ויען משה ויאמר והן לא יאמינו לי, Moses replied saying: "But they will not believe me, etc." What could have prompted Moses to claim that the Jewish people would not believe him when G'd Himself had told him "they will listen to your voice?" Furthermore, why did Moses even add the almost unbelievable: "and they will not listen to my voice?" One might be tempted to say that inasmuch as a person is free to do what he wants to do and to believe what he wants to believe in, G'd's assurance on that score could not be absolute seeing He is not in control of our feelings. This is why Moses did not believe in the righteousness of their faith. He said: "and they will not listen to my voice," as if to say "they will not even want to listen to my voice." However, such an explanation would not do justice to Moses who certainly did not want to question G'd's attributes, nor to slander Israel by uttering such a gross suspicion. Besides, we must consider that Moses did not even say "suppose they will not believe me," but he made a flat statement והן לא יאמינו לי, "they will definitely not believe me."

The correct answer to our problem is that outlined by Maimonides in chapter seven of his treatise Yesodey Ha-Torah where he writes that the gift of prophecy is given only to people of outstanding intellectual capacity, people who are whole in body and spirit. The author of כסף משנה, a major commentator on Maimonides' works, comments as follows: "We must analyse why Maimonides did not add some more qualifications such as that the prophet has to be wealthy, humble, of physical prowess, etc." He concludes that Maimonides certainly feels that the prophet must possess these attributes as well. However, inasmuch as someone who practices prophecy on a regular basis must possess these attributes as a matter of course, Maimonides did not bother to mention this in that paragraph. In the chapter mentioned, Maimonides was concerned only with people who prophesy only on occasion. Even if we were to consider Moses as someone who practiced prophecy only on occasion-something we cannot accept,- he argued what he did as a result of his extreme humility, out of a conviction that he personally lacked the qualities needed for someone to be accepted as such by the Israelites. When Moses said והן לא יאמינו לי, he meant that "as the result of my many shortcomings they will have no reason to believe me, etc." This was all the more true, Moses said, since I have not been accredited as a regular prophet, but am only making an occasional appearance as a prophet. When a person who has not yet established his credentials as a prophet appears and claims to be a prophet he has to be able to demonstrate all the attributes the people expect of a prophet; these attributes include wealth, physical prowess, a body without blemish, etc. If the people needed proof that Moses lacked the attribute of personal wealth, all they had to find out was that he Moses, had been a mere shepherd in the employ of his father-in-law Yitro. (He had attained personal wealth only by being allowed to pocket the splinters of the tablets of the Covennant as per a comment in Nedarim 38). In view of all this, as soon as the Israelites would consult with their elders if Moses was believable, the elders would tell the people, quite correctly, that Moses had failed to legitimise himself adequately.

When Moses had added ולא ישמעו בקולי he alluded to yet another argument, namely his stutter. His voice would give him away as someone who was not fit to be a prophet. Later on he indeed spelled out his concern on that score. At any rate, the absence of a speech impediment is an absolute necessity even for prophets who appear as such only on occasion. If someone suffered from such an impediment it is equivalent to a physical blemish. When Moses said the Israelites would argue that G'd had never communicated with him, they would be quite justified in their assumption as they would base their rejection of his claim on his physical blemish, saying G'd would not appear to such a person even on a temporary basis. The reason Moses had not advanced this argument at once but had asked G'd what he should say when the Israelites would ask him in what capacity G'd had appeared to him- something which appears to show that he was not concerned about the people rejecting him personally- was because G'd had interrupted him by saying: "this is My name, etc."

It is also possible that Moses wanted G'd to reveal more of the mystical aspects of His name, and that in order for G'd to do so he made what sounded like a provocative statement. Moses hoped, that if successful, G'd would equip him with all the visible and invisible attributes that he felt he lacked in order to qualify as a regular prophet. We find this concept in Psalms 91,14 אשגבהו כי ידע שמי, "I will raise it (the Jewish people) high since it has become aware of My name." Moreover, if they would appreciate the qualities G'd had equipped Moses with their regard for G'd Himself would be appreciably enhanced.

Still another reason why Moses was not perturbed at saying what he did, i.e. that the Jewish people would not believe him, was that G'd Himself had told him after He had said that the Jewish people would hearken to his voice (3,18) that He knew that Pharaoh would not respond to Moses' entreaties and would not let the Israelites depart (3,19). Moses reasoned that if Pharaoh would not take his mission seriously then the Israelites would surely lose faith in his leadership in short order. If Moses would have repeated audiences with Pharaoh all of which did not produce results, the people would eventually even stop listening to him altogether. They would claim that the reason he failed was that לא נראה אליך השם, "G'd never appeared to you in the first place." They would argue that if indeed Moses' mission had been authorised by G'd, who would have the effrontery to refuse to carry out G'd's orders? Do we not know from Kings I 14,10 that if someone contravenes G'd's commands deliberately he will be utterly destroyed by G'd?

?זיאמר ה׳ מזה בידך "G'd said: "what is this in your hand?" This question cannot be compared to when G'd asked Bileam (Numbers 22,9) "who are these men?" Our sages in Bamidbar Rabbah 19 state that Bileam should have answered G'd that He was well aware of even a chamber-pot Bileam had in his bedroom, how much more so would He be aware of who the messengers were who had come to him that evening? However, the two situations cannot be compared. When G'd asked Bileam who the men were who had come to him, Bileam had some excuse to assume that G'd really was not aware of their identity; When He asked Moses what the latter held in his hand, it was daylight and G'd had obviously seen it. The question therefore could only be a rhetorical one. G'd only wanted Moses to confirm what it was he held in his hand. Moses complied and said "it is a staff."

ויהי לנחש, it had turned into a snake. G'd hinted to Moses that the forces of the קליפה are characterised by the symbol snake. We know from the original serpent that it represents סם, i.e. something potentially poisonous. G'd wanted to teach Moses that his hands possessed the power to neutralise the power of that serpent and to turn it into a harmless piece of wood. If, however, Moses would not keep firm control and allow it to escape from his hands, he would unleash all the latent powers of evil which are controlled by the serpent. This would become so threatening that Moses would flee from it [although he stood on consecrated ground, Ed.]. When G'd asked Moses: "what is this in your hand?" He wanted Moses to understand that the staff was biologically analogous to a certain kind of desert-mouse. If Moses were to even loosen his grip on his staff it was liable to develop into a serpent just as earth can turn into a certain species of mouse. [In Talmudic times there was a widespread belief that this specimen of mouse was half flesh and half earth, and developed out of the earth. This belief has halachic implications regarding the laws of ritual impurity, compare Chulin 9,6, Ed.] Moses replied to G'd's question that he was certain that what he held in his hand was a staff, i.e. one hundred per cent wood, without potential to develop into a living organism. When G'd made him throw the staff down to earth, He demonstrated that not only did the staff contain the potential to develop into a living creature, but it did not do so only very gradually, such as the desert-mouse, but it did so in a single moment.

The reason G'd had said: "throw it to the ground," was that in the eyes of the serpent the earth assumes great significance since it derives all its needs for survival from the earth, and earth (dust) is its exclusive habitat (Genesis 3,14). G'd taught Moses many lessons by means of this small demonstration. Amongst other things Moses was to demonstrate this very miracle before the eyes of the Israelites.

When G'd instructed Moses: "stretch out your hand," He wanted Moses to realise that though he thought that he had already lost control over what had been his staff, he still possessed the power to master what had become a serpent and to turn it into a harmless piece of wood again.

G'd instructed Moses ואחוז בזנבו, instead of ואחוז בו. This was to teach him an additional lesson. Normally, people are afraid of the poisonous head of the snake and when they try to grab it they try to get hold of its head and crush it in order to neutralise its poisonous bite. G'd told Moses that it would suffice to grasp the tail of the snake and he would not have anything to fear. When the Torah nevertheless describes Moses as ויחזק בו "he took hold of it," and not as ויחזק בזנבו, "he took hold of its tail," this does not mean that Moses did not obey G'd's instructions but that he took hold of the nearest part of the snake without fear. When the Torah goes on to describe that ויהי למטה בכפו, "it turned into a staff in his palm," this means that it ceased being a living organism as soon as Moses' palm touched it i.e. ויהי, "it remained as a staff only."

למען יאמינו כי נראה אליך השם. "So that they will believe that G'd has appeared to you." The reason that G'd kept repeating "the G'd of their fathers," may have been to hint to the people present that unless one believed in the G'd who had been the G'd of the patriarchs one could not hope to achieve control over the serpent, i.e. the forces of evil in this universe. A demonstration of such control would therefore imply that one was on intimate terms with G'd.

והיה אם לא יאמינו גם לשני האותות, "In the event that they will not believe even both these two signs, etc.," This sounds strange. Does G'd then entertain any doubts so that He has to phrase this verse in such a way? Besides, G'd had already told Moses that the people would listen to his voice! Perhaps the thrust of the message is addressed to Moses' concerns, and G'd is saying to him: "In the event you are afraid that even these two miracles will not be sufficient to convince the Israelites of your authenticity and the authenticity of the message of the imminent redemption, I will let you perform another miracle which will be the clincher and as a result of which they will certainly believe you."

G'd may also have wanted to tell Moses not to worry about aspects of the people's faith which could not be discerned on their faces. In the event that Moses worried that though externally the people would appear to believe both in him and in the success of his mission, they might harbour reservations which Moses could not detect. G'd reassured him on that score and told him that as a result of all three miracles they would believe him without reservations.

והיו המים….לדם ביבשת. "The waters…will turn into blood on the ground." Rashi has enlightened us by remarking that the repeated use of the word והיו in this verse indicates that the waters will not turn into blood until they touch the dry land. I only wish to add one more comment concerning the statement of our sages in Shemot Rabbah 9,10 that G'd eventually commanded Aaron and not Moses to perform this miracle in front of Pharaoh because the Nile had saved Moses' life at the time his mother placed him amongst the reeds and it would have been gross ingratitude to strike at the part of nature which had saved his life. In this case where G'd commanded Moses to strike the waters personally, He did so with the proviso that the waters would become blood only after they had already ceased to perform their life-giving and life-preserving function, i.e. after they had been spilled on the ground.

ויאמר משה בי א־ד־ו־נ־י לא איש דברים אנכי, Moses said: "Please my Lord, I am not a man of words, etc." After Moses' previous arguments had been silenced, Moses now appealed to the attribute of Mercy. This is why the Torah emphasises the name of G'd Moses used here. Moses had not used that name of G'd previously. The word בי is a word of entreaty.

Alternatively, we can understand the word בי as a pronoun in which case Moses would have answered G'd that he considered his own unsuitability for the mission as due to בי, his own shortcomings. As soon as the people would become aware of him stammering they would realise that even after he pronounced the words he had no command of language. They would reject him. Moses added the words גם מתמול גם משלשום, to point out that despite his repeated conversations with G'd, G'd had not cured him of his deformity. It appeared therefore that he was meant to suffer from this deformity also in the future. If so, the people would surely reject him because they would think that if G'd had spoken to him He would first have cured him of that blemish. (He left the last part of the sentence unspoken).

ויאמר ה׳ אליו מי שם פה, G'd said to him: "Who has given man a mouth, etc." G'd criticised Moses. He should have relied on the fact that the One who provides others with the ability to speak without impediment could also do the same for him. If G'd had failed to do so thus far, surely He must have had an adequate reason. If and when the need arose, G'd would surely remedy Moses' deformity. G'd responds with the words (verse 12) "and now go and I will be with you." He does not, however, assure Moses that He will cure him of his deformity. It is also possible that G'd only hinted to Moses that he should express repentance at his lack of trust that G'd would cure him.

On the other hand, one may read meaning into what G'd did not say, i.e. that He did not instruct Moses how he could ensure that G'd would provide him with a healthy mouth, i.e. the equipment to impress people with his eloquence. G'd did not even hint that He is in the habit of rectifying defects such as speech defects that did not originate at birth. He declared that He provides the initial equipment, i.e. a sense of hearing, a sense of sight, etc. G'd did not refer to His taking remedial action in that regard. We are therefore at a loss as to what precisely G'd wanted to convey with His reply in verse 12.

We must assume that in verse eleven G'd asserted His sovereignty inasmuch as He is the supreme intelligence having provided man with the organs necessary including a mouth, etc. Considering all this Moses should understand that if he was plagued by a deformity this was not accidental or an oversight but was part of an overall design by G'd who knows best. It is precisely because G'd had not seen fit to remedy Moses' deformity that the latter should have given Him credit for knowing what He was doing. Most of you are familiar with the aggadah reported in Shemot Rabbah 1,25 according to which the young Moses playfully removed Pharaoh's crown and placed it on his own head. Some of Pharaoh's advisers were alarmed at this and saw in it an omen of the future. They decided to test the child by placing two bowls in front of him. One contained glowing coals, the other glittering jewels. If Moses were to try and grab for the jewels he would be considered as potentially dangerous to Pharaoh and would be executed; if he grabbed for the glowing coals this would be seen as proof that his having removed Pharaoh's crown had only been a youthful prank by a child with average or below average intelligence. According to the aggadah, Moses was about to grab for the jewels when an angel guided his hands to the coals and he burned his mouth. As a result he was afflicted with a stammer. G'd hinted to Moses that unless He had seen some positive value in Moses' burning his mouth at that time He would not have allowed this to happen. G'd either allows something like this to happen because of something that will happen in the future, or it is retribution for some sin committed, something that could not apply in Moses' case. Rabbi Ami said in Shabbat 55 that no one is saddled with afflictions unless he has become guilty of some sin. If someone suffers from a stutter such as Moses, this too is considered an affliction. If so, it would have been incumbent for Moses to know the reason for his affliction and to remove its cause and then to pray to G'd concerning removal of his affliction. The fact that he did not do so indicates that his affliction had nothing to do with any sin of his. This is why G'd said to him: ועתה. This is to be understood as contradicting previously held convictions. In other words, there was no need for Moses to blame himself for his stutter and to take remedial action.

As to his concern that Israel would not believe in his leadership because of his stammer, G'd told Him that He would assist him and teach him what to say.

The words: לך ואנכי אהיה עם פיך "go and I shall be with your mouth," was an ironclad answer valid as long as Moses had not actually commenced his mission. As long as he had not yet become G'd's instrument there was no reason to cure his stammer. This is why G'd urged Moses by saying: "Go!" He implied that if Moses were to accept this mission he would notice that as soon as he began speaking his stammer would have disappeared. G'd said: והוריתיך אשר תדבר; there is a subtle difference between this and את אשר תדבר, which is what we would have expected. G'd did not tell Moses that He would teach him what to say, but He told Moses that He would demonstrate to him that he had developed fluency in speaking, etc. The reason G'd used the word: "I will teach you" instead of "I will show you," is that Moses was to notice that his cure was not something temporary, only for the benefit of fulfilling his mission, but that it would remain the norm from then on.

בי אדני שלח נא ביד תשלח. "Please my Lord, send the one whom You usually send on missions." Moses meant that he did not hold G'd responsible for his stammer; he was well aware that G'd could cure it. If He had not done so it was clear to him that the fault must be his; therefore he recommended that G'd send someone better qualified than himself on that mission.

ויתר אף ה׳ במשה, G'd became angry at Moses, etc. I believe that as a result of G'd's anger Moses did indeed remain afflicted with his stammer even after he undertook the mission in the end. The Torah says that G'd became angry במשה, at Moses; I understand that to be a reference to his body, i.e. it had an effect on his deformity. Our sages in Zevachim 102 who suggested that Moses referred to his older brother Aaron when he made the comment G'd found objectionable, believed that Moses who had been meant to also fulfil the function of High Priest was deprived of this function as a result of G'd's anger. The Talmud's comment is perfectly compatible with my own, as the words ויחר אף hinted at two things.

כי דבר ידבר, "for he will certainly speak," etc. The reason that G'd repeated the word דבר is that G'd indicated that though Aaron was able to speak fluently now, i.e. דבר, he would also speak in the future, ידבר, though he would also become afflicted with a handicap similar to that of Moses. On the other hand, in line with our explanation of the consequences of G'd's anger (which had not been spelled out in detail as yet), the word דבר may refer to G'd's instruction to Moses, whereas the words ידבר הוא have to be read together and tell us that Aaron would do what Moses had refused to do. The emphasis on הוא implies also that whereas he, Aaron would display fluency of speech, Moses would not be cured.

וגם הנה הוא יוצא לקראתך, "and he is also on the way to meet you, etc." If this is a continuation of G'd's praise of Aaron that he would be willing to speak although he too would stammer, this is additional praise for Aaron; the word וגם, "and also," is in place then. G'd is saying then that Aaron not only does not mind his handicap but he is glad to be able to perform a task G'd assigns to him. [I believe the reason the author says that Aaron suffered from a speech handicap is that he reads the words דבר־־ידבר as graphically describing the stutter. Ed.]

The word וגם may also be understood in conjunction with Shabbat 139 where we are told that Aaron was granted the position of High Priest in recognition of his being happy that his younger brother had been appointed as the redeemer. When we consider that G'd had decided not to cure Moses of his speech defect because he had declined the request by G'd to assume leadership of the people, the word וגם would refer to the additional result of that refusal by Moses.

The Torah may also have wanted to underline the virtues of Aaron and his humility. Normally, one could have expected him to be slighted for being appointed to be merely his younger brother's mouthpiece, but the Torah testified that far from feeling slighted, Aaron actually rejoiced over Moses' promotion. One of the lessons to be learned from this is that humility should not be carried to the point where one endeavours to escape fulfilling the will of the king (G'd). G'd had to tell Moses that Aaron would rejoice as the latter was not displaying this joy openly. The Torah could also have wanted to tell us that Aaron did display this joy on his face, but that G'd wanted Moses to know in addition that Aaron was equally joyful about Moses' appointment in his heart.

ואת המטה הזה תקח בידך, "and take this staff in your hand, etc." According to the Zohar section 3 page 28 there were two staffs. The Torah then spoke about "this one" to tell Moses that he should not take the other staff.

The expression "take in your hand" means "permanently;" The reason was that this staff should be a mark of distinction, something not unlike present-day rulers who carry a mace with them as a sign of their constitutional right to legislate. Moses took the "staff of G'd" with him as mentioned in verse 20 as a memento of this conversation and as a sign of his authority. G'd had said: "take it in your hand" so that we should not interpret that Moses took his staff like ordinary people take a walking-cane.

אשר תעשה בו את האותות, "the one with which you will perform the miracles." This may be a reference to the staff with which Aaron performed such miracles as turning it into a snake (7,10). According to the Zohar we have just quoted that staff became known as "the staff of Aaron;" G'd had commanded Aaron also to have his staff ready at all times. According to Targum Yonathan 2,21 the staff was made of sapphire and no one was able to even move it except Moses. Accordingly, the very fact that Moses could "take" it was a miracle in itself. The words וזה לך האות therefore meant that no one but Moses would be able to handle the staff.

אלכה נא, "I wish to go, etc." According to the agreement between Moses and Yitro reported in Shemot Rabbah 1,29, Yitro had made Moses swear an oath not to take Tzipporah away. Moses now had to ask Yitro to release him from that oath.

ואראה העודם חיים, "and I want to see if they are still alive, etc." He did not tell Yitro a word about the mission G'd had asked him to undertake, seeing that G'd had not used the word לאמור when He had appointed Moses. We have repeatedly quoted Yuma 4 to the effect that one must not reveal information received privately unless authorised to do so.

לך לשלום, "go and be well!" Yitro forgave him his oath. We learn from this that no formal annulment is necessary if the second party to the oath himself expresses his agreement that it be invalidated.

אל משה במדין, to Moses in Midian. The reason that the Torah stresses that this communication from G'd to Moses took place in Midian is to praise Moses who was not afraid of his adversaries in Egypt at the time he argued against acceptance of the mission. All that concerned him was his own inadequacy for the gigantic task G'd wanted to charge him with. The Torah had to mention where the conversation took place as otherwise we would have assumed that the argument which swayed Moses was G'd's assurance that all the people who had tried to kill him had already died. Moses had already asked Yitro to release him from his oath before G'd mentioned that his pursuers were dead.

כה אמד ה׳ בני בכורי ישראל. Thus said the Lord: "Israel is My firstborn son." Why is this prophecy- i.e. that the Jewish firstborn would not be killed- recorded out of context, i.e. a long time before Moses would announce it to Pharaoh? We need to know also why, apparently, Moses was not to mention this to Pharaoh on their first encounter?

It appears that G'd in His wisdom provided Moses with some information which would temper his disappointment at the long drawn-out process of the often broken promises by Pharaoh. There was a danger that when Moses observed that Pharaoh remained obstinate month after month despite the plagues G'd inflicted upon him and his people, he would become fed up with his mission. G'd therefore informed him of something that would not happen until the end of the process. As long as the plague of killing the firstborn Egyptians had not occurred, Moses had no reason to believe that G'd's timetable had been upset. The synopsis of the prophecy was: "be aware that I will make Pharaoh's heart obstinate; he will suffer many plagues without collapsing; in the end you will announce to him that G'd will kill all the firstborn Egyptians, etc."

G'd was also clever in announcing to Moses in this fashion that it would be the plague of killing the firstborn which would prompt Pharaoh to dismiss the people. Moses would eventually realise that the redemption was close at hand when G'd did not mention to him anymore that He would harden the heart of Pharaoh. When Pharaoh told him in 10,28: "do not come to see me anymore," Moses realised that the time to fulfil the instruction given in our verse had arrived. This is why he announced that plague the moment Pharaoh told him not to come and see him again. While it is true that the Torah reports many additional instructions G'd gave to Moses at that time, G'd may have mentioned them already at this time while recording them at an appropriate moment. When we look at matters in that light we do not need all the Midrashim which try to determine when precisely G'd had made this announcement. G'd did not worry that Moses would misunderstand and reveal this prophecy too soon. He knew that Moses would report back to Him any response from Pharaoh. As soon as G'd would then instruct Moses to bring on another plague, Moses would know that the time had not yet arrived for that final plague. Once Pharaoh told Moses not to come and see him again, Moses realised he did not have time to consult with G'd outside the limits of the city as he was in the habit of doing. This is why he himself announced the plague of the killing of the firstborn without awaiting specific instructions from G'd. Perhaps Moses simply used the words "I will make Pharaoh's heart hard" as his guidelines. He did not know beforehand how long this process of hardening Pharaoh's heart would continue; when he noticed that G'd did not mention this anymore after the plague of darkness, he took his cue from that and warned Pharaoh of the final plague.

It is also possible that G'd indicated that Pharaoh had three choices. If he were to release the Israelites he would be spared any plagues. If he were to deny the Israelites their freedom without at the same time insulting G'd, G'd would bring on the plague of the killing of the firstborn immediately; this would bring about the Exodus. If, however, Pharaoh were to deny the Israelites their freedom and at the same time insult the honour of G'd, he would have to endure the entire range of plagues, as did in fact happen. G'd told him through Moses in 9,16 that He had decided to let Pharaoh experience the full extent of His power.

ויבקש המיתו, He tried to kill him. The reason that the Torah describes G'd as only "trying" to kill Moses may be that the fact that Moses was on the way to carry out a commandment by G'd. This acted as partial protection based on Pessachim 8 that "people engaged in the process of carrying out a מצוה do not suffer harm either on their way to or from carrying out that מצוה." The מצוה which Moses was occupied with at that time acquired one heavenly advocate for him; this advocate was his companion at the time and prevented the destructive forces poised against him from approaching him too closely. Perhaps the Torah's description of all this happening בדרך במלון is to inform us that at the time Moses was not so much involved with his primary mission but with private matters; this is what provoked the destructive forces to attack him. Nonetheless he still enjoyed some protection seeing that he had not abandoned his mission. While the positive and negative forces were confronting each other, Tziporah removed the impediment to saving Moses' life by circumcising her son.

לך לקראת משה, "go towards Moses, etc!" Although we have heard G'd say to Moses already in 4,14 that his brother Aaron was on his way to meet him, the actual instruction to Aaron came from G'd while Aaron was still in Egypt. There is no question that the prophecy in this verse was adressed directly to Aaron even though we learned in Torat Kohanim 1 that wherever the Torah writes: "G'd spoke to Moses and Aaron," that the directive was spoken to Moses only and he in turn was to convey it to Aaron, this does not apply here. Even according to the view of Rabbi Yossi Haglili who excludes Aaron from receiving a communication from G'd directly even while both were in Egypt, he referred only to communications which concerned an independent mission to outsiders. There is no reason to believe that G'd did not speak to Aaron directly concerning what Aaron himself was to do. Our verse proves that Aaron was a prophet in his own right.