Vaera ~ Names and truths

(1) ואמרו לי "מה שמו?", a name describes the individual features of a person. And these individual features are the essential reasons for the actions of a person. They [the people] were going to ask what is the manner of action of the One whose messenger you claim to be, in which name is He called, the one who sent you to free us?

Ovadia ben Jacob Sforno (Ovadia Sforno, was an Italian rabbi, Biblical commentator, philosopher and physician. He was born at Cesena about 1475 and died at Bologna in 1550

(19) Now the foremen of the Israelites found themselves in trouble because of the order, “You must not reduce your daily quantity of bricks.” (20) As they left Pharaoh’s presence, they came upon Moses and Aaron standing in their path, (21) and they said to them, “May the LORD look upon you and punish you for making us loathsome to Pharaoh and his courtiers—putting a sword in their hands to slay us.” (22) Then Moses returned to the LORD and said, “O Lord, why did You bring harm upon this people? Why did You send me? (23) Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has dealt worse with this people; and still You have not delivered Your people.” (1) Then the LORD said to Moses, “You shall soon see what I will do to Pharaoh: he shall let them go because of a greater might; indeed, because of a greater might he shall drive them from his land.” (2) God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as El Shaddai, but I did not make Myself known to them by My name AD-NAI. I also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners. (5) I have now heard the moaning of the Israelites because the Egyptians are holding them in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant. (6) Say, therefore, to the Israelite people: I am the LORD. I will free you from the labors of the Egyptians and deliver you from their bondage. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and through extraordinary chastisements. (7) And I will take you to be My people, and I will be your God. And you shall know that I, the LORD, am your God who freed you from the labors of the Egyptians. (8) I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you for a possession, I the LORD.” (9) But when Moses told this to the Israelites, they would not listen to Moses, their spirits crushed by cruel bondage.

(6) And God said to Moses. R. Abba b. Mammel said: God said to Moshe: 'You wish to know My name; I am called according to My deeds. Sometimes I am called "El Shaday", "Tzva'ot", "E-lohim", "Y-H-V-H". When I judge the creations I am called "E-lohim" [Judge].’ When I am waging war against the wicked I am called "Tzva'ot" [Lord of Hosts]. When I suspend [punishment] for a person's sins I am called "El Shadday" (Almighty God). When I am merciful towards My world, I am called "Y-H-V-H,"' for "Y-H-V-H" only refers to the attribute of mercy, as it is said: "The Lord, the Lord (Y-H-V-H, Y-H-V-H), God, merciful and gracious." Hence, "ehyeh asher ehyeh" [I will be that I will be] - I am called according to My deeds.’ R. Yitzhak said: God said to Moses: ' Tell them, that I am who was, that I am now, and that I will be in the future.' For this reason the word "eheyeh" is written three times. Another explanation of "ehyeh asher ehyeh": R. Jacob b. R. Abina in the name of R. Huna of Tzippori: God said to Moses: ‘Tell them, in this servitude I will be with them, and in the continuing servitude I will be with them!'’ Moses said to God: '‘I should tell them this? An evil is sufficient in its time [I should just mention the present servitude and not its continuation]?' God replied: 'No: So you shall say to the children of Israel: "Ehyeh has sent me to you.’" I am [only] revealing this to you, but not to them.'’ Another interpretation: "Ehyeh." R. Yitzhak said in the name of R. Ammi: They are standing in clay and bricks and they will go on to [another servitude of] clay and bricks. So too in the case of Daniel: "And I Daniel fainted and was sick" (Daniel 8:27). Moses said to God: ‘'I should tell them this?' God replied: 'No, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: "Ehyeh has sent me to you.’"' R. Yohanan said: I am that I am to individuals, but regarding the multitude I will rule over them even against their will and desires, even though they break their teeth, as it is said: "As I live, says the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out, will I be King over you" (Ezekiel 20:33). Another interpretation: R. ‘Ananiel b. R. Sasson said: God said: ‘When I desire, one of the angels who is one third of the world, stretches out his hand from heaven and touches the earth, as it says: "And the form of a hand was sent forth, and I was taken by a lock of my head" (ibid. 8:3). And when I desire three of them, I made them sitting beneath a tree, as it is said: "And recline under the tree" (Genesis 18:4). And when I desire, His glory fills the entire world, as it is said: "'Do I not fill heaven and earth?' says the Lord (Jeremiah 23:24). And when I wished, I spoke with Job from the whirlwind, as it is said: "Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind" (Job 38:1). And when I wish, [I speak] from a thorn-bush.

What is "Amen"? Said Rabbi Chaninah [it is an acronym for] El Melech Ne'eman [God is a faithful king]... It has been taught: R. Eleazar son of R. Yosi said: I once visited Alexandria of Egypt and found an old man there, who said to me, 'Come, and I will show you what my ancestors did to yours: some of them drowned in the sea, some of them died by the sword, and some of them were crushed in the buildings.' And for this our teacher Moshe was punished, as it is said: "For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people, neither have You delivered Your people at all! At that moment the Holy One of Blessing said to him: 'Alas [chaval] for those who are gone and no more to be found! For how many times did I reveal Myself to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by the name of El Shaddai, and they did not question my attributes, nor say to Me, What is Your name? I said to Abraham: 'Get up, walk through the land in the length of it, and in the breadth of it, for I will give it to you' and yet when he sought a place to bury Sarah, he did not find one, but had to purchase it for four hundred silver shekels; and still he did not question My attributes. I said to Itzchak: 'Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you, and will bless you' yet when his servants sought water to drink, and did not find it without its being disputed, as it is said 'and the herdmen of Gerar did strive with Itzchak's herdmen saying, The water is ours' still he did not question My character. I said to Yaakov: 'The land where you lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants' yet when he sought a place to pitch his tent and did not find one until he purchased it for an hundred kesitah; nevertheless he did not question My character; nor did they say to me, What is your name? And now you say to Me, 'neither have You delivered Your people at all!'? [Therefore] Now 'you will see what I will do to Pharaoh': you shall behold the war against Pharaoh, but not the war against the thirty one kings.' [ie the conquest of the land of Israel by Yehoshua]. 'And Moshe quickly bowed down towards the ground' What did Moshe see? R. Chanina ben Gamla said: [the attribute of] Patience. And the rabbis say: [the attribute of] Truth.

"I Will Be What I Will Be...":

An independent existence, not subject to influences by other phenomena or even caused by them. And this obligates Himself to love all that is in existence, and to hate all that goes against existence, as [the prophet Ezekiel] said, “for I do not desire the death of him that dies.” From this it follows that He must love righteousness and justice, the objective of both virtues being continuing existence. At the same time, it follows that He must hate injustice and cruelty as these destroy and twist existence through lack and absence. From this [follows that] He hates the violence and cruelty perpetrated on you by the Egyptians.