## Sforno on Exodus Chapter 11

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

**יְשַׁלַּח אֶתְכֶם מִזֶּה כְּשַׁלְּחוֹ.** בְּאוֹתוֹ הָאֹפֶן שֶׁשִּׁלְּחוֹ כְּבָר מֵרְצוֹנוֹ אוֹתְךָ וְאֶת אַהֲרֹן בְּשֵׁבֶט עֶבְרָתוֹ, כַּאֲמָרוֹ "וַיְגָרֶשׁ אֹתָם מֵאֵת פְּנֵי פַרְעֹה" (שמות י:יא), בְּאוֹתוֹ הָאֹפֶן יְשַׁלַּח אֶתְכֶם עַתָּה מוּכְרָח בְּצָרָתוֹ.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ישלח אתכם מזה כשלחו, in the same manner as he has already expelled both you and Aaron from his presence when he had lost his cool. (compare 10,11). When he will send the whole people of Israel from his land, he will act under a similar type of stress.


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

**כָּלָה גָּרֵשׁ יְגָרֵשׁ אֶתְכֶם.** אֲבָל אָז גֵּרַשׁ אֶת שְׁנֵיכֶם בִּלְבָד וּמִפָּנָיו בִּלְבָד, אָמְנָם עַתָּה יְגָרֵשׁ אֶת כֻּלְּכֶם מִכָּל זֶה הַמָּקוֹם. כִּי אָמְנָם זוֹ מִדַּת צִדְקוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, כְּשֶׁיִּתְעַקֵּשׁ אָדָם מֵעֲשׂוֹת הָרָאוּי לְבִלְתִּי עֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹן קוֹנוֹ, יַעֲשֶׂה מַה שֶּׁבָּרַח מִמֶּנּוּ בְּצָרָה וְיָגוֹן, וְלֹא לְרָצוֹן יִהְיֶה לוֹ, כְּאָמְרוֹ "תַּחַת אֲשֶׁר לֹא עָבַדְתָּ" (דברים כח:מז) "וְעָבַדְתָּ אֶת אֹיְבֶיךָ" (דברים כח:מח), "אִם לֹא כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתֶּם בְּאָזְנַי כֵּן אֶעֱשֶׂה לָכֶם" (במדבר יד:כח), כְּאָמְרָם זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה "הַמְבַטֵּל אֶת הַתּוֹרָה מֵעֹשֶׁר, סוֹפוֹ לְבַטְּלָהּ מֵעֹנִי" (אבות ד:י).

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
כלה גרש יגרש אתכם, at that time he had only expelled the two of you. This time he will expel all of you from this entire country. This is the attribute of G’d’s justice at work. When a person obstinately insists on not performing the expressed will of his Creator, (owner) he will ultimately have to do what he tried to avoid doing under infinitely worse circumstances. The Torah had warned us in Deuteronomy in Moses’ famous speech of admonition that because the Jewish people had refused to observe G’d’s commandments joyfully, out of a feeling of gratitude for their success in the Holy Land, they would ultimately still have to do what G’d wanted them to do, and what they had contracted to do, by serving G’d’s servants [host nations in the land of our exile. Ed.] instead of Him directly. (Deut. 28,47-48). Our sages phrase it thus: “everyone who ignores and fails to observe Torah pleading his wealth as his excuse, will ultimately keep the Torah because he has become impoverished.” (Avot 4,10) He will then be so preoccupied with keeping body and soul together that he has no time to devote to Torah study and observance. Numbers 14,28 also outlines the principle of retribution matching the nature of the sin.


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

**דַּבֶּר נָא בְּאָזְנֵי הָעָם וְיִשְׁאֲלוּ.** שֶׁלֹּא יִדְאֲגוּ שֶׁמָּא בְּסִבַּת הַמָּמוֹן יִמְסְרוּ עַצְמָם לִרְדֹּף אַחֲרֵיהֶם, כִּי בָזֶה תִּהְיֶה תְּשׁוּעָתָם:

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
דבר נא באזני העם וישאלו, they needed to be encouraged to ask for this as they might have worried about the Egyptians pursuing them in order to retrieve their riches. It worked in reverse; the very fact that the Egyptians chased after the Israelites, i.e. reneged, was the immediate reason G’d came to the Israelites’ assistance and drowned their pursuers. That is what made them absolutely free.


###### Sforno on Exodus 11:3:1
[Sforno on Exodus 11:3:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Exodus/r/11:3:1)

**גַּם הָאִישׁ מֹשֶׁה גָּדוֹל מְאֹד.** וְלִכְבוֹדוֹ הִרְבּוּ לְהַשְׁאִיל.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
גם האיש משה גדול, in his honour the Egyptians gave the Israelites generously.


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

**מִבְּכוֹר פַּרְעֹה עַד בְּכוֹר הַשִּׁפְחָה.** מִן הַנִּכְבָּד מִכֻּלָּם עַד הַנִּקְלָה מִכֻּלָּם, אֲבָל "מִבְּכוֹר פַּרְעֹה עַד בְּכוֹר הַשְּׁבִי" (שמות יב:כט) הוּא מִן הַיּוֹתֵר חוֹטֵא בָּזֶה עַד הַחוֹטֵא פָּחוֹת מִכֻּלָּם.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
מבכור פרעה עד בכור השפחה, from the highest layer of Egyptian society to the most lowly. When we read a similar line in 12,19 the meaning is “from the most severe sinner to the relatively least guilty sinner.”


###### Sforno on Exodus 11:6:1
[Sforno on Exodus 11:6:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Exodus/r/11:6:1)

**אֲשֶׁר כָּמֹהוּ לֹא נִהְיָתָה.** אֲשֶׁר בַּלַּיְלָה כָּמֹהוּ לֹא נִהְיְתָה צְעָקָה כָּזֹאת, וְזֶה כִּי לֹא הָיָה לֵיל מִלְחֶמֶת חֵיל אוֹיְבִים, כִּי אָמְנָם אָז תִּרְבֶּה הַצְּעָקָה בָּעִיר, כְּעִנְיַן "קוֹל צְעָקָה מִשַּׁעַר הַדָּגִים, וִילָלָה מִן הַמִּשְׁנֶה, וְשֶׁבֶר גָּדוֹל מֵהַגְּבָעוֹת" (צפניה א:י), אֲבָל בְּלַיְלָה כָּזֶה שֶׁהָיָה לֵיל שָׁלוֹם בְּמִצְרַיִם, לֹא נִהְיְתָה וְ**לֹא תֹסִיף** צְעָקָה כָּזֹאת.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
אשר כמוהו לא נהיתה, never had there been such an outcry in any of the nights the Egyptians had known. The reason was that this was not a night during which a battle was being waged against the enemies of the Egyptians, an occasion when there are many outcries in the city, as we know from Tzefaniah 1,10 “a loud outcry from the fish gate and howling from the Mishneh, and a great sound of anguish from the hills. The dwellers of the Machtesh howl.” This was a night during which Egypt was at peace. Never again would there be such an outcry in the midst of peace.


###### Sforno on Exodus 11:8:1
[Sforno on Exodus 11:8:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Exodus/r/11:8:1)

**וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן אֵצֵא.** לֹא אֵצֵא מִיָּד כְּשֶׁתְּבַקְּשׁוּ מִלְּפָנַי שֶׁאֵצֵא, אֶלָּא אַחֲרֵי כֵן, כִּי אַמְתִּין עַד הַבֹּקֶר.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ואחרי כן אצא, I will not leave Egypt at once, as you have requested from me, but afterwards, in the morning.


###### Sforno on Exodus 11:9:1
[Sforno on Exodus 11:9:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Exodus/r/11:9:1)

**וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל מֹשֶׁה לֹא יִשְׁמַע אֲלֵיכֶם פַּרְעֹה כוּ'.** אָמַר שֶׁבִּהְיוֹת שֶׁהָאֵל יִתְבָּרַךְ אָמַר אֶל מֹשֶׁה שֶׁטַּעַם הַכְבָּדַת הַלֵּב שֶׁהָיְתָה לְפַרְעֹה כִּי הִקְשָׁה ה' אֶת רוּחוֹ, הָיָה כְּדֵי לְהַרְבּוֹת מוֹפְתָיו, כְּדֵי שֶׁבָּהֶם יַכִּירוּ הַמִּצְרִים וְיִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת גָּדְלוֹ וְטוּבוֹ, כַּאֲמָרוֹ "וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי אֲנִי ה'" (שמות י:ב). וְהִנֵּה לְהַשְׁלִים כַּוָּנָתוֹ זֹאת מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן יַחְדָּיו הִתְעַסְּקוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת הַמּוֹפְתִים. לָכֵן עַתָּה כַּאֲשֶׁר גָּזַר הָאֵל יִתְבָּרַךְ לְהַעֲנִישׁ אֶת הַמִּצְרִים וּלְהַצִּיל אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאוֹתוֹ הָעֹנֶשׁ, עִם הֱיוֹת קְצָתָם רְאוּיִים לוֹ בְּצַד מָה, וּלְהַפִּיל אֶת אֱלֹהֵי מִצְרַיִם, כְּדֵי שֶׁיָּחוּל הָעֹנֶשׁ, וְכָל זֶה בְּזֶבַח הַפֶּסַח, כַּאֲמָרוֹ "וְעָבַרְתִּי וְהִכֵּיתִי", "אֶעֱשֶׂה שְׁפָטִים", "וּפָסַחְתִּי" (שמות יב:יב-יג), רָצָה שֶׁתִּהְיֶה מִצְוָתוֹ זֹאת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל עַל יְדֵי מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן יַחְדָּיו, כְּמוֹ שֶׁהִשְׁתַּדְּלוּ יַחְדָּיו לְהָשִׁיב אֶת הַמִּצְרִים בִּתְשׁוּבָה וּלְהוֹרוֹת אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּזְכּוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם יַחַד לְהוֹצִיא לְפֹעַל אֶת פְּרִי פְּעֻלַּת הִשְׁתַּדְּלוּתָם.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ויאמר ה' אל משה לא ישמע אליכם פרעה, G’d told him that the reason why Pharaoh would not react positively to Moses’ warning was simply that He, G’d, had stiffened his heart in order to be able to demonstrate more miracles. This was designed to teach both the Egyptians and the Israelites the multi-faceted power of G’d, as well as His goodness, as He had said: “you will know that I am Hashem.” (10,2) Moses and Aaron performed all these miracles in order to fulfill what G’d had wanted to demonstrate through human messengers. Now, that the time had come to punish the Egyptians, not to demonstrate miracles, and to save the Israelites, i.e. at least the ones that deserved being saved, and also to destroy the Egyptian deities, G’d introduces the part the Passover was to play in this end-game. This portion commences with 12,12-13. G’d wanted that the command-ment of the Passover be communicated to the people by both Moses and Aaron so that just as Moses and Aaron both had had a part to play in their confrontation with Pharaoh, they should also have a similar part to play in getting the Israelites to perform the two commandments which would qualify them to take advantage of Pharaoh’s downfall, i.e. their own salvation, the Exodus. Only in this way would Moses and Aaron reap the reward of all their efforts so far.