This week’s Sedra opens with Hashem speaking to Moshe. The passuk tells us that ‘Elokim’ spoke to Moshe Rabeinu and told him “I am Hashem”. Hashem then told Moshe that He appeared to the Avos Hakedoshim in the form of Kel-Shaki and that He never made Himself known to them as Hashem. The passage seems wordy and somewhat confusing. What message was Hashem trying to convey to Moshe Rabeinu through these words?

Rashi explains that Hashem started off this conversation in a harsh manner as a response to Moshe Rabeinu’s challenging Hashem. After Moshe Rabeinu had gone to Paroh and requested in the name Hashem that he free Klal-Yisroel, Paroh had responded by increasing Klal-Yisroel’s workload. At that point Klal-Yisroel lashed out at Moshe and Aharon and blamed them for worsening their situation instead of improving it. Moshe then turned to Hakadosh-Baruch-Hu and asked Hashem how he could allow and cause things to worsen? It was in response to Moshe Rabeinu’s harsh questioning of Hashem, that Hashem began to answer Moshe harshly. This is the reason why the passuk uses the word ‘Elokim’ – Elokim denoting Hashem in a stricter, harsher sense.

While we may have just began to unravel the wordiness of the passuk we are far from understanding the flow in its entirety.

In Tanna Devei Eliyahu we are told that someone who feels the pain of Klal-Yisroel and the pain of the Shechina (Hashem’s Pain) will ultimately be zoche to Ruach Hakodesh – to being connected with, and understanding, the Shechina.

Moshe Rabeinu didn’t want to accept the mission of saving Klal-Yisroel in the first place. Moshe Rabeinu tried to evade Hashem’s request and asked that Hashem send Aharon instead. However, Hashem continued to insist that Moshe Rabeinu go save Klal-Yisroel. Moshe Rabeinu eventually complied and then… what happened? Klal –Yisroel’s plight became even worse. Moshe Rabeinu was blamed for this deterioration and he couldn’t bear it. Here he was – Moshe Rabeinu who endangered his own Royal life and eventually gave up that life for the sake of feeling his slave brothers’ pain. Moshe Rabeinu was a martyr, but now he was being blamed for being an agitator. Moshe Rabeinu felt that he was failing in the mission Hashem had sent him. This being the case, Moshe Rabeinu turned to Hashem for an explanation. It is then that Hashem reveals himself in the form of Hashem and tells Moshe Rabeinu “you are right. Now I have been harsh to you. Your forefathers only knew of me as Kel-Shaki.” Kel-Shaki denotes, or symbolizes, pure mercy. It means ‘The Omnipotent One’ Who said to the world ‘enough with suffering’. Hashem starts off with Midas Hadin – strictness represented by His Name Elokim. However after Hashem points out that He appeared to the Avos only Berachamim, Hashem is allowing both sides of Him to be seen by Moshe Rabeinu; thus allowing Moshe Rabeinu to see and understand Hashem in as complete a fashion as is possible with Shem Hashem.

Moshe Rabeinu ‘saw’ Hashem in the fullest manner possible. He was able to comprehend Hashem in a manner greater than the Avos. The Avos discovered Hashem and were thus graced by understanding Hashem’s merciful side. Moshe Rabeinu felt Klal-Yisroel’s pain and cared for Klal-Yisroel to the utmost. Moshe Rabeinu was therefore Zoche to see Hashem in all His Glory.

We are still living in the Golus and Klal-Yisroel is still suffering, but how many of us feel Klal-Yisroel’s pain?

A very warm Good Shabbos, Rabbi Y. Dov Krakowski