Shemot

(יג) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶל־הָֽאֱלֹהִ֗ים הִנֵּ֨ה אָנֹכִ֣י בָא֮ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וְאָמַרְתִּ֣י לָהֶ֔ם אֱלֹהֵ֥י אֲבוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם שְׁלָחַ֣נִי אֲלֵיכֶ֑ם וְאָֽמְרוּ־לִ֣י מַה־שְּׁמ֔וֹ מָ֥ה אֹמַ֖ר אֲלֵהֶֽם׃

Exodus 3:13

(13) And Moses said unto God: ‘Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them: The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me: What is His name? what shall I say unto them?’

רשב"ם על שמות ג׳:י״ג:א׳

(א) מה אומר אליהם - כי איני מכיר ויודע שמך המיוחד.

Rashbam on Exodus 3.13.1

(1) מה אמר אליהם?, seeing that I do not know Your specific name.

ספורנו על שמות ג׳:י״ג:א׳

(א) ואמרו לי מה שמו הנה השם יורה על הצורה האישיית, והצורה היא סיבה עצמיית לפעולה המיוחדת לאיש. יאמרו אם כן באיזה פועל נמשך ממנו, שבו יקרא בשם מי ששלחך לה וציא נו:

Sforno on Exodus 3.13.1

(1) ואמרו לי "מה שמו?", a name describes the individual features of a person, Being, or what makes him distinctive. The people could therefore be expected to ask Moses in what manner this G’d whose messenger he claimed to be had distinguished Himself as being special, different from other gods.

Ramban 3:13

"And they shall say unto me: What is His name? What shall I say unto them?" (Ex. 3:13)

This name [Eh-yeh Asher Eh-yeh] contains the answer to Moses' question to G-d, as we have explained. Moses asked by what divine attribute is his mission to them, whether with the attribute of [the name] E-l Sha-dai, which stood by the Patriarchs, or with the supernal attribute of Mercy, with which signs and wonders (new phenomena in Creation) will be performed to speed their redemption. He informed Moses that he [Moses] is being sent to them with the attribute of Justice which is within the attribute of Mercy, suggesting that the miracles which will be done on behalf of their deliverance from the bondage will at the same time be acts of judgment against the Egyptians. This is the sense of "Eh-yeh Asher Eh-yeh": "I will be in judgment that which I will be in mercy."

He will make new signs and wonders in the world….

"And then G-d said to Moses, "Thus should you say to the children of Israel: 'Eh-yeh sent me unto you'," thus teaching the unity [of the two attributes, which explains why the divine name is not mentioned here twice].

It is for this reason that G-d commanded Moses yet further: "Thus should you say to the children of Israel: 'The Eternal [the name Havayah]...hath sent me unto you'," for this Name [Havayah]indicates the attribute of Mercy, and thus they will know "that He hath caused His glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses" (Isaiah 63:12) and He will make new signs and wonders in the world.

Thus G-d explained to Moses that the name Eh-yeh,which He commanded him to tell the children of Israel, corresponds to this Great Name [the name Havayah] and that they are alike in language [as both signify eternal existence] and in letters, for the two final letters of the first name [Eh-yeh] constitute the first ones in Havayah. And may the Holy One, blessed be He, show us wonders in His Torah.

[Adapted from Rabbi Dr. Charles Chavel's annotated translation. Found on Chabad.org]

שמות ג׳:י״ד

(יד) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶֽהְיֶ֑ה וַיֹּ֗אמֶר כֹּ֤ה תֹאמַר֙ לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה שְׁלָחַ֥נִי אֲלֵיכֶֽם׃

Exodus 3:14

(14) And God said unto Moses: ‘I AM THAT I AM’; and He said: ‘Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel: I AM hath sent me unto you.’

רש"י על שמות ג׳:י״ד:א׳

(א) אהיה אשר אהיה. אהיה עמם בצרה זו אשר אהיה עמם בשעבוד שאר מלכיות אמר לפניו רבונו של עולם, מה אני מזכיר להם צרה אחרת דים בצרה זו. אמר לו יפה אמרת, כה תאמר וגו' :

Rashi on Exodus 3:14:1

(1) I Am as I Am - I will be with them in this time of distress just as I will be with them during the suppression of other kingdoms. [Moshe] said, "Master of the Universe, why do I need to mention other distress? This travail is sufficient!" He said to him, "You have spoken well. This shall you say, etc."

רשב"ם על שמות ג׳:י״ד:א׳

(א) ויאמר אלהים אל משה - אם אינך יודע שמי אני אומר לך, כי שמי אהיה לעולם ויכול אני לקיים מה שאני מבטיחך. ומעתה שאמרתי לך כי שמי אהיה. כה תאמר לישראל אהיה שלחני אליכם.

Rashbam on Exodus 3.14.1

(1) ויאמר אלוקים אל, if you do not know My name, I will tell you that I am the Eternal. This means that I can fulfill any promise I make. Now that I have told you that My name is “the Eternal,” כה תאמר, thus you shall ay to the Children of Israel, “the One Who is the Eternal has sent me to you.”

ספורנו על שמות ג׳:י״ד:א׳

(א) אהיה אשר אהיה ההוה תמיד על ענין אחד מצד עצמו, ומזה יתחייב שיאהב המציאות וישנא כל הפסד מנגד למציאות, כאמרו כי לא אחפוץ במות המת ומזה יתחייב שיאהב משפט וצדקה, אשר תכליתם מציאות, וישנא העול והאכזריות, המטים עקלקלות אל העדר והפסד, ובזה שנא חמס ואכזריות המצרים נגדכם:

Sforno on Exodus 3.14.1

(1) אהיה אשר אהיה. I am an independent existence, not subject to influences by other phenomena or even caused by them. Seeing that this is so it follows that I love existing, and beings that exist. As a corollary to this love of Mine for existence, it follows that I deeply resent anything or anyone who tries to terminate such an existing being from continuing to do so. The prophet Ezekiel 18,32 phrased this thought as “for I do not desire the death of him that dies.” From this it follows that I must love righteousness and justice the objective of both virtues being the continued existence of all who deserve it. At the same time, it follows that I must hate injustice and cruelty as these vices are apt to terminate the existence of the victims of these vices. Clearly, then, this G’d must hate the violence and cruelty perpetrated on you by the Egyptians.

For Pico Shul 2015