Rabbi Roodyn

The parsha starts with Hashem using the name Elokim,  introducing Himself to Moshe with the worlds, ‘I am Hashem’. He then elaborates by explaining that He appeared to Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov with the name E-l Sha-ddai (the all sufficing G-d) but had not become known to them by the name of Hashem and that which it signifies. These opening pesukim are very difficult to understand on a simple level and therefore we must scratch beneath the surface in order to appreciate their depth.

Rav Hirsch explains that the name Elokim refers to the hidden G-d, Who acts in the visible world. He is the One, Who, in secret has directed all that has happened to the Jewish people until this point. The despair, the degradation, the misery and distress all sprang from natural circumstances that Hashem allowed to develop. They were the natural result of Egypt’s degeneration and might and of the Bnei Yisrael’s weakness and helplessness.

Now Hakadosh Baruch Hu introduces Himself as Hashem, the One Who exercises His Will independent of, and in complete opposition to, existing conditions. With this moment, a jew world is to arise in the midst of mankind, a world that will be independent of all the conditions that until now have determined the phenomena of world history.

This new revelation of Hashem had been prepared from the start of Jewish history, with all paths leading to this moment. Hashem explains that although He was already ה’ when He appeared to the avos, He only appeared as E-l Sha-ddai and did not allow His sovereignty as ה’ to be manifest.

Hashem is therefore explains to Moshe that although it seems like things have only become worse and that you even appear to be failing in your mission, all of this is part of the plan. Instead of leading Jewish history on an uphill path after Avraham avinu, things have only gone downhill. He could have allowed Avraham’s descendants to flourish in peace in their own land with material abundance galore. Had that been the case, we would have become rooted, like all other nations, in a world that only sees things that can be seen or touched as being real. This nation would have then seen greatness in purely physical terms and would have never sought to strive beyond the material ambitions.

He therefore explains to Moshe that this nation is not destined to be like any other nation. Klal Yisrael is to be founded purely upon the fulfilment of the will of G-d in moral freedom.. The idea of an Al-mighty G-d that liberates a nation to become free from the bonds of materialism was a radical concept. This nation therefore had to start at the point where all other nation had stopped. It had to reach the point of despair and be ready to perish in its own blood. It is only at this point, at the brink of death can it rise to nationhood, heeding the Creator’s call of, ‘I am Hashem.’

This moment of revelation, where the helplessness of the nation had reached its climac was planned by none other than Hashem Himself from the very beginning.