Greater Midrash on Exodus (Exodus Rabbah)

Exodus 30:9

Another explanation of He issued His commands to Jacob [His statutes and rules to Israel] (Psalms 147:19)—R. Abbahu, in the name of R. Yosi ben R. Ḥanina, said: It can be compared to a king who had an orchard in which he planted all kinds of trees, and the only one to enter it was him because he was its keeper. When his children came of age, he said, “My children, I have been the keeper of this orchard, and I have not allowed anyone to enter it. Now you will keep it as I kept it.” This is what the Holy One said to Israel, “Prior to creating the world, I prepared the Torah, for it says: Then I was with Him, a nursling (Proverbs 8:30). What is the meaning of “nursling” [amon]?—a tutor [omen] [for Israel], as it says: As a nurse [omen] carries an infant (Numbers 11:12). I did not give it to one of the idol worshiping nations, but to Israel, for as soon as they stood and said, ‘All that the Lord has spoken we will faithfully do’ (Exodus 24:7)—they were given the Torah.” This is what is meant by: He issued His commands to Jacob, His statutes and rules to Israel. He did not do so for any other nation (Psalms 147:19–20)—but to whom? To Jacob, whom He chose from all the idolatrous nations, giving to them only part [of the commandments].

He gave Adam six commandments and added one more for Noah. Abraham had eight and Jacob nine, but to Israel He gave all.

R. Simeon in the name of R. Ḥanina said: It can be compared to a king who had before him a set table with all kinds of dishes on it. His servant entered, and he gave him a slice [of meat]; a second, and he gave him an egg; a third, and he gave him some vegetable; and likewise for each one. When his son came in, he gave him the entire table lying before him, saying to him, “To the others I gave only single portions, but to you I give everything.” So also God gave to the idol worshipers only some of the commandments, but when Israel arose, He said to them, “Behold the whole Torah is yours,” as it says: He did not do so for any nation.

R. Eleazar said: It can be compared to a king who went out to war with his legions. He slaughtered an animal and distributed to each one a piece to toil over [because it was raw and required preparation]. His son was watching and asked him, “What will you give me?” He replied, “[I will give you] from that which I have prepared for myself.” So the Holy One gave to the non-Israelites commandments in their raw state, for them to toil over, and he did not make any distinction among them between impurity and purity; but as soon as Israel came, He explained each precept separately to them, both its punishment [for nonfulfillment] and reward, as it says: Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth (Song of Songs 1:2). Hence [He gave] His statutes and His laws to Israel (Psalms 147:19).

Exodus 47:1

Write for yourself these words (Exodus 34:27). This is what is meant by: If I write for him so many things of My law, they are accounted as a stranger (Hosea 8:12). When God revealed Himself at Sinai to give the Torah to Israel, He communicated it to Moses in order: Bible, Mishnah, Talmud, and aggadah, as it says: And God spoke all these words (Exodus 20:1). Even the question a pupil asks his teacher, God told Moses at that time. After he had learned it from God, He told him to teach it to Israel. Moses said, “Lord of the Universe! Shall I write it down for them?” God replied, “I do not wish to give it to them in writing, because I foresee a time when the idolaters will have dominion over them and take it away from them, and they will be despised by the idolaters; only the Bible will I give them in writing; but the Mishnah, Talmud, and aggadah I will give them orally, so that if the idolaters come and enslave them, they will remain distinct from them.” He said to the prophet, “If I write for him so many things of My law, they are accounted as a stranger. I will, therefore, give them the Bible in writing, but the Mishnah, Talmud, and aggadah I will give them orally.” Write!—this refers to the Bible; for according to these words [I have made a covenant with you] (Exodus 34:27)—this refers to the Mishnah and Talmud which keep Israel distinct from the idolaters.

Exodus 43:4

Another explanation of But Moses implored [vayeḥal] the Lord his God. What does this mean? R. Berekhiah said in the name of R. Ḥelbo in the name of R. Isaac that he [Moses] absolved his creator of his vow [a pun on vay-eḥal]. How so? When Israel made the calf, Moses began to implore God to forgive them, but God said, “Moses, I have already taken an oath that whoever sacrifices to a god other than the Lord alone shall be destroyed (Exodus 22:19), and I cannot retract an oath that has proceeded from my mouth.”

Moses said to him, “Lord of the Universe! Didn’t you grant me the power of annulment of oaths by saying: If a man vows a vow to the Lord or swears an oath to bind himself with a bond, he shall not break his word (Numbers 30:3); that is, he himself cannot break his own pledge, but a scholar can absolve his vow if he consults him, and any sage who gives instruction, if he wants others to accept his decision, he should be the first to observe it. Since you have commanded me concerning the annulment of vows, it is only right that you should [seek to] annul your vow as you have commanded me to annul the vows of others.”

Thereupon [Moses] wrapped himself in his cloak and seated himself like a sage, and the Holy One stood before him like one petitioning [for the annulment of] his vow, for so it says: Then I sat on the mount (Deuteronomy 9:9). [ . . . ]

What did he [Moses] say to him? A shocking thing. R. Yoḥanan said, “The shocking thing he said was, ‘Do you now regret [your vow]?’ He said to him, ‘I regret now the evil that I said I would do to My people’ [based on Exodus 32:14: The Lord regretted the evil that He said He would do to His people]. When Moses heard this, he said, ‘It is absolved for you, it is absolved for you. There is neither vow nor oath any longer’; for this reason, it says: va-yeḥal Mosheh—meaning that he absolved [heḥal] the vow of his creator, as it says: He shall not break [yaḥel] his word (Numbers 30:3).” R. Simeon ben Lakish said, “This was the reason that he was called the man of God (Deuteronomy 33:1)—because he has absolved the vow of God; hence va-yeḥal Mosheh [and Moses annulled].”