(Exod. 4:10:) THEN MOSES SAID UNTO THE LORD: PRAY (bi), LORD. You are doing me wrong (biyah).⁷⁴. For this interpretation of the verse, see below, Tanh. (Buber), Lev. 3:5. When my brother Aaron is older than I, are you sending me? (Ibid.:) THIS DOES ME WRONG (bi), LORD, I AM NOT A MAN OF WORDS. The Holy One said to him (in Exod. 4:11): WHO HAS MADE THE HUMAN MOUTH?⁷⁵

footnotes: ⁷⁴ Gk.: bia ⁷⁵ Exod. R. 3:15.

(Exod. 4:12:) SO GO NOW, AND I WILL BE WITH YOUR MOUTH…. R. Judah b. R. Simon said: The Holy One [said] to Moses: I am making you into a new creature, as in the case of a woman who conceives (horah) and gives birth. It is so stated (ibid., cont.): AND TEACH (horah) YOU WHAT TO SAY.

Another interpretation: The Holy One said to Moses: I am shooting (rt.: YRH) my words into your mouth like an arrow. Now TEACH (rt.: YRH) is actually a word meaning "shoot" (as found in Exod. 19:13): HE SHALL SURELY BE STONED OR SHOT (rt.: YRH).⁷⁶ As soon as the Holy One gave him the good news that he was with him, he immediately took it upon himself to go. It is so stated (in Exod. 4:18) THEN MOSES WENT AND RETURNED TO HIS FATHER-IN-LAW JETHER (i.e., Jethro) . Now, it should merely have said: "And he returned unto Egypt." So why did he return unto his father-in-law, Jethro? In order to cancel a vow.⁷⁷., Exod. 1:20; see also Ned. 65a; Exod. R. 4:4. Thus he said to the Holy One: I have sworn to Jethro (not to leave him without permission). He went to Jethro. What did the Holy One do? He set a cloud over him⁷⁸ (as a sign of divine protection).

footnotes: ⁷⁶ Thus Exod. 4:12b should be translated: AND SHOOT INTO YOU WHAT TO SAY. ⁷⁷ Tanh ⁷⁸ Literally: “tied a cloud there.”

Another interpretation (of Exod. 4:18): THEN MOSES WENT AND RETURNED in order to get permission from him.

(Exod. 4:18, cont.:) AND HE SAID TO HIM: PLEASE LET ME GO AND RETURN TO MY KINSFOLK IN EGYPT AND SEE WHETHER THEY ARE STILL ALIVE. AND JETHRO SAID TO MOSES: [GO FOR PEACE]. Everyone of whom it is written, FOR PEACE, goes and returns; but everyone of whom it is written, GO IN PEACE, goes and does not return.⁷⁹., Exod. 1:21; Exod. R. 5:3; similarly Ber. 64a; MQ 29a. Concerning Abner it is written (in II Sam. 3:21): AND DAVID AWAY SENT ABNER, WHO WENT IN PEACE. He went and did not return, but Jethro said to Moses: GO FOR PEACE. He went and did return. Thus it is stated (in Exod. 4:18): AND JETHRO SAID TO MOSES: GO FOR PEACE.

footnotes: ⁷⁹ Tanh