In the third chapter of Pirke de Rabbi Eliezer we read that prior to the creation, G–d and His name were all that existed. This statement is very profound and we have discussed it in our introductory chapter of תולדות האדם. Here is not the place to discuss this. We only need to know that if the universe had been created according to plan, and if man had not introduced sin, there would not have been קליפה, a "peel," i.e. something like an iron curtain between man and G–d. Sanctity would have prevailed on earth, and G–d's name would have been read and pronounced exactly the way it is spelled (י-ה-ו-ה). The atmosphere of the world would have been totally pure, uncontaminated. Since this קליפה unfortunately has grown and expanded further and further, this name cannot be pronounced even when Israel is on its own land, except within the confines of the Holy Temple. This is so because the universe will not again be purified until the advent of the Messiah, when the state of the earth will correspond to the original desire of its Creator.

The purpose of Israel's exile and enslavement in Egypt was to refine the nation in the "iron crucible," to enable it to receive the Torah so that the contamination caused by the original serpent would be purged from them. At that point (מתן תורה), the whole of the universe would rejuvenate itself and become like it had been at the time G–d had created Adam. It would have remained in that state had the Jewish people not sinned during the episode of the golden calf. Proof of this theory is found in Psalms 82,6-7: "I said, I had taken you for Divine beings, (immortal) sons of the most High, but you have to die as men do…"

G–d had planned for the Exodus to become mankind's renewal, and this was the revelation to Moses when He taught him that He had not truly revealed His name i.e. the four-lettered name (Exodus 6,3). All this had been in answer to Moses' question "when they say to me what is His name, what shall I tell them?" (Exodus 3,13). At that time G–d had revealed to Moses the concept of חידוש העולם as I have explained at length in my commentary on the Haggadah Shel Pessach.

We find that all Moses' warnings to Pharaoh were uttered in the name of that name of G–d, i.e. כי גדול השם מכל האלוקים. I have explained all this in my commentary there (compare Exodus 7,17--8,6,---8,18-9,13/14, etc). The essential element in this description of G–d was that it reflected the היה-הוה-יהיה, the eternal nature of G–d, the Source of all existence and the One without whom no existence endures. He alone is the One who supervises everything that goes on in His universe. He is totally free to do as He pleases.

G–d told Moses that in this imperfect world His name cannot yet be pronounced as it is written, but that only at such time as Israel would accept the Torah, be purified, and cleave to G–d, this would commence. This was G–d's plan for the חידוש העולם, the world's rejuvenation.

The statement of our sages זכור ושמור בדבור אחד, that "remember" and "observe" -the Sabbath- was said simultaneously (i.e. the difference in the version of the Ten Commandments recorded in Exodus 20,7, and the version recorded in the Deuteronomy 5,11), is linked to the Exodus from Egypt (as distinct from the Sabbath of creation). In Deuteronomy the reason for the legislation is יציאת מצרים, the Exodus, whereas in Parshat Yitro it is מעשה בראשית. Clearly then the Exodus is equivalent to the act of creating the universe, in other words a חידוש העולם. I have explained this at greater length in my commentary on מסכת שבת and on other occasions. Originally, G–d had considered to create a universe that was to be run along the lines of strict justice, מדת הדין. This is hinted at in the story of creation. Rabbeynu Bachyah in his commentary sees a hint of this in the first-forty two letters of the Torah, concluding with the letter ה in the word ובהו. The idea is spelled out more clearly in the Pardes Rimonim of Rabbi Moses Cordovero, in the chapter dealing with names and צירופים.

The Zohar, in commenting on the line יהי שם השם מבורך, (Job 1,21) divides the word מב-רך into מב =42, the name of the attribute of גבורה, i.e. that G–d had first planned to create the world based on מדת הדין הקשה. Subsequently, this attribute was softened through the co-option of the attribute of רחמים, mercy. After the first 42 letters, we have another 42 letters until the letter ר in the word ויאמר. This is followed by another 42 letters ending before the letter ד in ויבדל. The sign, סימן, of this sequence is ב-ה-ר-ד, with the letter ב referring to בראשית. You find a parallel in Israel's experience in Egypt, when the עבודה קשה, hard labour, was tempered by פה רך soft words, (Exodus 1,14) (the second time the expression פרך is used) The reason that this word also appears prior to עבודה קשה, is to remind us that the wicked are initially allowed to live in peace, only to face יסורים, afflictions, in the Hereafter. The opposite is true of the righteous whose experience in life begins with afflictions. G–d in His righteousness begins with מב i.e. the attribute of Justice, only to co-opt the attribute of Mercy, i.e. מצרף רך, at a later stage. This is why His name is blessed, i.e. מברך. Just as creation began with the מב, so the initial experience in Egypt which emanated from the wicked Pharaoh proceeded in the reverse order, i.e. commencing with פה רך, while ending in עבודה קשה.

This experience led to a refinement of the character of the Jewish people. The Zohar, Parshat Shemot (Sullam edition page 48), quotes Rabbi Shimon: "When the Divine Presence descended into Egypt, (with Jacob), one חיה of the 4 חיות that form the Divine entourage descended with it. This חיה was called "Israel," i.e. it was accompanied by 42 angels (compare Ezekiel 1,5, and the Malbim's comment there. Ed.). These are the בני ישראל that are reported to have descended to Egypt with Jacob (Exodus 1,1).

In this explanation, the word שמות is viewed as having been written with the vowel tzeyre under the letter ש. Also the numerical value of the word ואלה, totals 42, lending further support to the Zohar's comment that there were 42 letters in the name of G–d. All of this shows that the Exodus from Egypt, when it occurred, represented a חידוש העולם. The stay in Egypt refined the souls who had caused damage to the original state of the universe. The Talmud, Eyruvin 18 which says that during the one hundred and thirty years that Adam had separated from his wife, he emitted semen which developed into negative forces in the world, instead of children, is reflected in the one hundred and thirty years that Yocheved was old when she gave birth to Moses. This is a further aspect of Moses in his capacity as the equivalent of the Jewish people, atoning for mankind's past sins, and enabling the חידוש העולם to commence (Mechilta Beshalach 15,1). This according to the view that she had been born while Jacob was on his way down to Egypt, Sotah 12.

I have explained this elsewhere and especially on Genesis 15,12, that "a great darkness and fear overcame Abraham." Rabbi Yitzchak Luria (Ari zal) writes that the word אימה, fear, in that verse refers to the generation of Enosh during which the ocean flooded one third of the earth's surface. The word חשכה, darkness, refers to the generation of the deluge which represented a failure of the sun and moon to perform normally. The word גדולה refers to the tower of Babel, Moses' stammer and speech impediment being equivalent to the confusion of language which occurred at that time. His being placed in the basket smeared with clay is reminiscent of the clay used to make the bricks for the tower of Babel. His being cooped up without seeing anything in the basket amid the reeds of the Nile river is comparable to the blindness the men of Sodom had been smitten with. The word נופלת, was falling, refers to the destruction of Sodom. By being exposed to water Moses and the Jewish people atoned for the generation of Enosh part of whom were drowned whereas part survived. Every difficulty Moses experienced was in some way a means of atoning for other past generations' shortcomings. Moses' experience in Egypt paralleled that of mankind up to that point; i.e. he suffered to achieve mankind's rehabilitation.

Cain and Abel were the first men born by woman. They were intended to be the typical "אדם" i.e. representative of what mankind should develop into. Now it had become the turn of the people of Israel to be refined and to acquire the appellation "Adam." According to our Kabbalists, Moses was the re-incarnation of Abel, הבל, whereas Yitro was the re-incarnation of Cain, חבר הקיני (see Judges 1,16, Zohar 3,216).

The latter's 3 souls, i.e. the "lower" soul, life force נפש, was re-incarnated in the body of the Egyptian who was slain by Moses. (Exodus 2,2) His "middle" soul, רוח, was re-incarnated in the body of Korach, whereas his "upper" soul, i.e. נשמה was re-incarnated in the body of Yitro. Cain had killed Abel because he had wanted Abel's second twin sister for himself. She was re-incarnated in the person of Tzipporah, and that is why Yitro represented Abel at that point.

This explains how the same Moses who was reported to have refused to suckle on the breast of a non Jewish wet nurse (Sotah 12), could nonetheless marry a woman of non Jewish origin (because she was to him like Eve had been to Adam, i.e. a missing part of his body, see Genesis 2, 21-23). When Yitro came to Moses in the desert, he said to him; "come forth on account of your wife whom I give to you, and her two sons." The first letters in the verse אני חותנך יתרו (Exodus 18,6) spell אחי, my brother. This was when he had realised that he, Yitro, representing Cain, was Moses' brother, whose former incarnation had been Abel.

Yitro's words "עתה ידעתי" "now I know," (Exodus 18,11) reflect this new-found knowledge of Yitro (Cain). Cain had murdered because he did not believe that G–d is a judge, that there is justice in the world, and that there is life after death. The Targum Yonathan says that the word "עתה" represents Yitro's new found insight, and that this is the reason that this portion about the installing of a broadly based system of judges was added at Exodus 18,21. (I have not been able to find this in the Targum Yonathan. Ed) The reason Yitro had entrusted (given) his flock to Moses (Exodus 3,1) was that it was symbolic of the sheep he had stolen from his brother Abel in his previous incarnation, the latter having been a shepherd (Genesis 4,2). Moses had not wanted to accept this flock, believing it to be rightfully Yitro's. The Rabbis do not like someone tending the property of an idol worshipper, since the chances are that such property may have been acquired as payment for services rendered to idols. The Torah therefore stresses צאן יתרו, that the flock was not derived from such sources.

All this helps us understand the Midrash Shemot Rabbah 1,32, on the verse איש מצרי הצילנו "an Egyptian man has saved us," that the daughters of Yitro described their rescue at the hands of Moses as having been the work of an Egyptian (Exodus 2,19). Surely Moses did not claim to be an Egyptian! The Midrash then describes a person who had been bitten by a wild ass as rushing to the river to get relief for his feet. As soon as he gets to the river, he finds a baby about to drown in the river. He reaches out, and saves the baby. Had the man not been bitten by the wild ass, the baby would have drowned. Similarly here. Had Moses not killed the Egyptian, and had he not been forced to flee for his life, he would now not have been in a position to help Yitro's daughters. This is what those daughters meant when they said "an Egyptian man has saved us." They attributed their rescue to the Egyptian whom Moses had killed.

The problem is that if the daughters wanted to describe the cause of their rescue, why did they not mention the immediate cause, i.e. the fact that Datan and Aviram had informed against Moses to Pharaoh thus forcing Moses to flee for his life? Or take the even more immediate cause, Pharaoh's decree to have Moses executed? The answer is that the killing of the Egyptian was not an occurrence of secondary importance; rather it was a primary occurrence. It was the lower life form, נפש, of Cain that was killed when Moses struck that Egyptian. This enabled the "higher" soul, נשמה, of Yitro to become refined, since it was no longer attached to the נפש part of Cain. It enabled Yitro to establish brotherly relations with Moses, and as a result the former jealousy between Cain and Abel was no longer part of the relationship of their respective re-incarnates.

This also helps explain Yitro's question "ואיו, למה זה עזבתן את האיש" (Exodus 2,20) "where is he, why did you abandon the man?" The sequence should have been , למה זה עזבתן את האיש, ואיו, "why did you abandon the man, and where is he?" Then the letter ו would be justified as a letter denoting something additional. Yitro was not clear whether he should understand the words איש מצרי literally, i.e. an Egyptian, or whether he should read a more profound meaning into it as we have just described. Therefore, he said "call him so he can eat bread." These words would be appropriate both if the man was indeed an Egyptian in which case he deserved to be rewarded at least with a meal. If, on the other hand, איש מצרי meant what we have just described, then the words "call him and he shall eat bread" is a euphemism for offering Moses one of Yitro's daughters' hand in marriage, since clearly one of them was meant to become Moses' wife. This is why he said ואיו, the letter ו both at the beginning and at the end of the word אי "where?" That letter could then be applied to either possibility. It would then be a reminder of G–d's original question "אי" "where is your brother Abel?" (Genesis 4,9) Another possibility is the one mentioned by the Zohar, that the letter ו is symbolic of the sign, אות that G–d gave Cain, i.e. a letter from the holy Torah, so that no one who came across him would kill him as a murderer. (Rosenberg Montreal edition page 42)

This also explains the Midrash saying that Tzipporah was so named, since like a bird, צפור, she purified, the reference being to the offerings of צפורים to signify purification of people who had previously been afflicted with צרעת (Shemot Rabbah 32; Leviticus 14,4). Similarly it is used to purify the house afflicted with certain kinds of stains (Leviticus 14,49). Rabbi Yossi used to refer to his wife as "his house". As long as this twin sister of Abel had been under the control of Cain,- maybe she (Tzipporah) blamed G–d. Cain was jealous, blaming his fate on the original sin of his father Adam who had brought contamination into the world, had made him an outcast like the מצרע the person afflicted with that skin disease. This fits because we know that such an affliction is usually due to slanderous talk of a person (Eyruvin 15). Moses' staff, מטה, was rooted in the עץ החיים, tree of life, the סוד of Abel who had not been tainted with sin. Abel lived for 49 days as the Ari zal explains the meaning of the word שבעתים "sevenfold," to mean seven times seven (Genesis 4,15). The word יקם, "will be avenged," is composed of the respective letters in the threesome יתרו-קין-מצרי. Abel lived 49 days in this world which was created with the letter "ה" (Genesis 2,4, see Menachot 29). The number 49 is equivalent to the numerical value of the word מט"ה, Moses' staff. The letter ה in the word is a reference only to G–d having created the world with the help of that letter. It became the staff and symbol of Moses later on. When Moses refused the mission to go to Pharaoh and bring about the חידוש העולם, his staff was turned into a צרעת serpent, and his hand became afflicted with צרעת, to show that he had aborted his purpose in life.

We find two opinions in Bereshit Rabbah 22,12, as to the kind of "sign" G–d gave to Cain. Rabbi Yehudah says that G–d made the sun shine for him. Rabbi Nechemyah says that G–d certainly would not have gone out of His way to make the sun shine for such a sinner, rather the "sign" was a form of צרעת, skin excema, very visible. This comment is not to be understood as disagreement with Rabbi Yehudah. G–d said to Moses: "If they will not believe you, and not listen to the impact of the first "sign" (miracle), they will be convinced by the impact of the second miracle." The first sign was that Moses' face would shine like the sun, and Cain would benefit from this. Rabbi Nechemyah elaborates that Cain certainly would not benefit from this, until, when re-incarnated and his soul had been cleansed since he had accepted G–ds judgment, he had become Yitro. Only then would his sign be radiation of the face of Moses, rather than the sign of צרעת. We find a reference to this in Exodus 22,1: "If the thief is discovered in a hideout." The thief referred to is Cain who had tried to cheat G–d (גנבת דעת, see Rashi's comment on Genesis 4,9). The Torah in Exodus 22,1, continues: "If he is struck down and dies as a result, there is no blood (guilt)." However, if the sun shone upon him, (the thief) there is blood (guilt). What is meant is the גלגל החמה, i.e. after he had reformed and had become rehabilitated (galgal should be read gilgul metamorphosis).

I have explained why Moses named Gershon as he did, and why his second son Eliezer is not mentioned until Exodus 18,4, long after the Exodus. Only at that point does the Torah give the reason he had been called Eliezer, since G–d had already saved Moses from the clutches of Pharaoh.

The usual reason cited is that Moses had not wanted to publicise his escape from Pharaoh so that he could not again be informed against, as had happened to him in Egypt. However, if we view all the happenings in the light of the re-incarnation of Abel-- Shet-- Moses, we view the earthly existence of Abel as having been very brief. When his soul was in the body of Shet, he was still in ארץ נכריה, i.e. not within the body he was destined to inhabit ultimately. Once his soul inhabited his present body, it could be said of his body "his eye did not weaken, etc." (Deut 34,7). This proved that his body and soul were well matched. The reason the grave of Moses could not be located (Deut. 34,5) was because his body had not lost its vigour, had not become a cadaver. Not only at the revelation could it be said of Moses that he could stand next to G–d (Deut 5,28).

When he had said "the G–d of my father has come to my assistance" (Exodus 18,4), he implied that even his father Amram had become so refined and purified that he qualified as an איש האלוקים. The words "He has saved me from the sword of Pharaoh," in addition to "the G–d of my father came to my help," mean that just as one grants additional wisdom to those who already possess a degree of wisdom, so Moses, seeing he had already possessed basic qualifications, advanced to even higher rank both spiritually and physically, so that even Pharaoh's sword could not harm his neck anymore than it could harm a pillar of marble. This is a hint that marble is incapable of becoming ritually impure. When the four sages entered the פרדס, i.e. the study of esoterics, מעשה מרכבה, Rabbi Akiva warned his colleagues "when you see pure marble, do not say "water, water!" (Chagigah 14)

It is written of Moses that "I have drawn him from the water" (Exodus 2,10). When pondering the statements of our sages, we must remember that though they may be describing things physical, i.e. water, marble, etc., these are merely euphemisms for matters spiritual. The same applies to the verse "and the name of the one was Eliezer." The word "the one" refers to "The One," i.e. G–d. His name could not be revealed until the giving of the Torah, since only then did it become clear how Moses was particularly qualified to assume the role he had been assigned by G–d. Since he had already possessed all the basic qualifications, he could now ascend further, i.e. Mount Sinai, receive the tablets, etc. When Job in 28,12, asks rhetorically "where is חכמה, wisdom to be found?" this is an allusion to Moses; i.e. only people who are already spiritually and physically prepared, will achieve that stature (being the re-incarnation of הבל, (another meaning of whose name is "heat" which purifies). Being the re-incarnation of Abel meant having been purified by fire into being sinless. (Shabbat 89 describes Moses as being fearful of the heat, הבל, that emanates from the mouths of the angels since the latter are sin-free creatures, seeing they have no body). The immediate re-incarnation of Abel had been Shet, some of whose descendants survived the deluge, i.e. became the founders of mankind. The world's survival depends on Torah. The word me-ayin quoted previously in Job 28,12, equals 101 in numerical value (מאין). This is a hint at what our sages say when they claim that if one studies a subject matter one hundred times, this is not as good as when one studies it one hundred and one times (Chagigah 9).

Moses' teacher was the angel זגנזגל (=100+1 for the value of the word itself) whose name has a numerical value of 101. In other words, he was the source, or מאין, of Moses' wisdom, חכמה. We see that the verse "והחכמה מאין תמצא" is a hint referring to Moses, to whom the principle that once you possess the basics you will be endowed further was applied. The relationship between Moses and Yitro became possible after Moses had killed the נפש part of Cain's re-incarnation in the person of the Egyptian who had abused or killed a Jew (Exodus 2,11-12). Yitro had absorbed the "higher" soul, נשמה, of Cain, and as such could -"twin"- Moses who had absorbed the נשמה of Abel.

The allusion -רמז- to all this we find in the numerical value of the words המצרי [ויך את] the word hamitzri equalling 345, the same numerical value as that of משה. The word ויך itself equals 37 when you add an extra value of "1" for the word itself. This is the numerical value of the name הבל. After that Moses fled and joined Yitro.

Moses is known by seven different names, (Shemot Rabbah 40,4). Rabbi Yitzchak Luria writes that Moses used the 42-lettered Name of G–d when he killed the Egyptian in order to elevate that person's נפש. It is well known that the 42-lettered name incorporates seven different names. Yitro also had seven names (Shemot Rabbah 27,7). At that time, Yitro converted to monotheism and abandoned idol worship. Moses had not wanted to kill Bileam by using the 42-lettered name of G–d, but he had wanted him to die by the sword which is the symbol of defilement, טומאה. This is why Bileam did not die the מות ישרים, the "death of the righteous." He had not said אמות מות ישרים, I want to die the death of the righteous, but had said only "my soul will die the death of the righteous, using the word נפש to describe his soul. His נפש then was redeemed, not his body. So far the Ari zal (compare Numbers 31,8).

I have explained a Midrash in Bereshit Rabbah on Noach where Moses and Noach are contrasted. It says that Moses was more beloved than Noach, since the latter is first described as איש צדיק, a righteous man (Genesis 6,9), whereas later he is called איש האדמה, man of the earth (Genesis 9,20). Moses, on the other hand, is first called איש מצרי and later on he is called איש האלוקים.

The idea is to tell us that even though Noach was called איש צדיק תמים, this was true only in the generations during which he lived, i.e. בדורותיו. His righteousness was relative, when one considers the environment into which he had been born. Had he and his family not survived, the world would have been totally destroyed. The meaning of איש האדמה then is that his survival ensured the continuance of the אדמה, earth. It would have reverted to Tohu vavohu otherwise. Still, the word אדמה, severely limits Noach's achievement. The reverse is true of Moses. Even when engaged in the lowliest of his pursuits, the killing of the Egyptian, he employed the 42-lettered name of G–d. If he is called איש האלוקים (Deut, 33,1,and Exodus 24,13), it is because of his deep understanding of the names of G–d. Even when he killed the Egyptian he used this knowledge. According to the Ari zal the entire sojourn in Egypt and every event recorded of it, was under the heading of חידוש העולם, and the 42-lettered name of G–d was employed in creating the universe originally.

This was also the subject Moses and Pharaoh debated, i.e. when Pharaoh challenged "who is G–d that I should listen to Him!" (Exodus 5,2). Moses, on the other hand, said "thus said the Lord G–d of Israel, let My people go!" (Exodus 5,1). He argued the existence of G–d and the fact that the people of Israel have a close relationship with Him. This is why he described Him as "the G–d of Israel." From a philosophical point of view, Pharaoh challenged Moses, saying that even if a חידוש העולם were to occur- something he denied, not having heard about it, surely it could not be claimed that a special relationship already existed between this G–d and Israel, seeing it is claimed that the world was entering a new beginning! Since G–d is self-sufficient, any relations He establishes with anyone are for that party's benefit. Since this is so, how could Israel be special? He must dispense favours equally! Surely, He would also have commanded me to serve Him! His failure to do so makes Moses' claim unbelievable. Therefore, Pharaoh would not allow Israel to go and serve G–d in the desert.

Onkelos translates the words "the G–d of the Hebrews has called upon us," as "the G–d of the Hebrews has revealed Himself to us" (Exodus 5,3). What he means by this is that a new perspective of the universe had been revealed for the sake of Israel. From now on Israel would be the fruit and everything in the universe would become of secondary importance. The reason Israel would become of primary importance was that they would travel three days' distance into the desert, to receive the Torah. This is in accordance with the statement in Baba Kama 82, that the verse "they walked three days in the desert and did not find water," refers to their not receiving the Torah during that period (Exodus 15,22). We have a tradition that אין מים אלא תורה that the true meaning of "water" is Torah (Baba Kama 17). Their fatigue was due to the absence of Torah, which would have inspired them. Isaiah 55,1, refers to this מים-תורה according to the Talmudic source quoted. It was then that the prophets arranged for public Torah readings on every Sabbath, Monday and Thursday, to insure that Israel would never be without the benefit of Torah for three days.

Since the havoc wrought on G–d's creation was due to the original נחש, and that serpent was ערום, sly, or naked, i.e. brazen, Israel descended into the "iron crucible" of Egypt to experience ערום ועריה (Ezekiel 16,7), facing Pharaoh who is described elsewhere as the תנין הגדול, the great sea monster, the serpent being עפר לחמו, having been condemned to subsist on dust (Genesis 3,14). The letters in the name Pharaoh, i.e. פרעה when re-arranged spell העפר "the dust." This is the reason the first miracle Moses performed transformed the staff into a תנין to allude to Pharaoh. In order to cleanse themselves spiritually from the pollutant of the original serpent, Israel had to perform עבודת פרך, hard labour. Since the pollutant of that serpent had kept permeating more and more of the human being, it required potent cleansing measures to eradicate it. Had there not been such a pollutant, man would have lived indefinitely. As it is, the only two means to regain the original state of man are afflictions while he is alive, and the experience of death itself. Exile is one of the manifestations of such afflictions. So we have a progression of afflictions which will culminate in serenity, light, until the original light of creation which has been hidden will be revealed again. Nowadays the world is desolate, due to the sin caused by the נחש, i.e. our sins. Physical death is described in Genesis as טוב מאד, very good according to Rabbi Meir (Genesis 1,31). This is because it is the catalyst that leads man to repentance and thereby to eternal life and resurrection (Midrash Hagadol).

Though Pharaoh had intended the opposite, and even Moses had remonstrated with G–d (Exodus 5,22-23), he was taught that this was an occasion when in order to build anew, one must first tear down the old. The very addition of affliction resulted in accelerated redemption.

You should not think that Pharaoh's increasing of the Jewish people's workload (Exodus 5,6-9), was merely his own idea. On the contrary, it represented the will of G–d. He had sent Moses to Pharaoh in order to produce this result. This is why two expressions are used when G–d enlists Moses' services. A) לכה, B) ואשלחך (Exodus 3,10). The first expression usually refers to an undertaking due to one's own initiative, whereas the second word אשלחך refers to the carrying out of a mission at someone else's bidding. The Ari zal states that G–d sent two missions. One mission had as its purpose the redemption of Israel, i.e. ואשלחך. The other had as its objective the increased burdens imposed by Pharaoh on the Jewish people, i.e. something apparently painful for the Jewish people. Since G–d never describes a mission undertaken at His behest as לרעה, meant to have negative effects, it was couched in language that normally describes one's own initiative, i.e. לכה-לך נא (go please).

We find the same idea in Isaiah 6,8, when G–d asks "whom shall I send, and who will go?" The words "who will go for us" signal that G–d does not want to be associated exclusively with a שליחות לרעה (The subject matter was the wasting of cities, etc.).

When he responded, Isaiah only volunteered for the שליחות, G–d's mission, not for the הליכה, which could have passed for his own initiative. G–d had to tell him then that at that point in time He needed a messenger only for the unpleasant part of the mission. This is why He said to him לך ואמרת, "go and say." Similarly, in our case, G–d wanted to provoke Pharaoh so that out of the additional "darkness" the contrast with the "light" of the redemption would be so much greater. In other words, יהי שם השם מברך, first afflictions, then peace, serenity. G–d Himself is with us even while we suffer, i.e. His own name will become greater only in the future. This is the meaning of עמו אנכי בצרה, "I am with Israel when it is in trouble" (Psalms 91,15). There is no greater trouble than that G–d's Presence must exile itself on account of our sins. In Exodus 1,14, וימררו את חייהם בעבודה קשה, "They made their lives miserable with hard labour," the word חייהם refers to that which gives us our strength, i.e. G–d. In other words, the Egyptians made our lives in the Celestial Regions bitter.

This is the secret behind the code words that would herald the arrival of the Saviour that Joseph told his brothers in Genesis 50,24/25, פקוד יפקוד, and that would identify the true Saviour when Moses said in the name of G–d "פקוד פקדתי אתכם." It is strange that the word פקוד should have been chosen for that role, and that the word is spelled without the letter ו (in the Torah). עמו אנכי בצרה

If the salvation, i.e. פקד is mentioned prior to the enslavement, i.e. צרה, or וימררו, then this confirms that G–d arranges for the רפואה, cure, already before He inflicts the מכה, affliction. It proves that when the afflictions do occur, they must not be viewed as caused by an enemy, but as something designed to refine our character so that we will emerge as innocent as Adam before the sin. Then G–d's whole name can be revealed, the one that has been desecrated amongst mankind due to our sins. When that day arrives, He and His name will be one, i.e. ברוך השם לעולם אמן ואמן.