And God Spoke to Moses

“And God spoke to Moses and said to him, ‘I am the Lord.’”

We should understand what this statement means to us. It seems to refer to Moses’ question that was said at the end of the portion, Shemot [Exodus 5:23], where it is written, “Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done harm to this people, and You did not save Your people at all.”

Moses’ question was that when he told them they had to work Lishma [for Her sake], everyone thought that their work would be more intense and with greater force, but the truth was to the contrary—they weakened in the work.

As a result, they cried out to Moses, “What good did you do for us when you promised that we would emerge from the exile in Egypt, meaning that our mind was in exile and that by the way you are giving us, to work Lishma, we will be freed from the enslavement of the body, called ‘Pharaoh’? In truth, we haven’t any motivation! Thus, our mind is that we cannot receive your sublime goal.”

To this came the answer, “And God spoke to Moses.” God is nature. As far as nature is concerned, you are correct that you haven’t the fuel to continue your work. “And said to him, ‘I am the Lord.’” The Creator is the quality of mercy, and by His mercy they can extend forces and fuel above nature and above reason, and on this they can no longer argue because all the arguments that a person can make are only where reason affirms it. But above reason, anything might happen, except we must increase the faith that the Creator can help above nature.

In fact, it is impossible to receive something above nature before one decides that this cannot happen within nature. Only after one despairs from nature can he ask for help from above, to be given help above nature.