עתה תראה, “now you are about to see, etc;” according to Rashi, this is a criticism, G–d saying to Moses that when He subjected Avraham to a test of his faith, [when He had asked him to offer his son Yitzchok as a sacrifice, Ed.] the latter did not question His judgment, as opposed to Moses. [This editor does not understand the comparison, as Moses was concerned about his people, and when Avraham had heard about the impending destruction of Sodom and all its inhabitants, he also engaged in a dialogue with G–d requesting an explanation, and the Sodomites were far from being his people. Ed.] Our author, in referring to Avraham’s having asked G–d for a sign that he would fulfill His promise to make him into the founder of a great nation, Genesis 15,8 does not consider this as a criticism of G–d’s attributes. He supposedly asked only by what merit he had deserved to be given such a promise. G–d told him then that it was the merit of the sacrifices he would be about to be asked to offer forthwith.

הן בני ישראל לא שמעו אלי, “seeing that(even) the Children of Israel do not listen to me, etc.” According to the plain meaning of the text what Moses is saying is that the people do not listen to him, so what chance is there that Pharaoh would listen to him. In the event that one would excuse their failure to listen to him to their state of mind, i.e. they did not have a chance to indulge in day dreams, he adds that he attributes their failure to listen to him to his speech impediment, and therefore does not blame them. Alternately, perhaps Moses was not aware of the Torah having told us, the reader, that the reason why the people did not listen to him was their state of mind, i.e. impatience. I have heard from my teacher a Rabbi from Lisbon, that what Rashi meant when describing Moses’ logic here as unassailable, that the reason given as their state of mind, was an additional reason. His logic went as follows. Normally, when a potential redeemer promises his people that he has come to redeem them from slavery, they will be overjoyed. Seeing that the Israelites’ reaction to his message had been so negative, how much more negative would Pharaoh’s response be to their demanding a holiday!

ויקח עמרם את יכבד דדתו לו לאשה, “Amram took his aunt Yocheved to be his wife;” I have seen a Midrash where it is explained that the reason why when the Torah lists the penalties for incestuous relationships, (Leviticus chapter 20,10-21) but fails to list the karet penalty for marrying one’s aunt, is because Moses was born out of a relationship which the Torah would forbid later on.

ובני יצהר, “and the sons of Yitzhar;” why did the Torah list the sons of Amram and the sons of Yitzhar as well as the sons of Uzziel, who were great-grandchildren of Kehat, while not listing the descendants of either Gershon or Merari, nor did it list the descendants of Chevron who were related in a similar degree? We may have to answer that the descendants of Amram who included Moses and Aaron, were important, and similarly the descendants of Yitzhor who included Korach were important, and Uzziel was important as his sons Mishael and Elitzafan brought Nadav and Avihu to burial, so that his sons are mentioned here also. (Compare Leviticus chapter 10)