## Sforno on Exodus Chapter 7

###### Sforno on Exodus 7:3:1
[Sforno on Exodus 7:3:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Exodus/r/7:3:1)

**וַאֲנִי אַקְשֶׁה.** הִנֵּה בִּהְיוֹת הָאֵל חָפֵץ בִּתְשׁוּבַת רְשָׁעִים וְלֹא בְמִיתָתָם, כְּאָמְרוֹ (יחזקאל לג:יא) "חַי אָנִי נְאֻם ה', אִם אֶחְפֹּץ בְּמוֹת הָרָשָׁע, כִּי אִם בְּשׁוּב הָרָשָׁע מִדַּרְכּוֹ וְחָיָה", אָמַר שֶׁיַּרְבֶּה אֶת אוֹתוֹתָיו וְאֶת מוֹפְתָיו, וְזֶה לְהָשִׁיב אֶת הַמִּצְרִים בִּתְשׁוּבָה, בְּהוֹדִיעַ לָהֶם גָּדְלוֹ וְחַסְדּוֹ בָּאוֹתוֹת וּבַמּוֹפְתִים, כְּאָמְרוֹ (שמות ט:טז) "בַּעֲבוּר זֹאת הֶעֱמַדְתִּיךָ, בַּעֲבוּר הַרְאוֹתְךָ אֶת כֹּחִי". וְעִם זֶה הָיְתָה הַכַּוָּנָה שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל יִרְאוּ וְיִירָאוּ, כְּאָמְרוֹ (שמות י:א-ב) "לְמַעַן שִׁיתִי אֹתֹתַי אֵלֶּה בְּקִרְבּוֹ, וּלְמַעַן תְּסַפֵּר". וְאֵין סָפֵק שֶׁלּוּלֵא הַכְבָּדַת הַלֵּב הָיָה פַרְעֹה מְשַׁלֵּחַ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּלִי סָפֵק, לֹא עַל צַד תְּשׁוּבָה וְהַכְנָעָה לָאֵל יִתְבָּרַךְ, שֶׁיִּתְנַחֵם מֵהֱיוֹת מוֹרֵד, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהִכִּיר גָּדְלוֹ וְטוּבוֹ, אֶלָּא עַל צַד הֱיוֹתוֹ בִּלְתִּי יָכוֹל לִסְבֹּל עוֹד אֶת צָרַת הַמַּכּוֹת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁהִגִּידוּ עֲבָדָיו בְּאָמְרָם (שמות י:ז) "הֲטֶרֶם תֵּדַע כִּי אָבְדָה מִצְרָיִם", וְזֹאת לֹא הָיְתָה תְּשׁוּבָה כְּלָל. אֲבָל אִם הָיָה פַרְעֹה חָפֵץ לְהִכָּנַע לָאֵל יִתְבָּרַךְ, וְלָשׁוּב אֵלָיו בִּתְשׁוּבָה שְׁלֵמָה, לֹא הָיָה לוֹ מִזֶּה שׁוּם מוֹנֵעַ. וְהִנֵּה אָמַר הָאֵל יִתְבָּרַךְ וַאֲנִי אַקְשֶׁה אֶת לֵב פַּרְעֹה, שֶׁיִּתְאַמֵּץ לִסְבֹּל הַמַּכּוֹת וְלֹא יְשַׁלַּח מִיִּרְאַת הַמַּכּוֹת אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, "לְמַעַן שִׁיתִי אֹתֹתַי אֵלֶּה בְּקִרְבּוֹ", שֶׁמֵּהֶם יַכִּירוּ גָּדְלִי וְטוּבִי וְיָשׁוּבוּ הַמִּצְרִים בְּאֵיזוֹ תְשׁוּבָה אֲמִתִּית. "וּלְמַעַן תְּסַפֵּר" אַתָּה יִשְׂרָאֵל הָרוֹאֶה בְּצָרָתָם, "בְּאָזְנֵי בִנְךָ" לְהוֹדִיעַ שֶׁכָּל אֵלֶּה יִפְעַל אֵל עִם גֶּבֶר לַהֲשִׁיבוֹ אֵלָיו, וְזֶה כְּשֶׁיְּפַשְׁפְּשׁוּ בְמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם בְּבוֹא עֲלֵיהֶם אֵיזֶה פֻרְעָנוּת.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ואני אקשה, seeing that G’d is interested in the sinner’s repentance rather than his death (as we know from Ezekiel 33,11 חי אני, נאום ה', אם אחפוץ במות הרשע כי אם בשובו מדרכו וחיה, “by My life, I do not want the death of the wicked but that he return from his wicked path and live”), G’d told Moses that He would bring on numerous plagues, all in order to increase the chances that Pharaoh would finally see the light and become a genuine penitent. He hoped that by demonstrating His greatness and His power this would eventually cause the Egyptians to recognise all this. At the same time, G’d also spelled out a similar thought in 9,16 but aimed at the Israelites, when He said: “that the only reason He had not yet killed Pharaoh was so that in the course of more plagues you, the Jewish people, would come to recognise both G’d’s greatness and His patience.“ He also wanted the Jewish people to learn how to both love and revere Him when they witnessed and thought about the meaning of all these plagues. There can be no question that without G’d stiffening Pharaoh’s attitude from time to time, he would have collapsed much sooner and would have sent the Israelites on their desired journey. However, this would not have been the result of his repentance and humbling himself before the Lord, involving genuine regret about his previous errors, but the result of his impotence to withstand the pressure applied to him. He would have acted out of terror of what the next plague would do to him and to his country. If we needed confirmation of this, all we have to do is look at what his servants said to him when Moses threatened with the plague of locust. They said to him: “how long will you be obstinate, do you not see that Egypt will go down the drain?!” There was not a single word of regret of past errors, no word of recognition that G’d could have killed them all long before this and that He must therefore be very patient, and kind, but mere terror forced them to utter these words. (10,7) Keeping all this in mind, it is foolish to ask how G’d could punish Pharaoh after he Himself had interfered with his decision-making process by “stiffening his heart,” ואני אקשה את לב פרעה, I will stiffen the heart of Pharaoh, etc.” not in order to punish him but in order to finally trigger repentance in his heart. The operative clause is “in order that I can demonstrate all these miracles of Mine in his midst” (10,1), the purpose being to bring about his humbling himself in repentance and genuine contrition. If that wish of G’d would indeed materialise, the Jewish people also would tell of G’d’s greatness, (למען ספר את שמי, having observed at first hand how the mightiest secular power on earth turned into G’d fearing human beings.) They would tell their children and children’s children the lesson they had learned that G’d’s apparent cruelty is actually an act of loving kindness as it results in His creatures coming to love and to revere Him. [Noach, who had survived the destruction of mankind by a deliberate act of G’d’s kindness to him and his family, had not been able to relate to his children what G’d hoped that the Israelites would be able to relate to their children. Ed.] The basic lesson in ethics we derive from all this is that when suffering an affliction we must first and foremost examine our past actions to find out where we went wrong, and try to find out what these afflictions are intended to trigger in our memory so that we can improve our conduct both vis-à-vis G’d and our fellow man.


###### Sforno on Exodus 7:4:1
[Sforno on Exodus 7:4:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Exodus/r/7:4:1)

**וְלֹא יִשְׁמַע אֲלֵיכֶם פַּרְעֹה.** לֹא קֹדֶם הַהַקְשָׁאָה, גַּם לֹא אַחֲרֵי כֵן עִם רְאוֹתוֹ רִבּוּי הָאוֹתוֹת וְהַמּוֹפְתִים, וְלָכֵן אֶעֱשֶׂה בָהֶם שְׁפָטִים, וְהֵם מַכַּת בְּכוֹרוֹת וּטְבִיעַת מִצְרַיִם בְּיַם סוּף, שֶׁשְּׁנֵיהֶם בִּלְבַד הָיוּ עַל צַד עֹנֶשׁ לָהֶם מִדָּה כְּנֶגֶד מִדָּה. אֲבָל שְׁאָר הַמַּכּוֹת הָיוּ אוֹתוֹת וּמוֹפְתִים לְהָשִׁיבָם בִּתְשׁוּבָה, כַּאֲמָרוֹ בְּזֹאת תֵּדַע כִּי אֲנִי ה', "בַּעֲבוּר תֵּדַע כִּי אֲנִי ה' בְּקֶרֶב הָאָרֶץ" (שמות ח:יח), "לְמַעַן תֵּדַע כִּי לַה' הָאָרֶץ" (שמות ט:כט), "לְמַעַן שִׁיתִי אֹתֹתַי אֵלֶּה בְּקִרְבּוֹ" (שמות י:א), "וּלְמַעַן תְּסַפֵּר וִידַעְתֶּם" (שמות י:ב). אַתָּה יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהַמִּצְרִים. וְגַם כְּשֶׁהִטְבִּיעָם בַּיָּם כִּוֵּן לַעֲשׂוֹת בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁהַנִּשְׁאָרִים בְּמִצְרַיִם יַכִּירוּ וְיֵדְעוּ, כַּאֲמָרוֹ "וְיָדְעוּ מִצְרַיִם כִּי אֲנִי ה'" (שמות יד:ד).

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ולא ישמע אליכם פרעה; not before the plague materialises after the warning, nor even after the plague did come to pass. He will not listen to you even after having endured many such plagues. Seeing that this is so, I will be forced to bring retribution upon them. This retribution will take the form of the killing of the firstborn as well as the drowning of all the military might of Egypt in the sea. The retribution will be seen as a punishment to fit their crimes. All the other plagues are only designed to encourage repentance, not as a form of retribution. Four times the Torah introduces this objective of the plagues. In 7,17 the Torah writes למען תדע כי אני ה', “so that you will know that I am the Lord.” In 8,18 the Torah writes: בעבור תדע כי אני ה' בקרב הארץ, “so that you will know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth (not only in heaven).” In 9,29 the Torah writes: למען שיתי אותותי אלה בקרבו ולמען תספר...וידעתם, “this is why I perform all these miracles of Mine right in its midst, so that you will tell…. and finally realise that there is no one like Me anywhere (9,14).”


###### Sforno on Exodus 7:6:1
[Sforno on Exodus 7:6:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Exodus/r/7:6:1)

**וַיַּעַשׂ מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה' אֹתָם.** בְּכָל דִּבּוּר וְדִבּוּר שָׁמְרוּ זֶה הַסֵּדֶר הַמְצֻוֶּה, שֶׁהָיָה מֹשֶׁה מְדַבֵּר קֹדֶם כְּמוֹ שָׁלִיחַ מֵהָאֵל יִתְבָּרַךְ, וְאַחַר כָּךְ הָיָה אַהֲרֹן מְתַרְגֵּם.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ויעש משה ואהרן כאשר צוה ה' אותם, after every instruction from G’d they followed the same procedure. Moses used to announce beforehand what would happen, seeing that he was G’d’s emissary. After that Aaron would translate what Moses had said into diplomatic language.


###### Sforno on Exodus 7:6:2
[Sforno on Exodus 7:6:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Exodus/r/7:6:2)

**כֵּן עָשׂוּ.** לֹא הוֹסִיפוּ וְלֹא גָרְעוּ:

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
כן עשו, they would do exactly this, not adding or subtracting anything of their own.


###### Sforno on Exodus 7:7:1
[Sforno on Exodus 7:7:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Exodus/r/7:7:1)

**וּמֹשֶׁה בֶּן שְׁמֹנִים שָׁנָה.** וְעִם כָּל זִקְנָתָם הִשְׁכִּימוּ וְהִזְדָּרְזוּ לִרְצוֹן קוֹנָם. כִּי אָמְנָם מִי שֶׁהִגִּיעַ לִשְׁמוֹנִים גַּם בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם כְּבָר עָבַר יְמֵי הַשֵּׂיבָה וְהִגִּיעַ לִגְבוּרוֹת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁהֵעִיד בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ בְּאָמְרוֹ (תהלים צ:י) "יְמֵי שְׁנוֹתֵינוּ בָהֶם שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה וְגוֹ'".

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ומשה בן שמונים שנה, even though he was an aged man both he and his brother rose early in the morning to do their Creator’s bidding. Although some people lived to a ripe old age in those days, eighty was an age which was considered as very much part of what we call “old age.” We know from David in Psalms 90,10 that reaching the age of 80 was considered an exceptional feat, i.e. kindness of G’d.


###### Sforno on Exodus 7:9:1
[Sforno on Exodus 7:9:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Exodus/r/7:9:1)

**תְּנוּ לָכֶם מוֹפֵת.** הַמּוֹפֵת הוּא לְהוֹרוֹת עַל גֹּדֶל הַמְשַׁלֵּחַ וְשֶׁרָאוּי לִשְׁמֹעַ בְּקוֹלוֹ, אָמְנָם הָאוֹת הוּא עֵדוּת לַשָּׁלִיחַ. לְפִיכָךְ עָשָׂה אוֹתוֹת לְעֵינֵי עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה סָפֵק אֶצְלָם עַל גֹּדֶל הַמְשַׁלֵּחַ וִיכָלְתּוֹ, אֲבָל הָיָה עַל הַשָּׁלִיחַ אִם הוּא שָׁלִיחַ אֱמֶת. אֲבָל פַּרְעֹה שֶׁהָיָה מְסֻפָּק עַל הַמְשַׁלֵּחַ אוֹ מַכְחִישׁוֹ, בְּאָמְרוֹ "לֹא יָדַעְתִּי אֶת ה'" (שמות ה:ב), שָׁאַל מוֹפֵת לְאַמֵּת גֹּדֶל הַמְשַׁלֵּחַ, בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁיּוֹרֶה שֶׁרָאוּי לִשְׁמֹעַ בְּקוֹלוֹ. וְאֵינוֹ נִמְנָע שֶׁיִּהְיֶה דָּבָר אֶחָד בְּעַצְמוֹ אוֹת וּמוֹפֵת בְּיַחַס לַאֲנָשִׁים מִתְחַלְּפִים.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
תנו לכם מופת, “identify yourselves by means of a miracle which shows that the One Who has sent you is capable of carrying out what He promises so that we should obey Him. The expression אות as opposed to מופת is meant to identify the messenger, i.e. to prove that he is not a pretender, a charlatan. This was the reason why Moses performed אותות before the Israelites so that they should not entertain any doubt as to his being an authentic messenger from G’d to them. Pharaoh, whose doubts did not relate to the authenticity of Moses as the people’s representative, had to be convinced of the identity of the G’d who Moses claimed had sent him. It was he who had said that he did not recognise even the existence of such a G’d. Hence Moses had to perform miracles proving that such a G’d did in fact exist. The fact that the same miracle could help establish two separate facts is no hindrance to Moses performing the same miracle in two locations for two different audiences.


###### Sforno on Exodus 7:12:1
[Sforno on Exodus 7:12:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Exodus/r/7:12:1)

**וַיִּהְיוּ לְתַנִּינִים.** עַל תַּבְנִית וּתְמוּנַת תַּנִּינִים, אֲבָל לֹא בִּתְנוּעָתָם:

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ויהיו לתנינים, they looked and felt like these kinds of monsters. They were not able to move like these monsters move, or even not at all.


###### Sforno on Exodus 7:12:2
[Sforno on Exodus 7:12:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Exodus/r/7:12:2)

**וַיִּבְלַע מַטֵּה אַהֲרֹן אֶת מַטֹּתָם.** שֶׁיִּרְאוּ שֶׁהָאֵל יִתְבָּרַךְ לְבַדּוֹ הוּא הַנּוֹתֵן נְשָׁמָה וְרוּחַ, וְלֹא הָיָה כֹּחַ בַּחַרְטֻמִּים לָתֵת תְּנוּעָה בַּתַּנִּינִים.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ויבלע מטה אהרן את מטותם, this would demonstrate that only the G’d in heaven can grant life to inert phenomena, something Pharaoh’s sorcerers were unable to do.


###### Sforno on Exodus 7:14:1
[Sforno on Exodus 7:14:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Exodus/r/7:14:1)

**כָּבֵד לֵב פַּרְעֹה.** אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁרָאָה הַהֶבְדֵּל בֵּין הַמּוֹפֵת שֶׁעֲשִׂיתֶם אַתֶּם וּבֵין מַעֲשֵׂה הַכְּשָׁפִים.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
כבד לב פרעה, even though Pharaoh could not help but notice the qualitative difference between what the sorcerers had done and what Moses and Aaron had accomplished.


###### Sforno on Exodus 7:15:1
[Sforno on Exodus 7:15:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Exodus/r/7:15:1)

**נֶהְפַּךְ לְנָחָשׁ.** גַּם בִּתְנוּעָתוֹ, כְּאָמְרוֹ וַיִּבְלַע. וְכֵן לְמַעְלָה "וַיָּנָס מֹשֶׁה מִפָּנָיו" (שמות ד:ג).

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
נהפך לנחש, not only in appearance but also in its movements. This is implied by the word ויבלע, “it swallowed” (verse 12). We encountered this phenomenon already in 4,3 when Moses himself fled from the serpent his staff had turned into.


###### Sforno on Exodus 7:17:1
[Sforno on Exodus 7:17:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Exodus/r/7:17:1)

**בְּזֹאת תֵּדַע כִּי אֲנִי ה'.** שֶׁאֲשַׁנֶּה טֶבַע דָּבָר בִּלְתִּי נִפְסָד, וְהוּא הַיְאוֹר.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
'בזאת תדע כי אני ה; I will turn something that never changes in nature and never ceases to flow, into something else. This will demonstrate My power over natural law.


###### Sforno on Exodus 7:18:1
[Sforno on Exodus 7:18:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Exodus/r/7:18:1)

**וְהַדָּגָה אֲשֶׁר בַּיְאוֹר תָּמוּת.** לֹא תִשָּׁאֵר בּוֹ צוּרַת הַמַּיִם עִם מַרְאִית הַדָּם, אֲבָל תִּהְיֶה בּוֹ צוּרַת הַדָּם בְּעַצְמוּתוֹ וּבְמַרְאִיתוֹ, וּלְפִיכָךְ תָּמוּת הַדָּגָה.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
והדגה אשר ביאור תמות, the river will not retain the appearance of a river, part of it has been turned into blood; but the entire river bed will be filled with blood so that the fish have no habitat in which to survive.


###### Sforno on Exodus 7:18:2
[Sforno on Exodus 7:18:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Exodus/r/7:18:2)

**וְנִלְאוּ מִצְרַיִם.** לַחְפֹּר סְבִיבוֹת הַיְאוֹר מַיִם לִשְׁתּוֹת, כַּאֲמָרוֹ וַיַּחְפְּרוּ כָל מִצְרַיִם סְבִיבוֹת הַיְאֹר:

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ונלאו מצרים, digging around the river bed trying to find water. This referred to what the Torah described in verse 24 ויחפרו כל מצרים סביבות היאור, “all the Egyptians dug all around the river.”


###### Sforno on Exodus 7:23:1
[Sforno on Exodus 7:23:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Exodus/r/7:23:1)

**וְלֹא שָׁת לִבּוֹ גַּם לְזֹאת.** לְהָבִין הַהֶבְדֵּל אֲשֶׁר הָיָה גַּם בְּזֹאת בֵּין הַפֹּעַל הָאֱלֹהִי לְפֹעַל הַמְכַשְּׁפִים, שֶׁפְּעֻלַּת הָאֵל יִתְבָּרַךְ הָיְתָה שִׁנּוּי בְּטֶבַע הַיְאוֹר, אֲשֶׁר הוּא כֻּלּוֹ בִּלְתִּי נִפְסָד, וְהָפַךְ אוֹתוֹ לְטֶבַע דָּם אֲמִתִּי, עַד שֶׁמֵּתוּ בוֹ הַדָּגִים, וּפְעֻלַּת הַחַרְטֻמִּים הָיָה שִׁנּוּי בְּדָבָר נִפְסָד וְאוּלַי בַּאֲחִיזַת עֵינַיִם.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ולא שת לבו גם לזאת, to recognise the difference between what G’d had done and what his sorcerers had done. G’d’s activity had produced a total change in the nature of the river Nile, a phenomenon which had been considered as inviolate, constant, incapable of being abolished. It had now been turned into “real blood,” so much so that all the fish had died. The changes effected by the tricks of the sorcerers were performed on phenomena that were unstable to begin with. Possibly, all the sorcerers produced was make believe, an illusion of blood.