AND THE ETERNAL SAID UNTO MOSES: GO IN UNTO PHARAOH; FOR I HAVE HARDENED HIS HEART AND THE HEART OF HIS SERVANTS. The Holy One, blessed be He, informed Moses that it is He Who has hardened their hearts in spite of their fear of Him during the hail and their confession of sin.¹. This is a clear indication that the servants too had joined the king in admitting their guilt. Ramban is thus correct in writing here in the plural: “their confession of sin.” And He explained to him: “The reason I hardened their hearts is that I might set in their midst these signs that I wish to do among them so that the Egyptians will know My power, but not in order that I can punish them more on account of this hardening of heart, and also that you and all Israel should recount during the coming generations the power of My deeds, and you shall know that I am the Eternal,² and whatsoever I please, I do in heaven and in earth.”³

footnotes: ¹ Although Scripture above (9:27) mentions only Pharaoh confessing his sin, it is apparent from Verse 30 there that the king’s servants also made this confession, since Moses said to all of them, But as for thee and thy servants, I know that ye will not yet fear the Eternal G-d ² Verse 2. ³ See Psalms 135:6.

HITH’ALALTI.’ “I have mocked him, for it is I Who hardened his heart and exacted punishments of him.” This is similar in intent to the verse: He that sits in heaven smiles, the Eternal mocks them.⁴, 2:4. The Holy One, blessed be He, now informed Moses of the plague of locusts, [although this is not stated here in Scripture], and that he should tell it to Pharaoh, for what sense was there that he be commanded, Go in unto Pharaoh,⁵ and not say something to him, the plague being mentioned only in the words of Moses to Pharaoh,⁶ as Scripture spoke succinctly of this. So also was the case above with the plague of hail, where Scripture told of the words of the Holy One, blessed be He, to Moses, Stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, etc.,⁷ but did not at all mention that Moses said so to Pharaoh, as I have explained.⁸, Verse 18. The reason for it is that Scripture does not want to elaborate on it in two places, [i.e., when G-d said it to Moses, and when Moses relayed it to Pharaoh], and so it shortens the narrative sometimes at one point and other times at another. In Eileh Shemoth Rabbah,⁹ I have seen it stated: “And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son. The Holy One, blessed be He, informed Moses what plague He is about to bring upon them, and Moses wrote it down with a hint: And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son’s son, which is an allusion to the plague of locusts, just as it is said [of the locusts in the days of the prophet Joel], Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, etc.”¹⁰, etc., which is a reference to the locusts.

footnotes: ⁴ Ibid. ⁵ Verse 1. ⁶ Verses 4-6. ⁷ Above, 9:13. ⁸ Ibid. ⁹ Shemoth Rabbah 13:5. ¹⁰ Joel 1:3. This was said by the prophet during the terrible plague of locusts and drought. See Ramban further, Verse 14. The Midrash thus confirms Ramban’s explanation that within G-d’s command to Moses, as stated in the Torah, there was also included the oral communication concerning the locusts. The Midrash however added that the plague is alluded to in the expression, And that thou mayest tell

AND MOSES AND AARON CAME IN UNTO PHARAOH. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra commented: “We know that Moses never came to Pharaoh without being accompanied by Aaron, who was the interpreter.¹¹ Scripture here makes a point of mentioning Moses and Aaron in order [to make clear] that Pharaoh’s command that both of them be brought again before him¹² and his final act of driving them out¹³, Verse 11. — something he had not done previously — [applied to the two brothers alike].”

footnotes: ¹¹ Above, 7:2. ¹² Further, Verse 8. ¹³ Ibid.

BEHOLD, TOMORROW WILL I BRING LOCUSTS. Commentators¹⁴ have said that there was a long interval between the plague of hail and that of locusts, as is suggested by the expression, and [the locusts] shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field.¹⁵ In my opinion, the interval between these plagues was not a long one but rather was very brief. It is known that the judgment of the Egyptians did not last more than a year, this being so established through our knowledge of the years of Moses our Teacher,¹⁶ just as we have been taught in Tractate Eduyoth:¹⁷ “The judgment of the Egyptians in Egypt endured twelve months.” And so it is indicated by Scripture when saying, and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail.¹⁸ And it is further written, even all that the hail had left,¹⁹ thus indicating that it was in that very same year. If so, [we must say that] the hail came down that year during the month of Adar, not before, for the barley was in the ears²⁰ [and therefore smitten by the hail], but the wheat had not grown up²¹, Verse 32. and therefore its tender sprouts could not be completely destroyed by the hail, as they would grow back again. Then too the vine had not yet budded, and the trees were not in flower. It is for this reason that Scripture states, and [the hail] broke every tree of the field,²² meaning that it broke the branches and boughs. Then, in one month’s time, in the month of Nisan, the wheat and the spelt grew, these being the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail,¹⁸ and the trees began to blossom and the flowers appeared. This then is the purport of the word hatzomei’ach (which groweth),¹⁸ since the locusts came and ate their blossoms and thus destroyed everything since they did not leave them a blossom or flower. And in this very month, the children of Israel were redeemed [from Egypt]. The verse which states [that the locusts consumed] all the fruit of the tree,²³ [which would indicate that there were fruits already on the tree and, therefore, that a long interval must have passed between the plagues of hail and locusts], is to be understood as referring to the flower which produces the fruits, similar to the expression, every herb on the tree,²³ [which cannot be understood literally, since herbs do not grow on trees. Consequently, it must be understood as Rashi has it: “any green leaf on the tree.” Here too then, “the fruit of the tree” is not to be taken literally, but should be understood as “the flower of the tree”].

footnotes: ¹⁴ Ibn Ezra (Verse 5) in the name of another commentator. ¹⁵ In the next verse. Since we have been told that the hail broke every tree of the field (above, 9:25), a long interval must have passed to allow the trees to grow back. ¹⁶ Moses was eighty years old when he stood before Pharaoh (above, 7:7). Add the forty years of the desert, and you have the one hundred and twenty years he lived (Deuteronomy 34:7). Thus, the elapsed time of all the ten punishments decreed for Egypt could not possibly have been more than a year. ¹⁷ Eduyoth 2:10. ¹⁸ Verse 5. ¹⁹ Further, Verse 12. ²⁰ Above, 9:31. ²¹ Ibid. ²² Above, 9:25. ¹⁸ Verse 5. ¹⁸ Verse 5. ²³ Verse 15. ²³ Verse 15.

AND HE TURNED AND WENT OUT FROM PHARAOH. Due to the fact that the Egyptians were in a state of trepidation during the plague of hail, Moses thought that now too they would fear lest they die from famine if they lose the residue of that which is escaped,¹⁸ which remained to them. Therefore he went out without the king’s permission before they accepted or rejected his request, so that they might take counsel on the matter. This was indeed correct, for so the servants did and said to Pharaoh, *Knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed?*²⁴ In the words of our Rabbis:²⁵ “Moses saw the servants turning to each other, believing in his words, so he went out from there in order that they may take counsel to do repentance.” The correct interpretation appears to me to be that Moses did so every time he came to Pharaoh’s palace; he warned him and went out. Scripture found it necessary to mention it only here because of the sequel: And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh.²⁶

footnotes: ¹⁸ Verse 5. ²⁴ Verse 7. ²⁵ Shemoth Rabbah 13:5. ²⁶ Verse 8.

BUT WHO ARE THEY THAT SHALL GO? Pharaoh desired that their leaders, elders, and officers²⁷ should go, men that are pointed out by name.²⁸ Moses answered him that also the sons and daughters will go, “for we must hold a feast unto the Eternal,²⁹ and it is mandatory upon us all to take part in the feast.” Pharaoh’s anger was then kindled on account of the sons and daughters, and he said that under no circumstances will he send the little ones, for they take no part in the offerings. Instead he would send all the adult males because of the feast which Moses mentioned, while the little ones and the women will remain [in Egypt].

footnotes: ²⁷ See Deuteronomy 29:9. ²⁸ Numbers 1:17. ²⁹ Verse 9.

SEE YE THAT EVIL IS BEFORE YOUR FACE. “The intent of the verse is as the Targum [Onkelos] explained it.” Thus the language of Rashi. Now how commendable it would have been if Rashi had written out [the text of Onkelos he referred to], since there are variant texts of this Targum! In some texts, it is written: “See, the evil you are about to do is set against you.”³⁰ According to this text, it appears that Onkelos intended to explain: “the evil you are contemplating to do is set before you, bearing witness against you that it is your desire to escape altogether.” This is similar to the verse, And set two men, base fellows, before him [Naboth], and let them bear witness against him, saying, etc.³¹ It is also similar to [the expressions]: And they sat down to eat bread,³² which the Targum translates v’istacharu (and they sat down), [the same as the term istacharat that appears to be in the Targum here]; Arise, I pray thee, sit,³³, 27:19. which the Targum translates istachar (sit). And there are versions of [Targum Onkelos] in which it is written: “will turn against yourself.”³⁴ The purport thereof is thus: “Behold, this evil you are about to do is destined to turn against you, for it will pass upon you.” This is similar to the expression, So shall no inheritance of the children of Israel pass from tribe to tribe,³⁵ which the Targum translates: lo tistachar (not pass), [similar to the Targum here, l’istachro]. This explanation finds authority in the Midrash of the Sages, who said in Eileh Shemoth Rabbah:³⁶ “[Pharaoh said]: ‘It is the custom of young men and the elders to offer sacrifice, but is it the custom of children and the little ones to do so? He who says so intends only to escape. See that which you want to do, namely to escape, will turn against you, that you will not go forth from here,’” a kind of measure for measure. And I have found yet another version in the Targum: “your countenance does not bear witness to the absence of this evil,” meaning that “your countenance does not bear witness to the removal of the evil in your hearts. On the contrary, the show of your countenance bears witness against you.” In line with the plain meaning of Scripture, [the intent of the verse is to be understood as follows]: “Know that evil is before you, ready and imminent to come upon you from me, for I will requite you evil when I see that you want to escape.”

footnotes: ³⁰ This is not the text found in our version of Targum Onkelos. Ramban will later mention two other variants of Onkelos’ text here. See Note 34 for the text found in our version of the Targum. ³¹ I Kings 21:10. ³² Genesis 37:25. ³³ Ibid. ³⁴ This text appears in our version of Targum Onkelos. ³⁵ Numbers 36:7. ³⁶ Shemoth Rabbah 13:5.

NEITHER AFTER THEM SHALL BE SUCH [LOCUSTS]. Scripture informs us by way of prophecy that after them, there would never be such [locusts]. Now Rashi commented: “[The plague of locusts] which occurred during the days of Joel, of which it is said, There hath not been ever the like,³⁷ teaches us that it was greater³⁸ than that in the days of Moses. The one that happened in the days of Joel was caused by many species together: locust, caterpillar, canker-worm, palmer-worm.³⁹ But the one which occurred in the days of Moses consisted only of one species, the like of which there never was and never will be.” I have found difficulty in understanding the explanation of the Rabbi [Rashi]. It is written [of the plague which happened in the days of Moses], He also gave their produce unto the caterpillar,⁴⁰ and it is also written, He spoke, and the locust came, and the canker-worm without number.⁴¹, 105:34. Thus it is clear that in the plague which occurred in the days of Moses, there were also many species of locusts involved, unlike Rashi’s explanation above. Perhaps the Rabbi [Rashi] will answer by saying that in the days of Moses, locust proper was greater than that in the days of Joel, but all other species of locusts in the days of Joel were greater than those in the days of Moses. But these are useless arguments.⁴² Instead, [we must say that the expression], in all the borders of Egypt, is connected with the end of the verse: before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such there [in Egypt, but in other places there may be].⁴³ It is possible that because the land of Egypt is exceedingly moistened by the river, locusts are not abundant there, for these naturally come in years of drought, as is mentioned by the prophet Joel.⁴⁴ (Joel 1:20). Now Rabbeinu Chananel⁴⁵ has written in his commentary on the Torah: “From the time that Moses our teacher prayed [for the removal of the locusts] till now, the locusts have not caused damage to the entire land of Egypt, and if an attack of them does occur in the Land of Israel and they proceed to enter within the border of Egypt, they do not devour the produce of the land. People say that this is known by all. Come and see! In the case of frogs, Moses said, Only in the river they will remain,⁴⁶ and therefore the altamtzach — [the Arabic word for frogs] — have remained in the river till now. However, in the case of the locusts it is written, There remained not one locust in all the border of Egypt.⁴⁷ It is of a phenomenon of this kind that Scripture says, Speak ye of all His marvellous works. ”⁴⁸ Thus the language of the Rabbi. In my opinion, the plain meaning of the verse, [neither after them shall be such], is that because the plague of locusts is known to come in all generations, and moreover since this one [in the days of Moses] came in a natural way, it having been the east wind that brought the locusts,⁴⁹ [and there was thus reason to believe that such a plague would again come upon Egypt in a natural way], Scripture therefore states that such locusts were the greatest that ever occurred in the natural order of things. Neither before them were there such locusts as they, nor after them shall be such. Through the magnitude of the plague, the Egyptians thus knew that it was a special act of G-d, since the like never happened before. [The plague] that occurred in the days of Joel was likewise a special act of G-d, [and hence Scripture also describes it by saying, There hath never been the like].³⁷

footnotes: ³⁷ Joel 2:2. ³⁸ “Greater.” In our text of Rashi: “more grievous.” ³⁹ Joel 1:4. ⁴⁰ Psalms 78:46. ⁴¹ Ibid. ⁴² It is illogical to say that the Torah here attached such importance to the plague just because one of the species involved was greater than that in the days of Joel, although in the number of species, the plague of locusts which occurred in the days of the prophet was unparalleled. (Mizrachi in explanation of Ramban’s intent.) ⁴³ There is thus no contradiction to the prophet Joel’s words. That plague of locusts did not occur in the land of Egypt. ⁴⁴ For the water brooks are dried up ⁴⁵ A Rabbi of Kairwan, North Africa, who flourished in the first half of the eleventh century, just when the Gaonic period in Babylon was about to come to a close. Rabbeinu Chananel’s commentaries on the Talmud are among the most important works in Rabbinic literature. He also wrote a commentary on the Torah, which has been lost in the course of time, except for important extracts from it which are found mostly in the commentary of Bachya ben Asher. Some extracts are found in the works of Ramban and in the Sermons of Yehoshua ibn Shuib, a pupil of Rashba. An edition of mine of these collected explanations of Rabbeinu Chananel has recently appeared through the Mosad Harav Kook, Jerusalem, and they indicate a wide spectrum of interests on the part of the author in Biblical themes. ⁴⁶ Above, 8:5. ⁴⁷ Further, Verse 19. ⁴⁸ Psalms 105:2. ⁴⁹ Verse 13. ³⁷ Joel 2:2.

NOW THEREFORE FORGIVE, I PRAY THEE, MY SIN. This is an expression of respect to Moses [on the part of Pharaoh] since Moses was in G-d’s stead to Pharaoh,⁵⁰ and very great in the land of Egypt.⁵¹ [Hence Pharaoh addressed this appeal to Moses alone, as the singular verb sa (forgive) indicates, for the king knew of the extraordinary position of Moses, as explained.] And entreat ye the Eternal your G-d. He addressed this appeal to both Moses and Aaron. He respectfully spoke thus every time [that he asked for prayer on his behalf]⁵² (pray ye) in the plural. although Pharaoh knew that Moses alone was the one who prayed, for so he told him: *Against what time shall I entreat for thee;*⁵³, 8:5. *And I will entreat the Eternal;*⁵⁴, Verse 25. I will spread forth my hands to the Eternal.⁵⁵, 9:29. Moses did not say it in the plural, [i.e., “we shall entreat”], so that he should not utter a falsehood, [but Pharaoh nevertheless addressed himself to both as an expression of respect].

footnotes: ⁵⁰ Above, 7:1. ⁵¹ Further, 11:3. ⁵² Above, 8:4 (in the case of frogs), 8:24 (swarms of beasts), and 9:28 (hail). In each case, Pharaoh said ha’tiru ⁵³ Above ⁵⁴ Ibid. ⁵⁵ Ibid.

THEY SAW NOT ONE ANOTHER, NEITHER ROSE ANY FROM HIS PLACE. The meaning thereof is that this darkness was not a mere absence of sunlight where the sun set and it was like night. Rather, it was a thick darkness.⁵⁶ That is to say, it was a very thick cloud that came down from heaven. It is for this reason that He said, “Stretch out thy hand toward heaven⁵⁷ to bring down from there a great darkness which would descend upon them⁵⁸ and which would extinguish every light, just as in all deep caverns and in all extremely dark places where light cannot last [as it is swallowed up in the density of the thick darkness].” Similarly, people who pass through the Mountains of Darkness⁵⁹ find that no candle or fire can continue to burn at all. It is for this reason that they saw not one another, neither rose any from his place, for otherwise they would have used the light of fire. This is the intent of the verse, He sent darkness, and it became dark.⁶⁰ It was not the usual absence of daylight above but an extraordinary darkness as well. It is possible that it was such a very thick cloud that there was something tangible in it, as our Rabbis have said,⁶¹ and as indeed it happens on the Atlantic Ocean, as Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra testified.⁶²

footnotes: ⁵⁶ Verse 22. ⁵⁷ Verse 21. ⁵⁸ See Genesis 15:12. ⁵⁹ The name is found in the Talmud (Tamid 32a) in connection with Alexander the Great, who told the Sages of the south: “I wish to go to the country of Africa,” whereupon they answered him, “you cannot go, for the Mountains of Darkness intercede.” It would seem then that these were mountains somewhere in the heart of Africa, a dim knowledge of which reached the outer world. Considering the fact that the heart of central Africa was not penetrated by European explorers till the end of the nineteenth century, it is no wonder that not much was known in Medieval Europe about this region. ⁶⁰ Psalms 105:28. ⁶¹ Shemoth Rabbah 14:1. ⁶² “It often happens on the Atlantic Ocean that it is impossible to distinguish day from night, and this sometimes lasts for five days. I have personally experienced it many times” (Ibn Ezra). A native of Spain, Ibn Ezra was born in the city of Tudela in the year 1093. In search of knowledge, he journeyed throughout the European countries and the Near East, where he made the acquaintance of the greatest luminaries of his time. Sometime after 1150, he visited London, where in the course of his journey he most likely experienced the density of fog he describes.

ONLY LET YOUR FLOCKS AND YOUR HERDS BE STAYED. Since the Israelites were keepers of cattle,⁶³ and all their wealth and belongings consisted of cattle, Pharaoh thought that they would not leave all their possessions and flee from the country. Even if they were to flee, he would be left with their great wealth, as they were very rich in cattle.

footnotes: ⁶³ Genesis 46:32.

THOU MUST ALSO GIVE INTO OUR HAND SACRIFICES AND BURNT-OFFERINGS. Moses did not make this a condition, neither did Pharaoh. Rather, these are words to impress Pharaoh. In effect Moses was saying to him that G-d’s power will be so heavy upon him and his people that even sacrifices and burnt — offerings and all that he hath will he give for his life.⁶⁴ Indeed, when Pharaoh said to Moses and Aaron [at the time that he gave the people permission to go], And bless me also,⁶⁵ he would willingly have given all his cattle in atonement for his sin [of rebelling against G-d’s command till then]. Moses however had no intention to do so, for the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination,⁶⁶ as it pleased the Eternal to crush him,⁶⁷ not to forgive him but instead to punish him and to overthrow him with all his host in the midst of the sea. Now our Rabbis have said⁶⁸ that Pharaoh’s expression [to Moses and Aaron], Take both your flocks and your herds, as ye have said,⁶⁵ refers to their saying to him, Thou must also give into our hand sacrifices and burnt-offerings. Perhaps the Rabbis intended to say that Pharaoh hinted to Moses and Aaron that he is ready to give them whatever they say, but not at all that they took anything from him. It may be that he supplied them with sacrifices and burnt-offerings for their use so that the Israelites would fulfill their own obligation [in the observance of G-d’s feast]. But this also is not correct.⁶⁹] — it could not be correct to say that they later took sacrifices for themselves from Pharaoh. We must therefore conclude that Pharaoh only hinted to them that he was ready to give them whatever they demand, but actually they took no animals from him for sacrifice.

footnotes: ⁶⁴ Job 2:4. ⁶⁵ Further, 12:32. ⁶⁶ Proverbs 21:27. ⁶⁷ Isaiah 53:10. ⁶⁸ Mechilta d’Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai, on the Verse further, 12:32. ⁶⁵ Further, 12:32. ⁶⁹ Since permission for their own cattle for sacrifices was specifically made a condition by Moses [here in Verse 26 — Our cattle shall also go with us… for thereof must we take to serve the Eternal our G-d

AND MOSES SAID: THOU HAST SPOKEN WELL; I WILL NOT SEE THY FACE AGAIN ANY MORE. That is, “I will not see you again after I leave you.” After the plague of the firstborn, Moses did not see Pharaoh. The meaning of the verse, And he called for Moses and Aaron,⁷⁰ is [not that he called them to come to see him, but instead] that he himself went to the entrance of their home and shouted in the darkness, Rise up, get you forth from among my people.⁷⁰ Perhaps he sent the message to them by Egyptians, of whom it is said, And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people to send them out of the land in haste.⁷¹, Verse 33. It is possible that the verse, I will not see thy face again any more, means “in your palace,” namely, “I will not come to you any more.” And so the Rabbis have said in Eileh Shemoth Rabbah:⁷² “You have spoken well in saying, See my face no more.⁷³ I will not come to you again; you will come to me.”⁷⁴

footnotes: ⁷⁰ Further, 12:31. ⁷⁰ Further, 12:31. ⁷¹ Ibid. ⁷² Shemoth Rabbah 14:4. ⁷³ Verse 28. ⁷⁴ According to this Midrash then, Moses did see Pharaoh later, but the king came to him. According to the first explanation, however, after he left the palace this time, Moses no longer saw Pharaoh at all.