AND MOSES ANSWERED AND SAID: BUT, BEHOLD, THEY WILL NOT BELIEVE ME, NOR HEARKEN UNTO MY VOICE. “At that moment, Moses spoke improperly. The Holy One, blessed be He, had told him, And they shall hearken to thy voice,²⁴⁶ and he said, But, behold, they will not believe me. Immediately, the Holy One, blessed be He, answered him according to his opinion,²⁴⁷ and gave him signs commensurate with his words.” Thus the language of V’eileh Shemoth Rabbah.²⁴⁸ And Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said, by way of the plain meaning of Scripture, that G-d related to Moses that the elders will believe him, but He did not mention that the people will believe. Perhaps they may hearken to his voice but would not believe him wholeheartedly. But this does not appear to be correct. Rather, it is possible to say that v’sham’u l’kolecha (and they shall hearken to thy voice) does not constitute a promise but a command: “And they must hearken to your voice” — for it is to their advantage to listen — and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt.²⁴⁶ A similar case is found in the verse, When the Egyptians shall hear — for Thou broughtest up this people in Thy might from among them — they will say to the inhabitants of this land,²⁴⁹ meaning it is fitting that the Egyptians should say so. Similarly, the verse, In this thou shalt know that I am the Eternal,²⁵⁰ means it is fitting that it be so, but not that it so happened. In a similar vein is the verse in this chapter, and they will believe the voice of the latter sign,²⁵¹ [which means it is fitting that they believe the latter sign], and many similar cases. The correct interpretation appears to me to be that the expression v’sham’u l’kolecha means that “they will listen to you to come with you to the king and say to him, The G-d of the Hebrews hath happened to meet us,²⁵², 5:3. for what will they lose by it?” Thus G-d informed Moses that the king of Egypt would not give them leave to go, and this was why Moses said, But, behold, they will not believe me, for after seeing that Pharaoh did not give them permission to go, they would no longer believe him at all, for they will say: “The Eternal hath not appeared unto thee. If you were G-d’s messenger, Pharaoh would not have rebelled against His word.” It may be that they will say that “G-d has not appeared to you by the Great Name with the attribute of mercy, to do for us signs and wonders as you have said, for you are not greater than the patriarchs.²⁵³. See Ramban above, 3:13, for a full explanation of this matter. This was why Pharaoh did not hearken, for if Pharaoh had believed your words, we would have gone out from Egypt under all circumstances, and it is not our iniquities that have separated between us and the G-d of mercies.”²⁵⁴

footnotes: ²⁴⁶ Above, 3:18. ²⁴⁷ Since it was Moses’ opinion that the people would not believe him, he was therefore in need of certain wonders which he was to do before them to convince them of the truth of his mission. Accordingly, G-d now gave him the wonders he was to do. The implication of the Midrash is thus clear: If Moses had not said that the people would not believe him, there would have been no need for him to do these wonders before them. ²⁴⁸ Shemoth Rabbah 3:15. ²⁴⁶ Above, 3:18. ²⁴⁹ Numbers 14:13-14. ²⁵⁰ Further, 7:17. ²⁵¹ Verse 8. ²⁵² Ibid. ²⁵³ To whom He appeared as E-il Sha-dai ²⁵⁴ See Isaiah 59:2.

AND HE SAID: CAST IT ON THE GROUND. AND HE CAST IT ON THE GROUND. I do not understand why G-d performed the signs before Moses. Moses believed that it is the Holy One, blessed be He, Who speaks with him, and it would have been fitting for Him to say, “The staff that is in your hand you shall cast on the ground before them, and it shall become a serpent,” and the same also with respect to the second sign, [i.e., his hand becoming leprous], just as He said at the third sign, and thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land, etc.²⁵⁵ It is for this reason that the words of our Rabbis²⁵⁶ can be relied upon, namely, that the first sign, [i.e., the staff turning into a serpent], was a hint to Moses that he had slandered the Israelites [when he said that they would not believe him],²⁵⁷. Thus it suggested to her that it was not because it may bring about her death that G-d forbade it, but out of a sense of jealousy. As Rashi puts it: “Every artisan detests his fellow-artisans.” and the second sign was for the purpose of punishing him.²⁵⁸ And this is the sense of the expression, and Moses fled from before it [the serpent]. He feared lest he would be punished and the serpent would bite him, since every person naturally avoids danger, even though Moses knew that if it was indeed G-d’s desire [to punish him], there was no one that could deliver him out of His hand.²⁵⁹ Perhaps even though He informed Moses of the Great Name with which the world was created and everything came into existence,²⁶⁰ He wished to show him that with this Name signs and wonders would be done, changing the natural order of things, so that the matter would be firmly established in Moses’ heart and that he should in truth know that with the Great Name he will perform new things in the world. The first two signs were sufficient for Moses, and therefore the third miracle of the water [turning into blood] was not done here. Instead, G-d commanded him to do the third sign in the sight of the people.

footnotes: ²⁵⁵ Further, Verse 9. In other words, the third sign of the water turning to blood was not performed now, but only when Moses came before the people. The question thus arises: Why did He perform the first two signs — the staff turning into a serpent, and Moses’ hand becoming leprous — before Moses now? ²⁵⁶ Shemoth Rabbah 3:16. ²⁵⁷ See Genesis 3:5, that the serpent was the first creature to slander when it said to Eve, For G-d doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, ye shall be as G-d, knowing good and evil ²⁵⁸ See Numbers 12:1-10 that the punishment for slander is leprosy. ²⁵⁹ See Daniel 8:4. ²⁶⁰ See above, 3:13.

THAT THEY MAY BELIEVE THAT THE ETERNAL … HATH APPEARED TO THEE. The interpretation of this verse is that “they may believe when you do the sign before them.” Scripture, however, speaks briefly about this for it is self-understood that G-d showed Moses wonders with the intent that he perform them before the people in order that they believe him.

V’HAYU’ (AND IT SHALL BE) THAT THE WATER WHICH THOU TAKEST OUT OF THE RIVER ‘V’HAYU’ (SHALL BECOME) BLOOD UPON THE DRY LAND. “The word v’hayu is mentioned here twice.²⁶¹ It appears to me that if He had said, ‘V’hayu (And it shall be) that the water which thou takest out of the river be blood upon the dry land,’ I might understand it to mean that it would be turned into blood in his hand, and that also when it reached the ground it would remain in the same state. But now, [as the verse actually reads], the final v’hayu teaches us that it would not become blood until it reaches the dry land.”²⁶² Thus the language of Rashi. But the purport of this verse is not as the Rabbi [Rashi] has it, and there is no need for his Midrash, for the masters of language²⁶³ have found in many places that it is the normal style of Scripture to repeat words for the purpose of emphasis and significance, or because of some lengthy phrase intervening between them. Such a case is the verse: And if a Levite come from any of thy gates out of all Israel, where he sojourneth, and come with all the desire of his soul.²⁶⁴ Here Scripture repeats [the verb] “come” because of the lengthy expression between [the parts of the verse]. Similarly: And the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah; and he said: When ye act as midwives, etc.;²⁶⁵ And G-d spoke unto Israel in the visions of the night, and He said: Jacob, Jacob.²⁶⁶ There are many instances of such verses.

footnotes: ²⁶¹ The literal translation of the Hebrew text is: “And it shall be that the water which thou takest out of the river, and it will be blood upon the dry land.” ²⁶² The significance of this point is explained by L’vush Ha’orah (see Preface in Vol. I, p. IX, Note 12): If the water had turned into blood while still in Moses’ hand, skeptics could say that it was done through some secret art. But running or flowing water turning into blood upon reaching the ground was undeniably a miracle. ²⁶³ Found in R’dak’s Sefer Hamichlal. The repetition of a verb occurs after a lengthy intervening phrase. ²⁶⁴ Deuteronomy 18:6. ²⁶⁵ Above, 1:15-16. Here the verb “said” is repeated because of the identification of the midwives stated in the verse. ²⁶⁶ Genesis 46:2.

AND MOSES SAID UNTO THE ETERNAL: O LORD, I AM NOT A MAN OF WORDS, NEITHER YESTERDAY NOR RECENTLY NOR SINCE THOU HAST SPOKEN UNTO THY SERVANT; FOR I AM SLOW OF SPEECH AND OF A SLOW TONGUE. “This teaches us that for an entire period of seven days, the Holy One, blessed be He, sat²⁶⁷ and urged Moses to undertake the mission. [The expressions], ‘yesterday,’ ‘recently,’ and ‘since Thou hast spoken,’ imply three days, and the three-fold word gam — [here translated ‘neither’ or ‘nor,’ but literally meaning ‘also’] — points to a similar extension of time. Thus you have six days [that have passed], and it was now the seventh day [when Moses still refused to go on his mission].” Thus the language of Rashi. In line with the plain meaning of Scripture, the purport of the verse is as follows: [Moses said,] “For I am slow of speech from heretofore and from time past, for I have been slow of speech from my youth on and all the more now that I am old, and also now since Thou hast spoken unto Thy servant, for Thou hast not removed the defect in my speech when Thou didst command me to go to Pharaoh to speak in Thy name. How then can I go before him?” Now Moses out of his great desire not to go [on the mission] did not pray before G-d, blessed be He, that He remove his defective speech from him, but he argued: “Since You have not removed my slowness of speech from me from the time You spoke to me to undertake this mission, do not command me to go, for it is inconceivable that the Master of everything should send a man of uncircumcised lips²⁶⁸ to a king of the nations.” And since Moses did not pray [for the removal of his defect], the Holy One, blessed be He, did not desire to heal him. Instead, He said to him, I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt speak,²⁶⁹ meaning that “you will be able to correctly express the words which I will put in your mouth.” And in V’eileh Shemoth Rabbah,²⁷⁰ the Rabbis said: “The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: ‘Do not mind it that you are not a man of words. Have I not made the mouth of all that speak, and him that I desire I made dumb? And have I not made the deaf and the blind, and opened their eyes to see and ears to hear? Now had I wanted that you be a man of words, you would have been so. But it is my desire that you continue to be so, and when you will speak [to Pharaoh] your utterance will be correct, for I will be with thy mouth.’²⁶⁹ This is the sense of the verse, Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth.”²⁶⁹ According to this Midrash, it appears to me that the reason He did not desire to remove his defective speech from him was because a miraculous event,²⁷¹ as told by our Rabbis, happened to Moses when he was still before Pharaoh.²⁷² The correct interpretation appears to me to be that G-d said to Moses, “Who hath made man’s mouth? or Who maketh a man dumb? … Is it not I the Eternal²⁷³ Who does all this? I could heal you. But now since you did not want to be healed, nor have you prayed to me about it, go and I will be with thy mouth,²⁶⁹ and I will cause you success in My mission.” It is also possible that there is a hint in the verse, And the anger of the Eternal was kindled against Moses,²⁷⁴ that He did not want to heal him, and that He sent him against his will.

footnotes: ²⁶⁷ “Sat.” This word is not found in our text of Rashi. ²⁶⁸ Further, 6:12. ²⁶⁹ Verse 12. ²⁷⁰ Shemoth Rabbah 3:20. ²⁶⁹ Verse 12. ²⁶⁹ Verse 12. ²⁷¹ That such is the intent of Ramban — and not that Moses did not desire to have the defect removed — may be seen from the language of the Tur, who states: “Some scholars say He did not heal him because Moses’ defective speech came through a miracle.” ²⁷² Ramban evidently refers to Shemoth Rabbah 1:31, wherein it is related that when Moses was still an infant and Pharaoh played with him on his lap, Moses took the crown from the king’s head and placed it on his own. Terrified at what had happened, the magicians advised that he be slain. But Jethro, who was one of the counsellors of the king, advised that he be tested as follows: Two dishes were to be placed before him, one containing pieces of gold and the other live coal. If he would stretch out his hand for the gold, it would be known that his taking the crown was done consciously, and therefore he was to be slain. But it he would grasp the live coal, he was innocent. When the test was made, Moses began stretching his hand toward the gold, but the angel Gabriel made him take the live coal. Thereupon Moses put his hand with the coal into his mouth, which burnt part of his tongue. As a result, he became slow of speech and of a slow tongue for all his life. ²⁷³ Verse 11. ²⁶⁹ Verse 12. ²⁷⁴ Verse 14.

WHO HATH MADE MAN’S MOUTH? This is a reference to man’s power of speech because it resides in the mouth. Similarly: Safa echad²⁷⁵ [literally: “one lip”] (one language); that speak ‘s’fath’ Canaan²⁷⁶ [literally: “the lip of”] (the language of Canaan).

footnotes: ²⁷⁵ Genesis 11:1. ²⁷⁶ Isaiah 19:18.

OR WHO MAKETH A MAN DUMB? Scholars have explained²⁷⁷ that this refers back to man, meaning: “Who maketh a man that is dumb?” That is to say, “Who has created a man without the capacity of speaking?” “The making” thus refers to the making of man, but as regards the absence of the power of speech, you cannot speak in terms of “making,” for it is non-existence, the lack of the power of speech. Perhaps because man has a speaking soul,²⁷⁸ and, for people who lack this capacity, it is due to some obstruction in the veins of the tongue, it is then possible to say, “Who made the dumbness?” [since the making of the obstruction required an act]. Now the Rabbi [Moshe ben Maimon] said in the Moreh Nebuchim²⁷⁹ that it may be said of him who removes a certain property that he produced the absence of that property, for they say of him who puts out the light that he has produced darkness. In accordance with this view, Rambam explains the verse, I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create evil,²⁸⁰ [for darkness and evil are non-existent things].

footnotes: ²⁷⁷ The difficulty presents itself: Since the absence of a property is nothing positive and dumbness is the lack of the property of speech, how can one speak of “the making” of dumbness when it is nonexistent? See Rambam’s Moreh Nebuchim, III, 10, where the author discusses this problem. The answer, quoted here by Ramban, that it refers back to “the man,” suggesting, “Who can create a man without the capacity of speech?” is mentioned there by Rambam. ²⁷⁸ See Ramban on Genesis 2:7 (Vol. I, pp. 66-69) on the great significance of this point. ²⁷⁹ Moreh Nebuchim, III, 10. ²⁸⁰ Isaiah 45:7.

SEND, I PRAY THEE, BY THE HAND OF HIM WHOM THOU WILT SEND. “This means by the hand of him whom You are accustomed to send, and that is Aaron. Another explanation is: by the hand of some other person whom Thou wilt be pleased to send, for in the end I will not bring them into the Land, nor am I destined to be their deliverer in the future. Thou hast many messengers.” Thus the language of Rashi. And Onkelos said: “by the hand of him who is fit to be sent.” This means: “Send by the hand of him who speaks eloquently, who will be fit and proper for an honorable mission such as this. Do not send by the hand of one who is slow of speech and of a slow tongue and be with his mouth when he speaks before Pharaoh, since it is not a matter of respect and honor that Your messenger be one of uncircumcised lips,²⁶⁸ and none of the people will heed him when he speaks before the king, since this will appear to them as a defect.” The correct interpretation appears to me to be that Moses said, “Send, I pray Thee, by the hand of anyone whom Thou wilt send, for there is not a person in the world who is not more fit for the mission than I.” The reason for all this obduracy of Moses was his great meekness, above all the men that were upon the face of the earth,²⁸¹ as he could not see himself assuming importance and speaking to the king and [taking] glory in saying, “The Eternal sent me,” nor [to speak] to Israel to bring them out from Egypt and be king²⁸² over them.

footnotes: ²⁶⁸ Further, 6:12. ²⁸¹ Numbers 12:3. ²⁸² Deuteronomy 33:5.

I KNOW THAT HE [Aaron] CAN SPEAK WELL. That is to say, “It is revealed before Me that, out of his love for you, Aaron will willingly speak on your behalf even if I were not to command him. And also, behold, he cometh forth of his own bidding to meet thee, and when he seeth thee he will be glad in his heart, and he will not be jealous over your distinction in this honorable mission.” The reason that it was necessary that G-d tell Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses,²⁸³ was in order to inform him of the road by which Moses was coming. It is possible that Aaron heard of Moses’ departure from Midian, and on his own accord he went out to meet him. Afterwards, when he was already on the way, it was said to him, “Go into the wilderness to meet him, for there you will find him.”

footnotes: ²⁸³ Further. Verse 27.

AND I WILL BE WITH THY MOUTH. I.e., “to teach you that which you are to speak to Pharaoh.” G-d now told Moses that Aaron will speak on his behalf only to the people, as it is said, And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people,²⁸⁴ but Moses himself was to speak to Pharaoh. It is possible that this was out of respect to the king. But in the end, Moses came back and said, *Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me?*²⁸⁵ G-d then permitted him that he should not speak even to Pharaoh. This [consent] was a distinction to Moses, and therefore He said there, See, I have set thee in G-d’s stead to Pharaoh, and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.²⁸⁶, 7:1 And the intent of the expression [here in the verse], and I will be with his [Aaron’s] mouth,²⁸⁷ is that his words will find favor with everyone that will hear them.

footnotes: ²⁸⁴ Verse 16. ²⁸⁵ Further, 6:30. ²⁸⁶ Ibid. ²⁸⁷ I.e., why was this promise necessary since Aaron was not defective of speech?

AND THOU SHALT TAKE IN THY HAND THIS ROD, WHEREWITH THOU SHALT DO THE SIGNS. Concerning the rod, only one sign — that it turn into a serpent — has thus far been mentioned. But the [plural] expression “the signs” means “the signs which I will tell you.” It appears to me that when G-d said to Moses, With all My wonders which I will do in his midst,²⁸⁸ He informed him of all the wonders in detail, but Scripture speaks briefly, and this is the intent of the expression here, wherewith thou shalt do the signs.

footnotes: ²⁸⁸ Above, 3:20.

AND THE ETERNAL SAID UNTO MOSES IN MIDIAN: GO, RETURN UNTO EGYPT, etc. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said, “There is no strict chronological order in the narrative of the Torah,²⁸⁹ said.” and the explanation thereof is, ‘now the Eternal had said.’ There are many similar cases.” But Ibn Ezra’s interpretation here is not correct. The first Divine communication, [i.e., that Moses return to Egypt], was not in Midian but at Mount Sinai.²⁹⁰. In Midian He spoke to him only at this time, [as mentioned in the present verse]. However, when Moses accepted the mission by word of G-d to go to Egypt and he returned to Midian to obtain permission from his father-in-law, it was his intention to go alone and disguised. It is for this reason that Moses said to Jethro, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren that are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive.²⁹¹ That is to say, “I will see my brethren whether they be yet alive and I will return,” for it was to be in the nature of a visit by one who is anxious to see his brethren. But then the Eternal said to him in Midian, Go, return unto Egypt, that is to say, “Arise, go out of this land and return to the land of Egypt and have no fear there, for all those who sought to harm you have died, and stay there with the people until you will bring them forth from there.” Therefore Moses took his wife and children since it was the right way to bring them with him, insamuch as the children of Israel would have greater reliance on him because of it. [They would say]: “A free man in Midian who lives peacefully in his home with his children and with his wife, a son-in-law of the priest of the land, would not have brought them to be with slaves and make their lives bitter with hard service if his heart were not steadfast. He is trusting that they will soon go out from Egypt and that he will go up with them to the land of Canaan, and that it will then not be necessary for him to return to Midian to take his wife and his children from there.”

footnotes: ²⁸⁹ In Verse 18 it says that Moses bid farewell to Jethro because he was ready to return to Egypt. Why then was it necessary now that G-d command him to return there? For this reason, Ibn Ezra renders Verse 19 as meaning: “now the Eternal had ²⁹⁰ Above, 3:10. Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh ²⁹¹ Verse 18.

AND MOSES TOOK HIS WIFE AND HIS SONS. The intent thereof is like that of the verse, And the sons of Pallu: Eliab.²⁹² At that time, he had only Gershom, as Scripture mentions,²⁹³ and his wife became pregnant with Eliezer on the way [to Egypt] or in Egypt, if she went there.²⁹⁴ It is possible that before the Divine communication came to him on the mountain of G-d,²⁹⁵ only Gershom had been born. Zipporah however was already pregnant [with Eliezer], and when he returned to Jether his father-in-law,²⁹¹ she gave birth, but because the King’s business required haste,²⁹⁶ he did not circumcise him, nor did he give him a name. On the way when his mother circumcised him,²⁹⁷ she did not give him a name, as Moses was met at that time by the angel.²⁹⁸ It was after he came to Egypt and saw that he was saved from all those who sought his life that he then called him Eliezer, for the G-d of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.²⁹⁹ Our Rabbis have also stated³⁰⁰ that the child that was circumcised [by Zipporah, as mentioned here in Verse 25], was Eliezer.

footnotes: ²⁹² Numbers 26:8. It states “sons” in the plural, but mentions only one son. A similar case is here, as Ramban explains. ²⁹³ Above, 2:22. ²⁹⁴ See Ramban further in this verse. ²⁹⁵ Above 3:1. ²⁹¹ Verse 18. ²⁹⁶ I Samuel 21:9. Ramban evidently understands here the word “king” as referring to G-d. ²⁹⁷ Verse 25. ²⁹⁸ Verse 24. And see Rashi: “and the angel sought, etc.” ²⁹⁹ Further, 18:4. ³⁰⁰ Shemoth Rabbah 5:8.

AND HE RETURNED TO THE LAND OF EGYPT. I.e., with those mentioned [at the beginning of the verse, namely, his wife and his sons]. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that the expression, and he returned to the land of Egypt, means that Moses alone returned. When he was met by G-d,³⁰¹. See above, Note 298. Eliezer was circumcised, and when he was healed, Zipporah together with her children returned to her father. This [explanation of Ibn Ezra] is possible, for due to the fact that Eliezer was circumcised, Moses could not take him on the road until the child would become strong. At the same time, he did not want to delay the mission of the Holy One, blessed be He, and therefore he left them in the lodging-place and commanded Zipporah to return to her father’s home when the child will become healed. This is the purport of the expression, after he had sent her away.³⁰² It is also probable that they all went to Egypt, and after they stayed there for some time, she longed for her father and so Moses sent her with the children. This then would be the sense of the word shilucheha (after ‘he had sent her away’),³⁰² since Jethro feared that perhaps it was Moses’ intent to divorce her. And in V’eileh Shemoth Rabbah,³⁰³ [the Rabbis have said]: “And Moses went and returned to Jether his father-in-law.²⁹¹ Where did he go? He went to take his wife and sons. Jethro said to him, ‘Where do you take them?’ Moses replied, ‘To Egypt.’ Jethro said to him, ‘Now that those who are in Egypt wish to leave it, do you desire to lead them there?’ Moses replied, ‘Very soon [those held in bondage] are destined to go forth from there and stand at Mount Sinai and hear the words of the Almighty, I am the Eternal thy G-d Who brought thee out of the land of Egypt.³⁰⁴ Should my children not hear it together with them?’ Jethro said to Moses, *‘Go in peace.’”*²⁹¹ In accordance with the opinion of the Rabbis [in the above Midrash], it is proper that we explain that after Moses and Jethro agreed on Moses’ returning to Egypt, the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded him thereon, thus confirming the word of His servant,³⁰⁵ and he returned to Egypt with his sons and his wife, as I have explained.

footnotes: ³⁰¹ Verse 24. Ibn Ezra refers to the language of the verse: and the Eternal met him ³⁰² Further, 18:2. ³⁰² Further, 18:2. ³⁰³ Shemoth Rabbah 4:4. ²⁹¹ Verse 18. ³⁰⁴ Further, 20:2. ²⁹¹ Verse 18. ³⁰⁵ See Isaiah 44:26.

AND THE ETERNAL SAID UNTO MOSES: ‘WHEN THOU GOEST BACK INTO EGYPT SEE ALL THE WONDERS,’ etc. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that this was said to Moses when he was yet in Midian. G-d informed him that He would harden Pharaoh’s heart and he would not let the people go because of all the wonders which he would see until the last wonder. Ibn Ezra’s intent is thus to explain this verse as saying: “See that for all the wonders which I have put in thy hand and which you will do before Pharaoh, for all of these he will not let them go until you will tell him that I will slay his son, his firstborn. Then he will let them go.” This explanation is not correct for what sense is there for the expression, when thou goest back into Egypt, see, etc.? Rather, the purport thereof is as follows: When leaving Midian, Moses took the rod of G-d in his hand³⁰⁶ to mark the way with his footsteps.³⁰⁷ G-d forewarned him and said to him, “When you go on the way, mark well and behold³⁰⁸ that all the wonders which I have put in your hand you should do before Pharaoh; do not forget to do anything before him. And I will harden his heart, but do not despair from doing them because of his obstinacy, and you will yet warn him again on the last plague which will cause him to let them go.” The purport of the expression, I have put in thy hand, is that “in your hand I have put them; you are to do them, and not someone else.” He had already informed him that He would perform many signs and wonders in Pharaoh’s midst, as He said, with all My wonders which I will do in his midst.³⁰⁹ All this was an encouragement to Moses, for since he was forced to go on the mission, G-d warned him before the action, and commanded him again at the time of the action before each and every wonder. It is possible that the expression [concerning the smiting of his firstborn], and thou shalt say unto Pharaoh,³¹⁰ is but to inform Moses now that in the end He will so command him to say it to Pharaoh. Thus the purport of His words is as follows: “I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go in spite of all the wonders, and thou shalt say to him on that day, ‘Behold I will slay thy son, thy firstborn,’ and then he will let them go.” We do not find that He informed Moses of the death of their firstborn except at this time, and thus [we must say] that not all of the Divine communication [here given to Moses was relayed to Pharaoh] now.³¹¹. But nothing was mentioned to Moses about what that plague was. Ramban suggests that Verses 22-23 here concerning the final plague were said to Moses now with the understanding that later, before the tenth plague, he was to relay the warning to Pharaoh, but not that he said it to Pharaoh as soon as he came to see him. Hence it was not necessary for Scripture to say in Chapter 11, Verse 1, what that “one plague more” was. It is possible to explain [the matter as follows]: “See all these three³¹² wonders which I have put in thy hand to do before the Israelites, do them also before Pharaoh so that Pharaoh should know that the elders of the people who request of him to let them go say so according to the commandment of G-d, and he should not come with a pretext against them.” And so did Moses do [these three wonders³¹² before Pharaoh], even though it is not so written. The verse [further on] which states, *When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying: ‘Show a wonder for you,’*³¹³ [which might indicate that the wonder of the staff turning into a serpent was done by a special command, and not because of the Divine communication here, as explained above], means that Pharaoh will want a sign for himself. G-d thus commanded Moses to throw the rod and it shall become a tanin, not a nachash,³¹⁴ mentioned here in Verse 3, and tanin mentioned further in 7:9. Rashi however explains there that tanin means nachash. In the J.P.S. translation, both terms are translated as “serpents.” In other translations, nachash is translated as “snake,” and tanin as “reptile.” Some such distinction between the terms is to be made according to Ramban. as mentioned the first time. Thus He wanted to show Pharaoh that Aaron’s rod would swallow up their rods, instructing him that He would vanquish them and that they would be destroyed forever by Him. In the Midrash V’eileh Shemoth Rabbah,³¹⁵ I have seen mentioned: “[And the Eternal said to Moses: ‘When thou goest into Egypt, see all the wonders,’ etc.] To which wonders does He refer? If you say that it is to [the staff turning into] a serpent, [his hand becoming] leprous, and [the waters turning into] blood, the Holy One, blessed be He, told Moses to do these only before Israel! Moreover, we find nowhere that Moses did these signs before Pharaoh. But what then is the meaning of all the wonders which I have put in thy hand? This refers to the rod upon which were written the initials of the ten plagues: ‘D’tzach Adash B’achab.’ ”³¹⁶ (blood), Tz’phardei’a (frogs), Kinim (lice), Arob (beasts), Dever (murrain), Sh’chin (boils), Barad (hail), Arbeh (locusts), Choshech (darkness), Makath-b’choroth (slaying of the firstborn). According to this Midrash, the explanation of the verse will be: “See and contemplate the writing on the rod which I have put in thy hand, for all wonders thereon you will perform before Pharaoh.”

footnotes: ³⁰⁶ Verse 20. ³⁰⁷ Psalms 85:14. ³⁰⁸ Ezekiel 44:5. ³⁰⁹ Above, 3:20. ³¹⁰ Verse 22. ³¹¹ The intent of Ramban is as follows: In Chapter 11, Verse 1, it is said concerning the final plague: And the Eternal said unto Moses: Yet one plague more will I bring upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go hence ³¹² The staff turning into a serpent, Moses’ hand becoming leprous, and the waters turning into blood (Verses 3-9). ³¹² The staff turning into a serpent, Moses’ hand becoming leprous, and the waters turning into blood (Verses 3-9). ³¹³ Further, 7:9. ³¹⁴ Ramban thus distinguishes between the nachash ³¹⁵ Shemoth Rabbah 5:6. ³¹⁶ They are: Dam

AND HE MET HIM IN THE MOUNTAIN OF G-D. Thus you learn that Mount Sinai is between Midian and Egypt.

AND HE KISSED HIM. Aaron kissed Moses, for Moses the humble one treated his older brother with respect. For this reason, it does not say that they kissed each other.

AND MOSES TOLD AARON ALL THE WORDS OF THE ETERNAL WHEREWITH HE HATH SENT HIM. This means that he told all the words which were spoken between him and the Holy One, blessed be He, and all the objections he had raised against undertaking the mission, and that he was sent against his own will. This is the intent of the word kol (‘all’ the words of the Eternal). In Midrash Chazit³¹⁷ [we find it stated]: “And the Rabbis say that Moses revealed to Aaron the Tetragrammaton [which had been revealed to him].” The intent of their explanation is that Moses told Aaron the Divine Names mentioned above³¹⁸ by which He sent him, and the Name that is derived [from them],³¹⁹ and the explanation that is inherent in them.³¹⁹

footnotes: ³¹⁷ Another name for the Midrash Rabbah on the Song of Songs. The quote is found there, 4:12. See Vol. I, p. 292, Note 73, for the reason of the name Chazit or Chazita. ³¹⁸ See above, 3:13. ³¹⁹ See my Hebrew commentary for elucidation of this Cabalistic subject. ³¹⁹ See my Hebrew commentary for elucidation of this Cabalistic subject.