(יב) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶל־יְהֹוָ֗ה רְ֠אֵ֠ה אַתָּ֞ה אֹמֵ֤ר אֵלַי֙ הַ֚עַל אֶת־הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה וְאַתָּה֙ לֹ֣א הֽוֹדַעְתַּ֔נִי אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־תִּשְׁלַ֖ח עִמִּ֑י וְאַתָּ֤ה אָמַ֙רְתָּ֙ יְדַעְתִּ֣יךָֽ בְשֵׁ֔ם וְגַם־מָצָ֥אתָ חֵ֖ן בְּעֵינָֽי׃ (יג) וְעַתָּ֡ה אִם־נָא֩ מָצָ֨אתִי חֵ֜ן בְּעֵינֶ֗יךָ הוֹדִעֵ֤נִי נָא֙ אֶת־דְּרָכֶ֔ךָ וְאֵדָ֣עֲךָ֔ לְמַ֥עַן אֶמְצָא־חֵ֖ן בְּעֵינֶ֑יךָ וּרְאֵ֕ה כִּ֥י עַמְּךָ֖ הַגּ֥וֹי הַזֶּֽה׃ (יד) וַיֹּאמַ֑ר פָּנַ֥י יֵלֵ֖כוּ וַהֲנִחֹ֥תִי לָֽךְ׃ (טו) וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֵלָ֑יו אִם־אֵ֤ין פָּנֶ֙יךָ֙ הֹלְכִ֔ים אַֽל־תַּעֲלֵ֖נוּ מִזֶּֽה׃ (טז) וּבַמֶּ֣ה ׀ יִוָּדַ֣ע אֵפ֗וֹא כִּֽי־מָצָ֨אתִי חֵ֤ן בְּעֵינֶ֙יךָ֙ אֲנִ֣י וְעַמֶּ֔ךָ הֲל֖וֹא בְּלֶכְתְּךָ֣ עִמָּ֑נוּ וְנִפְלִ֙ינוּ֙ אֲנִ֣י וְעַמְּךָ֔ מִכׇּ֨ל־הָעָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הָאֲדָמָֽה׃ {פ}
(יז) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה גַּ֣ם אֶת־הַדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּ֛ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּ֖רְתָּ אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֑ה כִּֽי־מָצָ֤אתָ חֵן֙ בְּעֵינַ֔י וָאֵדָעֲךָ֖ בְּשֵֽׁם׃ (יח) וַיֹּאמַ֑ר הַרְאֵ֥נִי נָ֖א אֶת־כְּבֹדֶֽךָ׃
(12) Moses said to the Holy One, “See, You say to me, ‘Lead this people forward,’ but You have not made known to me whom You will send with me. Further, You have said, ‘I have known your name, and you have also found favor in my eyes.’ (13) Now, if I have truly gained Your favor in your eyes, pray let me know Your ways, that I may know You and continue to find favor in your eyes. See too, that this nation is Your people.” (14) And He said, “I will go in the lead and will-a lighten your burden.” (15) And he said to Him, “Unless You go in the lead, do not make us leave this place. (16) For how shall it be known that Your people have gained Your favor unless You go with us, so that we may be distinguished, Your people and I, from every people on the face of the earth?” (17) And the Holy One said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have asked; for you have truly gained favor in my eyes and I have known you by name.” (18) He said, “Please, let me see Your Presence!”
(יד) כִּ֤י בִ֣י חָ֭שַׁק וַאֲפַלְּטֵ֑הוּ אֲ֝שַׂגְּבֵ֗הוּ כִּֽי־יָדַ֥ע שְׁמִֽי׃
(14) “Because he is devoted to Me I will deliver him;
I will keep him safe, for he knows My name.
The Sukkot connection?
I found three theme words in the first SEVEN verses read this shabbat relating to Sukkot: Vision, Intimate knowing and Shielding. The first, Ra-ah is repeated 7 times in 7 verses. Seven is the number of completion and rest. Ra-ah refers to vision, to see. For Sukkot, no hiding from the stars, there is vision of the sky, the ancestors, of eternity. The second theme word is Yada – to know intimately, as Moshe and the Holy One know one another’s names. and certainly sukkot as an experience is an intimate knowing of nature and thus for many, of G*d. When people lose this intimate touch, our love for nature wanes, and we only protect what we love. This occurred only six times, but was so strongly reminiscent of psalm 91, where G*d protects those all who know the name of the Holy one.
(כב) וְהָיָה֙ בַּעֲבֹ֣ר כְּבֹדִ֔י וְשַׂמְתִּ֖יךָ בְּנִקְרַ֣ת הַצּ֑וּר וְשַׂכֹּתִ֥י כַפִּ֛י עָלֶ֖יךָ עַד־עׇבְרִֽי׃
(22) and, as My Presence passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and shield you with My palm until I have passed by.
AND I WILL COVER You. Ve-sakkoti (and I will cover thee) has the same meaning whether spelled with a sin or a samekh. Some commentaries say that kappi (My hand) is to be interpreted My cloud, as in al kappayim kissah or (He covereth His hands (or cloud) with the lightning) (Job. 36:32) and hen al kappayim chakkotikh (Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands) (Is. 49:16). However, it is to be translated literally.
One final and unexpected connection is in a hyperlink from the parashah to Sukkot in Ex. 33:22 The shield “sachoti” is from the same root as the Schach on the Sukkah: Mind Blown!
During sukkot we gain vision, an intimate knowing, and we trust in the flimsy Schach, because it is as the hand of G*d shielding us. B’zot ani Boteach!
This comment by Dr L. Lars Doan, on Sukkot services.
"This morning I felt immersed in blessings and a (virtual) mikveh of flowing joy, of welcoming community, of being genuinely seen, davening alone-together… and I left with the calls to tap into lived vulnerabilities and fragilities not as personal failings, to sit with them in the Sukkah in my heart knowing I do so not alone; charting moments of daily gratitude, and taking time to see the stars.”