## Kli Yakar on Exodus Chapter 11

###### Kli Yakar on Exodus 11:1:1
[Kli Yakar on Exodus 11:1:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Kli%20Yakar%20on%20Exodus/r/11:1:1)

**כְּשַׁלְּחוֹ כָּלָה גָּרֵשׁ יְגָרֵשׁ אֶתְכֶם מִזֶּה.** פֵּרֵשׁ רַשִׁ״י כֻּלְּכֶם יְשַׁלֵּחַ, וְנִרְאֶה שֶׁמִּלַּת כְּשַׁלְּחוֹ מְיֻתֶּרֶת, וְאוֹמֵר אֲנִי שֶׁכָּךְ פֵּרוּשׁוֹ: לְפִי שֶׁהָיָה רַע בְּעֵינֵי מֹשֶׁה עַל שֶׁנִּתְבַּיֵּשׁ כִּי גֵרְשׁוֹ פַּרְעֹה שְׁתֵּי פְּעָמִים, בְּמַכַּת הָאַרְבֶּה כְּתִיב ״וַיְגָרֶשׁ אוֹתָם מֵאֵת פְּנֵי פַרְעֹה״ (שמות י:יא), וּבְמַכַּת הַחֹשֶׁךְ ״וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ פַרְעֹה לֵךְ מֵעָלָי״ (שמות י:כח), וְהֵשִׁיב לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: ״אַל יֵרַע בְּעֵינֶיךָ, כִּי זֶה סִימָן רַע אֶל פַּרְעֹה, כִּי הִתְחִיל בְּגֵרוּשׁ מְעַט מְעַט עַד לַסּוֹף שֶׁאָז אֶת כֻּלְּכֶם יְגָרֵשׁ, כִּי מִתְּחִלָּה נֶאֱמַר ׳וַיְגָרֶשׁ אוֹתָם מֵאֵת פְּנֵי פַרְעֹה׳, אֲבָל לֹא אָמַר שֶׁלֹּא יוֹסִיפוּ עוֹד רְאוֹת פָּנָיו, וְאַחַר כָּךְ הוֹסִיף בַּגֵּרוּשׁ לוֹמַר ׳אַל תֹּסֶף עוֹד רְאוֹת פָּנָי׳ (שמות י:כח), אֲבָל לַסּוֹף כְּשַׁלְּחוֹ, כְּשֶׁיָּבוֹא הָעֵת שֶׁיְּשַׁלַּח אֶתְכֶם, אָז כֻּלְּכֶם יְגָרֵשׁ, לֹא כָּעֵת הָרִאשׁוֹן הַקַּל בְּגֵרוּשׁ, כִּי לֹא גֵּרֵשׁ כִּי אִם אֶת מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן, אֲבָל כְּשַׁלְּחוֹ אָז כָּלָה גָּרֵשׁ יְגָרֵשׁ,״ וְזֶה מְדֻיָּק מִן מִלַּת כְּשַׁלְּחוֹ.

**Sefaria Kli Yakar, 2026 (Claude 3.7, ed. Francis Nataf) ✧:**
**“When he sends you away, he will drive you out completely from here.”** Rashi explained “he will send all of you.” It seems that the word *when he sends you* is superfluous. I say that this is the explanation: Moses was distressed because he was humiliated when Pharaoh drove him away twice. In the plague of locusts it is written *and he drove them away from before Pharaoh*, and in the plague of darkness, *Pharaoh said to him, ‘Go away from me.’* The Holy One, blessed be He, responded to him, “Do not be distressed, for this is a bad sign for Pharaoh, as he began to drive you out little by little, until in the end he will drive out all of you.” For at first it says, *and he drove them away from before Pharaoh*, but it did not say that they should not see his face again. Later, he increased the expulsion by saying, *Do not see my face again*. But in the end, *when he sends you*, when the time comes that he will send you, then he will drive all of you out, not like the first time when the expulsion was lighter, for he only drove out Moses and Aaron. But *when he sends you*, then *he will drive you out completely*. This is precisely deduced from the word *when he sends you*.


###### Kli Yakar on Exodus 11:2:1
[Kli Yakar on Exodus 11:2:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Kli%20Yakar%20on%20Exodus/r/11:2:1)

**דַּבֶּר נָא בְּאָזְנֵי הָעָם וְיִשְׁאֲלוּ גוֹ׳.** אָמְרוּ רז״ל (ברכות ט:) אֵין נָא אֶלָּא לְשׁוֹן בַּקָּשָׁה, שֶׁלֹּא יֹאמַר אוֹתוֹ צַדִּיק ״וַעֲבָדוּם וְעִנּוּ אוֹתָם״ קִיֵּם בָּהֶם, ״וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן יֵצְאוּ בִּרְכוּשׁ גָּדוֹל״ לֹא קִיֵּם בָּהֶם. וְקָשֶׁה, לָמָּה תָּלָה קִיּוּם הַבְטָחָתוֹ בַּאֲמִירַת אוֹתוֹ צַדִּיק, וּבְלֹא אֲמִירָתוֹ וְכִי לֹא יְקַיֵּם ה׳ אֶת דְּבָרוֹ חָלִילָה? וְנִרְאֶה לְיַשֵּׁב זֶה עַל דֶּרֶךְ שֶׁמַּסִּיק בְּמַסֶּכֶת בְּרָכוֹת (שם) ״וַיַּשְׁאִלוּם״ בְּעַל כָּרְחָם דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, מִשּׁוּם מַשּׂוֹי הַדֶּרֶךְ. וּלְפִי זֶה יָצָא ה׳ יְדֵי הַבְטָחָתוֹ כְּשֶׁהָיָה מַרְאֶה לָהֶם מָקוֹם אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ תִּתְקַיֵּם הַהַבְטָחָה, וּמָה יֵשׁ לוֹ עוֹד לַעֲשׂוֹת אִם הֵמָּה מֵעַצְמָם אֵינָן רוֹצִים לְקַבֵּל? וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם יֵשׁ לָחוּשׁ שֶׁלֹּא יֹאמַר אוֹתוֹ צַדִּיק כוּ׳, כִּי לֹא יָדַע שֶׁהֵמָּה לֹא בִּקְשׁוּ לְקַבֵּל, וּבַעֲבוּר הֱיוֹת אַבְרָהָם צַדִּיק וְיָשָׁר יִהְיֶה עָמָל בְּעֵינָיו עַל שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּעְבְּדוּ בָהֶם בְּחִנָּם. וְעַל כֵּן נֶאֱמַר לוֹ ״וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן יֵצְאוּ בִּרְכוּשׁ גָּדוֹל״. בְּמִלַּת ״וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן״ הוֹרָה שֶׁיִּקְחוּ לָהֶם שְׂכַר עֲבוֹדָתָם מִן הַמִּצְרִיִּים, וְעַל כֵּן נָקַט ״וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן״, כִּי אֵין שְׂכִירוּת מִשְׁתַּלֶּמֶת כִּי אִם לְבַסּוֹף. וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין מַעֲצוֹר לַה׳ לִתֵּן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל רְכוּשׁ גָּדוֹל מִבְּלִי שֶׁיִּצְטָרְכוּ לִקַּח מִן הַמִּצְרִיִּים דֶּרֶךְ שְׁאֵלָה וְרַמָּאוּת, מִכָּל מָקוֹם עָשָׂה כֵן אֱלֹהֵי הַמִּשְׁפָּט לְהַצִּיל מִיָּדָם שְׂכַר עֲבוֹדָתָם, כִּדְאִיתָא בְּפֶרֶק חֵלֶק (סנהדרין צא.) בִּגְבִיהָא בֶּן פְּסִיסָא כוּ׳. וּלְפִיכָךְ לֹא הָיְתָה נָחָה דַעְתּוֹ שֶׁל אוֹתוֹ צַדִּיק בְּשׁוּם רְכוּשׁ כִּי אִם בִּרְכוּשׁ מִצְרַיִם חֵלֶף עֲבוֹדָתָם, כִּי בָּזֶה יְקַבֵּל תַּנְחוּמִין עַל הָעֲבוֹדָה הַקָּשָׁה אֲשֶׁר עֻבַּד בְּזַרְעוֹ. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר ״וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן יֵצְאוּ בִּרְכוּשׁ גָּדוֹל״ לֹא קִיֵּם בָּהֶם. הֵבִיא רַשִׁ״י לְשׁוֹן ״וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן״ מִן הַטַּעַם שֶׁהִזְכַּרְנוּ.

**Sefaria Kli Yakar, 2026 (Claude 3.7, ed. Francis Nataf) ✧:**
**“Speak to the ears of the people and let them ask, etc.”** Our Rabbis of blessed memory said (Berachot 9a) that “na” is only a language of request, so that righteous one [Abraham] would not say: *They will be enslaved and oppressed* was fulfilled, but *and afterward they will leave with great wealth* was not fulfilled. And it is difficult: why does the fulfillment of His promise depend on that righteous one’s statement? Without his statement, would God not fulfill His word, Heaven forbid?
It appears that this can be resolved according to the conclusion in Tractate Berachot (ibid.) *And they lent to them* — against their will of the Israelites, because of the burden of the journey. According to this, God fulfilled His promise when He showed them the place where His promise would be fulfilled. What more could He do if they themselves did not want to accept? Nevertheless, there is concern “that righteous one would say, etc.” because he did not know that they did not ask to receive, and because Abraham was righteous and upright, it would be distressing to him that they were enslaved for nothing. Therefore it was said to him *and afterward they will leave with great wealth*. With the phrase *and afterward*, it indicated that they would take their wages for their labor from the Egyptians. Therefore it specifies *and afterward* because wages are only paid at the end.
Although nothing prevents God from giving Israel great wealth without them needing to take from the Egyptians through borrowing and deception, nevertheless the God of justice did this to recover their wages from them, as is found in Chapter Chelek (Sanhedrin 91a) regarding Geviha ben Pesisa, etc. Therefore, that righteous one would not be satisfied with any wealth except the wealth of Egypt in exchange for their labor, because this would provide consolation for the harsh labor that his descendants endured. And this is what is meant by *and afterward they will leave with great wealth* was not fulfilled. Rashi brought the phrase *and afterward* for the reason we mentioned.


###### Kli Yakar on Exodus 11:4:1
[Kli Yakar on Exodus 11:4:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Kli%20Yakar%20on%20Exodus/r/11:4:1)

**כַּחֲצוֹת הַלַּיְלָה אֲנִי יוֹצֵא בְּתוֹךְ מִצְרָיִם.** רַשִׁ״י פֵּרֵשׁ בְּפָרָשַׁת שְׁמוֹת (ב יא) עַל פָּסוּק ״וַיַּרְא אִישׁ מִצְרִי מַכֶּה״ וְגוֹ׳, שֶׁהַנּוֹגְשִׂים הֵקִימוּ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לִמְלַאכְתָּם בִּקְרוֹת הַגֶּבֶר. וּמֵהֵיכָן לָמַד רַשִׁ״י לוֹמַר כֵּן שֶׁהֱקִימוּם דַּוְקָא בִּקְרוֹת הַגֶּבֶר? וְאוּלַי לָמַד רַשִׁ״י זֶה מִמָּה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״כַּחֲצוֹת הַלַּיְלָה״ וְגוֹ׳, לְפִי שֶׁמָּצִינוּ עֳנָשִׁים לְמִצְרַיִם מִדָּה כְּנֶגֶד מִדָּה בְּכָל עֶשֶׂר מַכּוֹת. אֲבָל עֲדַיִן לֹא מָצִינוּ עֹנֶשׁ מִצַּד הַזְּמַן, עַל כֵּן נֶאֱמַר ״כַּחֲצוֹת הַלַּיְלָה״ בְּכָ״ף, כְּמוֹ אוֹתוֹ חֲצוֹת הַלַּיְלָה שֶׁעָשׂוּ לָהֶם עָוֶל וְחָמָס לַהֲקִימָם לִמְלַאכְתָּם כִּקְרוֹת הַגֶּבֶר רִאשׁוֹן שֶׁהוּא בַּחֲצִי הַלַּיְלָה, וְהָיוּ הַנּוֹגְשִׂים שָׂרִים גְּדוֹלִים, כָּךְ הֻכּוּ בְּכוֹרֵי מִצְרַיִם גַּם כֵּן בַּחֲצִי הַלַּיְלָה. אוֹ קָאֵי עַל אוֹתוֹ חֲצוֹת דְּאַבְרָהָם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁהִכָּה אַבְרָהָם אֶת הַמְּלָכִים בַּחֲצִי הַלַּיְלָה, כָּךְ הֻכּוּ בְּכוֹרֵי מִצְרַיִם בַּחֲצִי הַלַּיְלָה.

**Sefaria Kli Yakar, 2026 (Claude 3.7, ed. Francis Nataf) ✧:**
**“Around midnight I will go out in the midst of Egypt.”** Rashi explains in the portion of Exodus (2:11) on the verse *and he saw an Egyptian man beating etc.*, that the taskmasters would wake up the Israelites for their labor at the crowing of the rooster. And from where did Rashi learn to say that they would wake them specifically at the crowing of the rooster? Perhaps Rashi learned this from what is stated *around midnight etc.*, because we find that the punishments for the Egyptians were measure for measure in all 10 plagues. But we still have not found a punishment related to time. Therefore it says *around midnight* with the letter “kaf” [which can mean “like” or “approximately”], meaning like that midnight when they wronged and oppressed them by waking them for labor at the first crowing of the rooster, which is at midnight, and the taskmasters were high-ranking officials. So too, the firstborn of Egypt were also struck at midnight. Or it refers to that midnight of Abraham, just as Abraham struck the kings at midnight, so too the firstborn of Egypt were struck at midnight.


###### Kli Yakar on Exodus 11:4:2
[Kli Yakar on Exodus 11:4:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Kli%20Yakar%20on%20Exodus/r/11:4:2)

וּמַה שֶּׁכָּתַב ״אֲנִי יוֹצֵא״, הַיְינוּ לוֹמַר לְךָ שֶׁמִּתְּחִלָּה יָצָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּעַצְמוֹ כְּדֵי לְהַפִּיל שַׂר שֶׁל מִצְרַיִם, כִּי דָּבָר זֶה אֵין כֹּחַ בְּיַד שׁוּם שָׁלִיחַ אוֹ מַלְאָךְ לַעֲשׂוֹתוֹ, וְאַחַר זֶה שָׁלַח ה׳ מַשְׁחִיתִים בִּבְכוֹרֵי מִצְרַיִם. לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר ״אֲנִי יוֹצֵא בְּתוֹךְ מִצְרָיִם״ וְלֹא אָמַר ״בְּתוֹךְ אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם״, וְאַחַר כָּךְ אָמַר ״וּמֵת כָּל בְּכוֹר בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם״. אֶלָּא וַדַּאי שֶׁיְּצִיאָה רִאשׁוֹנָה לֹא הָיְתָה בָּאָרֶץ כִּי אִם בַּשָּׁמַיִם, וּבָזֶה מְתוֹרָץ כָּל קֻשְׁיַת הַמְפָרְשִׁים, כִּי אֵיךְ אָמְרוּ עַל מַכַּת בְּכוֹרוֹת ״אֲנִי וְלֹא מַלְאָךְ״ כוּ׳, וַהֲרֵי הַכָּתוּב אוֹמֵר ״וְלֹא יִתֵּן הַמַּשְׁחִית לָבֹא אֶל בָּתֵּיכֶם״ (שמות יב:כג)? אֶלָּא מְחֻוַּרְתָּא כִּדְשַׁנֵּינַן. וְנָקַט לְשׁוֹן ״יוֹצֵא״ עַל דֶּרֶךְ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה כו:כא) ״כִּי הִנֵּה ה׳ יֹצֵא מִמְּקוֹמוֹ״, וְדָרְשׁוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (ירושלמי תענית פ״ב ה״א): יוֹצֵא מִכִּסֵּא רַחֲמִים וְיוֹשֵׁב לוֹ עַל כִּסֵּא דִין. כָּךְ יְצִיאָה דְּהָכָא הִיא לַעֲשׂוֹת שְׁפָטִים בֵּאלֹהֵיהֶם תְּחִלָּה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַב (ישעיה לד:ה) ״כִּי רִוְּתָה בַשָּׁמַיִם חַרְבִּי״, וְאַחַר כָּךְ ״עַל אֱדוֹם תֵּרֵד״. כָּךְ הוּא הָעִנְיָן כָּאן, וְזֶה תֵּרוּץ יָקָר.

**Sefaria Kli Yakar, 2026 (Claude 3.7, ed. Francis Nataf) ✧:**
**And what is written, “I am going out,”** that is to tell you that initially, the Holy One, Blessed be He, went out Himself in order to bring down the guardian angel of Egypt, because this is something that no messenger or angel has the power to do. After this, God sent destroyers against the firstborn of Egypt. Therefore, it says *I am going out in the midst of Egypt* and not “in the midst of the land of Egypt,” and afterward it says *and every firstborn in the land of Egypt will die*. Rather, it is certain that the first going out was not on earth but in heaven, and with this all the questions of the commentators are resolved. For how could they say about the plague of the firstborn “I and not an angel,” etc., when the verse says *and He will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses*? Rather, it is clear as we have explained. And it uses the language of “going out” in the way that it is said *For behold, the Lord goes out from His place* (Isaiah 26:21), and our Sages, of blessed memory, explained (Jerusalem Talmud Taanit 2:1), “He goes out from the throne of mercy and sits on the throne of judgment.” So too, the “going out” here is to first execute judgment on their gods, as it is written *For My sword has drunk its fill in the heavens* (Isaiah 34:5), and afterwards, *behold, it shall come down upon Edom*, so too is the matter here, and this is a precious explanation.


###### Kli Yakar on Exodus 11:5:1
[Kli Yakar on Exodus 11:5:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Kli%20Yakar%20on%20Exodus/r/11:5:1)

**עַד בְּכוֹר הַשִּׁפְחָה.** מַקְשִׁים כָּאן, לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר בְּשִׁמּוּשׁ הַמַּכָּה (שמות יב:כט) עַד בְּכוֹר הַשְּׁבִי שֶׁהוּא מִסְּתָמָא פָּחוּת מִבְּכוֹר הַשִּׁפְחָה. וּכְפִי הַנִּרְאֶה שֶׁלֹּא קָשֶׁה מִידֵּי, כִּי יָכוֹל לִהְיוֹת שֶׁבְּשָׁעָה שֶׁנֶּאֶמְרָה נְבוּאָה זוֹ עֲדַיִן לֹא הָיוּ שְׁבוּיִים בְּמִצְרַיִם, שֶׁהֲרֵי נְבוּאָה זוֹ נֶאֶמְרָה קֹדֶם רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ נִיסָן, וּבְתוֹךְ זְמַן זֶה נַעֲשׂוּ קְצָתָם שְׁבוּיִים, וְאָז לָקוּ גַּם הֵמָּה בְּהֶכְרֵחַ, הֵן כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יֹאמְרוּ יִרְאָתָם תָּבַע עֶלְבּוֹנָם, הֵן שֶׁהָיוּ שְׂמֵחִים לְאֵידָם קֹדֶם שֶׁנִּשְׁבּוּ.

**Sefaria Kli Yakar, 2026 (Claude 3.7, ed. Francis Nataf) ✧:**
**Until the firstborn of the maidservant.** They raise a difficulty here: Why regarding the actual plague (later, 12:29) does it say *until the firstborn of the captive*, who is presumably of lesser status than the firstborn of the maidservant? It seems that this is not much of a difficulty, because it’s possible that at the time this prophecy was given, there were not yet captives in Egypt, as this prophecy was given before the first of the month of Nisan, and during this time some of them became captives, and then they were also necessarily struck — both so that [the Egyptians] would not say “their deity avenged their insult,” and because [the captives] had rejoiced at [the Israelites’] misfortune before they were taken captive.


###### Kli Yakar on Exodus 11:5:2
[Kli Yakar on Exodus 11:5:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Kli%20Yakar%20on%20Exodus/r/11:5:2)

דָּבָר אַחֵר, לְכָךְ לֹא הִזְכִּיר מֹשֶׁה לִפְנֵי פַרְעֹה בְּכוֹר הַשְּׁבִי, שֶׁלֹּא יַקְשֶׁה פַּרְעֹה: בְּכוֹר הַשְּׁבִי מַה פָּשְׁעוּ? כִּי תֵּרוּץ ״שֶׁלֹּא יֹאמְרוּ יִרְאָתָם תָּבַע עֶלְבּוֹנָם״ אֵינוֹ מַסְפִּיק לְפַרְעֹה, וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן תֵּרוּץ שֶׁל ״שְׂמֵחִים לְאֵידָם״. וְיִטְעֶה פַּרְעֹה לוֹמַר: לֹא ה׳ פָּעַל כָּל זֹאת מִצַּד הָעֹנֶשׁ, אֶלָּא מֹשֶׁה רוֹאֶה בְּאִצְטַגְנִינוּת מַכָּה כְּלָלִית עַל כָּל בְּכוֹרֵי מִצְרַיִם.

**Sefaria Kli Yakar, 2026 (Claude 3.7, ed. Francis Nataf) ✧:**
**Another explanation:** This is why Moses did not mention the firstborn of the captive before Pharaoh, so that Pharaoh would not challenge, “What sin did the firstborn of the captive commit?” For the explanation that “their deity avenged their humiliation” would not be sufficient for Pharaoh, and even less convincing would be the explanation that “they rejoiced in Egypt’s downfall”. Pharaoh might mistakenly say that the Lord did not cause all this as a punishment, but rather that Moses foresaw through astrology a general plague affecting all the firstborn of Egypt.


###### Kli Yakar on Exodus 11:5:3
[Kli Yakar on Exodus 11:5:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Kli%20Yakar%20on%20Exodus/r/11:5:3)

וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁהַכֹּל אֶחָד הוּא, כִּי בַּיּוֹם הָיוּ נוֹתְנִים הַשְּׁבוּיִים לִטְחוֹן בָּרֵחַיִם וּבַלַּיְלָה נְתָנוּם בַּבּוֹר, וּנְבוּאַת מֹשֶׁה הָיְתָה בַּיּוֹם, עַל כֵּן קְרָאָם ״בְּכוֹר הַשִּׁפְחָה אֲשֶׁר אַחַר הָרֵחָיִם״ (שמות יא, ה), אֲבָל הַמַּכָּה הָיְתָה בַּלַּיְלָה כַּאֲשֶׁר הָיוּ בַּבּוֹר, עַל כֵּן קְרָאָם ״בְּכוֹר הַשְּׁבִי״ (שמות יב, כט).

**Sefaria Kli Yakar, 2026 (Claude 3.7, ed. Francis Nataf) ✧:**
**And there are those who say that it is all one and the same,** because during the day they would put the captives to grind at the millstones, and at night they would put them in the pit, and Moses’s prophecy was during the day, therefore he called them *the firstborn of the maidservant who is behind the millstones*. But the plague occurred at night when they were in the pit, therefore they are called *the firstborn of the captive*.