## Midrash Tanchuma, Vaera

###### Midrash Tanchuma, Vaera 2:1
[Midrash Tanchuma, Vaera 2:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Midrash%20Tanchuma/s/Vaera/r/2:1)

‎**לָכֵן** אֱמֹר לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲנִי ה' וְהוֹצֵאתִי וְגוֹ'. וְאֵין לָכֵן אֶלָּא שְׁבוּעָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְלָכֵן נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי לְבֵית עֵלִי וְגוֹ' (ש״‎א ג, יד). הָלַךְ מֹשֶׁה וְאָמַר לָהֶם כָּךְ: וַיְדַבֵּר מֹשֶׁה וְלֹא שָׁמְעוּ אֶל מֹשֶׁה מִקֹּצֶר רוּחַ וְגוֹ'. חָזַר מֹשֶׁה וְאָמַר: הֵן בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא שָׁמְעוּ אֵלַי. וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֶל מֹשֶׁה דַּבֵר אֶל פַּרְעֹה. הַמָּשָׁל אוֹמֵר: מִן שִׁטַּיָּא לֵית הֲנָיָא אֶלָּא קַצְיֵהּ.

**Midrash Tanhuma-Yelammedenu, trans. Samuel A. Berman:**
**Therefore, say unto the children of Israel: “I am the Lord, and I will bring you out” (Exod. 6:6).** The word *therefore* implies that an oath was involved, as it is said: *Therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli* (I Sam. 3:14). Moses went to them and told them what the Holy One, blessed be He, had said: *And Moses spoke so unto the children of Israel; but they harkened not unto Moses for impatience of spirit and for cruel bondage* (Exod. 6:9). Whereupon Moses turned to the Holy One, blessed be He, saying: *Behold, the children of Israel have not harkened unto me* (ibid., v. 12). *And the Lord said to Moses: “Go in, say unto Pharaoh, king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go”* (ibid., v. 11). A proverb states: “There is no benefit to be derived from acacia wood except when it is cut down.”⁴

footnotes:
⁴ An old proverb indicating that one must wait until an episode is concluded to learn the result. “Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched.”


###### Midrash Tanchuma, Vaera 2:2
[Midrash Tanchuma, Vaera 2:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Midrash%20Tanchuma/s/Vaera/r/2:2)

וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֶל מֹשֶׁה וְאֶל אַהֲרֹן וַיְצַוֵּם אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאֶל פַּרְעֹה. עָשָׂה אוֹתָן שָׁוִים. אָמַר לָהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: הֱיוּ נוֹהֲגִין בּוֹ כָּבוֹד וְחִלְקוּ כָּבוֹד לַמֶּלֶךְ, שֶׁאֲנִי צָרִיךְ לוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת בּוֹ אֶת הַדִּין. לְפִיכָךְ מֹשֶׁה אוֹמֵר לוֹ: נֵלְכָה נָּא דֶּרֶךְ שְׁלֹשֶת יָמִים. פֶּן יִפְגָּעֲךָ בַּדֶּבֶר אוֹ בַּחֶרֶב לֹא אָמַר, אֶלָּא פֶּן יִפְגָּעֵנוּ (שמות ה, ג), שֶׁנָּהַג בּוֹ כָּבוֹד.

**Midrash Tanhuma-Yelammedenu, trans. Samuel A. Berman:**
*And the Lord spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, and gave them a charge unto the children of Israel, and unto Pharaoh, king of Egypt* (ibid., v. 13). By virtue of this verse He made them equals. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: Be respectful, and pay homage to the king through whom I desire to execute judgment upon him. Whereupon Moses said to him: *Let us go, we pray thee, three days’ journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice unto the Lord our God; lest He fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword* (ibid. 5:3). He said *Lest He fall upon us* to demonstrate that he was acting respectfully toward the king.