבְרָהָם לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, כָּל מַה שֶּׁסִּגַּלְתִּי מַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, אֲנִי הוֹלֵךְ אֵצֶל אֲבוֹתַי. בִּשְּׂרוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, חַיֶּיךָ, שֶׁעָשָׂה אָבִיךָ תְּשׁוּבָה. לְפִיכָךְ נִכְפַּל שְׁמוֹ. And Moses went, and returned unto Jethro his father-in-law. Prior to this is written: And when the Lord saw that he returned to see … and He said: “Moses, Moses” (Exod. 3:4). R. Abba the son of Kahana said: Everyone whose name is repeated in immediate succession experiences life in both worlds: Noah, Noah (Gen. 6:9); Abraham, Abraham (ibid. 22:11); Jacob, Jacob (ibid. 46:2); Moses, Moses (Exod. 3:4); Samuel, Samuel (I Sam. 3:10); Perez, Perez (Ruth 4:15). However, someone retorted: Is it not also written: These are the generations of Terah, Terah (Gen. 11:27). He replied: Even he had a portion in both worlds, for our patriarch Abraham was not buried until he was assured that his father, Terah, had repented, for it is said: But thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace (ibid. 15:15). Abraham said to the Holy One, blessed be He: Master of the Universe: Shall I go to my fathers, though I have stored up good deeds in this world? The Holy One, blessed be He, answered: Be assured: Thy father hath repented. Hence his name was repeated.