לא תאספון לתת תבן לעם, it is quite possible that this decree was quickly abolished after a single day or so, as it was counterproductive. Possibly the letter א in the word תאספון, which is most unusual, is an allusion to the short-lived nature of this decree.

למה הרעותה לעם הזה?, this is not to be understood as a complaint or insolence, but simply as a question. Moses wanted to know the use of the attribute which decrees sometimes afflictions on the Just and all kinds of advantages for the wicked, while the Just are forced to watch this. Moses who had become exposed to these manifestations involving his own people even after G’d had told him that He had taken note of the injustice done to them, did not understand all this. Moses also did not understand which afflictions have what purpose, as sometimes they appear to strike people who clearly are guilty of certain sins, as per Isaiah 57,17 בעון בצעו קצפתי ואכהו הסתר ואקצוף, “For their sinful greed I was angry; I struck them and turned away in My wrath.” On the other hand, Moses also realised that there is an affliction known as יסורים של אהבה, afflictions resulting from G’d’s love, such as the manna being described as ויענך וירעיבך, “He afflicted you by letting you starve,” (Deuteronomy 8,16) where the very affliction was the forerunner of acts of love such as the heavenly bread G’d fed the Israelites for 40 years in the desert. Concerning such afflictions David has said in Psalms 94,12 אשרי הגבר אשר תיסרנו י-ה, “hail the man whom G‘d has seen fit to subject to such afflictions!” When Moses noticed that from the day he had begun his mission and had confronted Pharaoh the workload of his brethren had been increased instead of decreased, he asked G’d why He had permitted Pharaoh to get away with this when it was clearly within His power to save the Israelites altogether? Why had He not immediately saved the people seeing that it was His plan to do this, and he had appointed him to be His instrument in bringing this about? He could not understand that if even the midwives, who are only human beings, not possessing the power to give life or to kill, are being credited with “giving life to the babies whom they refused to murder” (Exodus 1,17) why G’d Who is surely able to grant such life, did not save the same Jews whom He credited the midwives with saving? We must surely understand the line ותחיינה את הילדים, as “they allowed the children to keep living,” not as “they granted life to the children!” Here too, the words למה הרעותה have to be understood as “why did You allow the Egyptians to continue to do evil to the this people instead of Your having saved them?” Moses‘ question expressed concern that Pharaoh would be allowed to continue in this vein and to make the lives of the Israelites still more miserable. Actually, Moses’ question here is echoed by the prophet Jeremiah 12,1 when the prophet asked:מדוע דרך רשעים צלחה שלו כל בוגדי בגד,”why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are the workers of treachery at ease?” The prophet did not criticise G’d but wanted to know if the prosperity enjoyed by the wicked is in payment of the good deeds which most of them also have performed at one time or other and which G’d cannot repay them in the hereafter seeing they have already forfeited their afterlife so that they have to enjoy their reward while on this earth. Alternatively, did G’d grant these people an enjoyable life on earth in order to increase the punishment they would endure after their bodies had died? G’d answered Moses that the apparent success of Pharaoh was only in order to make him suffer so much more in the end. The matter is similar to that described by David in Psalms 69,28 where he asks G’d concerning the Gentile nations: תנה עון על עונם ואל יבואו בצדקתך, “add that to their guilt; let them have no share of Your beneficence.” In our verse G’d’s answer to Moses was given in Exodus 6,1 עתה תראה אשר אעשה לפרעה, “from now on you will see what I am going to do to Pharaoh.” G’d meant, that the afflictions which Israel had to suffer had as their purpose to double the reward they would reap. This is the meaning of: “now you will see.” You, Moses, will see and realise shortly that the relative peace which Pharaoh has enjoyed up until now was only meant to enable Me to increase the afflictions which I will subject him to. I had already made ready all these plagues. It was necessary for him to impose even harder working conditions on the Israelites in order to trigger carrying out My program, something which I had made ready on the day that I appointed you even though you did not realise this at the time. Not only is the result of My plan increased suffering for Pharaoh, but it is also increased reward for the Jewish people. The fact that they were able to endure it and did not collapse under this burden is proof that these afflictions were motivated by My love for that people.