In this week's Parsha, Parshat Shemot when Moshe asks Hashem what to say when the Jews ask for Hashems name it says in the pasuk וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים אֶל־מֹשֶׁה אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה וַיֹּאמֶר כֹּה תֹאמַר לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶהְיֶה שְׁלָחַנִי אֲלֵיכֶם׃ And Hashem said to Moshe, Eheye Asher Eheye (I will ever be what I now am): and he said, so shall you say to the children of Yisrael, Eheye (I Am) has sent me to you. (3:14). A big question that jumps out from this Pasuk is why does it say in the beginning Eheye Asher Eheye but in the end it only says Eheye? The gemara in berachot daf :ט explains that in the beginning when Hashem told Moshe to tell them Eheye Asher Eheye the meaning was “I was with you in this enslavement, and in this redemption, and I will be with you in the enslavement of the kingdoms in the future”, after hearing this Moshe responded “Master of the Universe, it is enough for them to endure. Let the future suffering be endured at its appointed time. There is no need to mention their future enslavement.” Hashem so to speak “agreed” with him and simply told him to just say “I will be, has sent me to you.” meaning hashem, the one who will be with you in this hardship. This gemara leaves a big question, did Hashem not know what Moshe told him? Why did he tell him to say Eheye Asher Eheye when he knew it was not ideal? The answer to this question is that Hashem was testing the leadership of Moshe, when Moshe told Hashem that “there is no need to mention their future” Moshe shows that he has a profound understanding of the psyche of the people and that in life there are times to speak and times to stay silent. Shabbat Shalom!
-Rafael Avner Tirat-Gefen
