What did Moshe mean when he said ?'va'Meh Yivada Eifoh ... ha'Lo be'Lecht'cha Imanu?"?
Rashi, Rashbam, Seforno,Targum Onkelos and Targum Yonasan: "How will I know that I have found found.favor in Your Eyes 1 ... only if You go with us ... ". 2
B'rachos, 7a: Moshe was requesting that the Shechinah should accompany Yisrael (and not a Mal'ach). 3
Seforno: Because, the fact that we will enter the land, and the angel will drive out the nations will not indicate anything Divine, since for one nation to drive out another nation is a natural occurance.
: As the Torah wrote in the Shirah ""Nachisa be'Chasd'cha Am Zu Ga'alta, Nehalta be'Azcha ... " - "Sham'u Amim Yirgazun". See Seforno, who elaborates further.
What are the conotations of "ve'Niflinu Ami ve'Amcha"?
Rashi #1, Ramban, and Targum Onkelos: He was asking that Hashem should draw a distinction 1 between Yisrael and the other nations unasmuch as He would rest His Shechinah Yisrael and not on any other nation.
Rashi #2 (in Yeshayah): He was asking that Hashem perform wonders on behalf of Yisrael. 2
Seforno: Even assuming that they would enter Eretz Cana'an and a Mal'ach would drive out all the nations, that would not prove that it was an act of G-d, unless Hashem would lead them and fight their battles, 3 only then would Yisrael be proven to be superior to all the other nations.
Rashbam: It was a dual request that a. he (Moshe) should stand out above all of Yisrael - that it should be made clear that he was a faithful Navi of Hashem and a rebuker, 4 and that all of Yisrael accept his words, and b. that Yisrael should be unique, inasmuch as Hashem goes with them, over and above all the other nations.
Targum Yonasan: Moshe was asking Hashem that his favor in the Eyes of Hakadosh-Baruch-Hu should manifest itself in three ways: 1. The Shechinah would speak with them; 2. Hashem would create a distinction between them and the nations of the world by removing the spirit of prophecy from the latter, and 3. He would speak with Ru'ach ha'Kodesh with him (Moshe) and with His people.
Moshav Zekenim (in Pasuk13): He was asking Hashem to be close to Yisrael with affection like He was originally, and to perform wonders for them like He used to.
Oznayim la'Torah: He meant that it is only be means of coming close to Hashem that the promise "Vih'yisem Li Segulah mi'Kol ha'Amim", which Hashem made at Matan Torah, can be fulfilled.
Rashi: As in Va'eira, 9:4.
Rashi (Ibid): From the word 'Pele' - a wonder, as in Yeshayah 26:18.
As they sang in the Shirah (15:13- 14), and as Rachav will later testify in Yehoshua, 2:10, 11.
See Mishlei, 28:23, with reference to Moshe (Rashi in Mishlei).
