Vaeira

“See, I have made you as a judge (Elohim) before Pharaoh.” (Shemos 7: 1) “Elohim: a judge and enforcer, to force him with plagues and suffering.” (Rashi, ibid.)

From this passage we see that even the plagues, produced as they were through the ineffable name of the Almighty (see Ramban), were intrinsically connected to the spiritual powers of a man—Moshe.

We see this same awesome power of the individual human being in last week’s parsha as well. When Moshe asks the Almighty what is His name, Hashem answers him, “Ehiyeh asher ehiyeh” (Shemos 3: 14), “I will be with you in future sufferings as I am with you in the current suffering of exile in Egypt (see Rashi, ibid.) Then, Rashi cites an amazing midrash describing a conversation between Moshe and the Holy One, Blessed Be He: “Moshe said to the Master of the World, ‘How can I mention to the Jewish people other instances of suffering that they will endure in the future!? It is enough that I mention that You will be with them in this current suffering.’ Hashem replied, ‘You have spoken well. Thus shall you say, ‘Ehiyeh sent me . . .’” (In this way, the midrash explains why verse 14 begins with the name of G-d being the double form—ehiyeh asher ehiyeh—and concludes with the singular form—‘Ehiyeh sent me’.)

The commentaries explain that the intent of the midrash is not to imply that Moshe pointed out an error in G-d’s plan, Heaven forbid. Rather, Rabbi Bloch explains on this verse in the parsha of Shemos, that it was the intent of the Almighty to foretell the future exiles which all would be necessary for a variety of significant reasons. One forewarned, the Jewish people then would have and entirely different attitude to these future painful experiences.

However, in light of Moshe’s status as a tzadik, one of the righteous, he effected through his prayer a change in the Divine approach, or perhaps put in a better way, reflected a change in the Jewish people’s spiritual psyche, which in turn required a different Divine plan. Thus, G-d tells Moshe only to inform the Jewish people of His comfort during the immediate suffering, but no more—the singular Ehiyah. Once again, although the Divine plan is fundamentally authored by the Almighty, the tzadik plays a major role in molding how it will be carried out in the world.

(This d'var Torah is based on the work Peninei Daas, the essays of the Telsher Rosh HaYeshiva Rabbi Eliyahu Meir Bloch, zt"l, edited by Rabbi Noson Tzvi Baron, shlit"a, and Rabbi Avrahom Chaim Levin, shlit"a, vol. 1, p. 143, 153)