Shemot 10:1-11

10:1

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה בֹּא אֶל־פַּרְעֹה כִּֽי־אֲנִי הִכְבַּדְתִּי אֶת־לִבּוֹ וְאֶת־לֵב עֲבָדָיו לְמַעַן שִׁתִי אֹתֹתַי אֵלֶּה בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ׃

Adonoy said to Moshe, “Go in to Pharaoh for I have hardened his heart and [also] the hearts of his servants, so that I will be able to set [perform] these [miraculous] signs in their midst.

Rashi

ויאמר ה' אל משה בא אל פרעה. והתרה בו:

Adonoy said to Moshe “Go in to Pharaoh — and warn him.”

שתי. שִׂימִי, שאשית אני:

I will be able to set. שִׁתִי is the same as שׂוּמִי (another version: שִׂימִי), [meaning:] “that I will set.”

10:2

וּלְמַעַן תְּסַפֵּר בְּאׇזְנֵי בִנְךָ וּבֶן־בִּנְךָ אֵת אֲשֶׁר הִתְעַלַּלְתִּי בְּמִצְרַיִם וְאֶת־אֹתֹתַי אֲשֶׁר־שַׂמְתִּי בָם וִֽידַעְתֶּם כִּי־אֲנִי יְהֹוָֽה׃

And so that you may relate in the ears of your son and grandson how I made a mockery of the Egyptians, and the miraculous signs I performed among them. You will then know that I am Adonoy.”

Rashi

התעללתי. שחקתי, כמו כִּי הִתְעַלַּלְתּ בִּי (במדבר כב, כט), הֲלֹוא כַּאֲשֶׁר הִתְעַלֵּל בָּהֶם (שמואל־א ו, י) האמור במצרים, ואינו לשון פועל ומעללים, שא"כ היה לו לכתוב עוללתי, כמו וְעֹולֵל לָמֹו כַּאֲשֶׁר עֹולַלְתָּ לִי (איכה א, כב), אֲשֶׁר עֹולַל לִי (שם יב):

I made a mockery. [הִתְעַלַּלְתִּי means] I have mocked, as in: “For (הִתְעַלַּלְתְּ) you have mocked me;” [or:] “Is it not so, when (הִתְעַלֵּל) he mocked them?” which is said regarding the Egyptians. It does not mean doing and acting for if that were the case it should have been written עֹולַלְתִּי, as in: “(וְעוֹלֵל) Do to them as (עוֹלַלְתָּ) you have done to me,” [or:] “which (עֹולַל) he has done to me.”

10:3

וַיָּבֹא מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן אֶל־פַּרְעֹה וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָיו כֹּֽה־אָמַר יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי הָֽעִבְרִים עַד־מָתַי מֵאַנְתָּ לֵעָנֹת מִפָּנָי שַׁלַּח עַמִּי וְיַֽעַבְדֻֽנִי׃

Moshe and Aharon went in to Pharaoh and they said to him, “This is what Adonoy, God of the Hebrews, has said, ‘How long will you refuse to be humbled before Me? Send My people out that they may worship Me.

Rashi

לענות. כתרגומו לְאִתְכְּנָעָא, והוא מגזרת עני, מֵאַנְתָּ להיות עני ושפל מפני:

To be humbled. [לֵעָנֹת is] as Onkelos translates it לְאִתְכְּנָעָא — to be humbled which is from the root עָנִי — poor. [The question: עַד מָתַי וכו' conveys:] “you have refused to be poor and humble before Me.”

10:4

כִּי אִם־מָאֵן אַתָּה לְשַׁלֵּחַ אֶת־עַמִּי הִנְנִי מֵבִיא מָחָר אַרְבֶּה בִּגְבֻלֶֽךָ׃

For if you refuse to send My people out, I will bring locusts within your borders tomorrow.

10:5

וְכִסָּה אֶת־עֵין הָאָרֶץ וְלֹא יוּכַל לִרְאֹת אֶת־הָאָרֶץ וְאָכַל ׀ אֶת־יֶתֶר הַפְּלֵטָה הַנִּשְׁאֶרֶת לָכֶם מִן־הַבָּרָד וְאָכַל אֶת־כׇּל־הָעֵץ הַצֹּמֵחַ לָכֶם מִן־הַשָּׂדֶֽה׃

They will cover the visible surface of the land so that one will be unable to see the land. They will eat all that was spared, that remained for you from the hail, and they will eat every tree that grows for you in the field.

Rashi

את עין הארץ. את מראה הארץ:

The visible surface of the land. [אֶת עֵין הָאָרֶץ means] the illumination of the land.

ולא יוכל וגו'. הרואה, לראות את הארץ, ולשון קצרה דבר:

One (lit. he) will be unable, etc. I.e., הָרוֹאֶה [וְלֹא יוּכַל] — The one who looks [will be unable] to see the land. The Torah expresses itself in an abbreviated way.

10:6

וּמָלְאוּ בָתֶּיךָ וּבָתֵּי כׇל־עֲבָדֶיךָ וּבָתֵּי כׇל־מִצְרַיִם אֲשֶׁר לֹֽא־רָאוּ אֲבֹתֶיךָ וַאֲבוֹת אֲבֹתֶיךָ מִיּוֹם הֱיוֹתָם עַל־הָאֲדָמָה עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה וַיִּפֶן וַיֵּצֵא מֵעִם פַּרְעֹֽה׃

They will fill your houses, and the houses of all your servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians. [It will be something] that was never seen by your fathers or your fathers’ fathers since the day they were on the earth until this day.’” He [Moshe] then turned and went out from Pharaoh.

10:7

וַיֹּאמְרוּ עַבְדֵי פַרְעֹה אֵלָיו עַד־מָתַי יִהְיֶה זֶה לָנוּ לְמוֹקֵשׁ שַׁלַּח אֶת־הָאֲנָשִׁים וְיַֽעַבְדוּ אֶת־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיהֶם הֲטֶרֶם תֵּדַע כִּי אָבְדָה מִצְרָֽיִם׃

Pharaoh’s servants said to him, “How long will this [man] be a menace to us? Send these men out and let them worship Adonoy, their God. Did you not yet realize that Egypt is [being] destroyed?”

Rashi

הטרם תדע. העוד לא ידעת כי אבדה מצרים:

Did you not yet realize. [הַטֶרֶם תֵּדַע means:]. “Did you as yet not realize that Egypt is lost?”

10:8

וַיּוּשַׁב אֶת־מֹשֶׁה וְאֶֽת־אַהֲרֹן אֶל־פַּרְעֹה וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם לְכוּ עִבְדוּ אֶת־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם מִי וָמִי הַהֹלְכִֽים׃

Moshe and Aharon were brought back to Pharaoh, and he said to them, “Go worship Adonoy, your God. Exactly who will be going?”

Rashi

ויושב. הושבו ע"י שליח ששלחו אחריהם, והושיבום אל פרעה:

Were brought back. They were brought back by a messenger that they (Pharaoh’s servants) sent after them who then brought them back to Pharaoh.

10:9

וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה בִּנְעָרֵינוּ וּבִזְקֵנֵינוּ נֵלֵךְ בְּבָנֵינוּ וּבִבְנוֹתֵנוּ בְּצֹאנֵנוּ וּבִבְקָרֵנוּ נֵלֵךְ כִּי חַג־יְהֹוָה לָֽנוּ׃

Moshe said, “With our young and with our old we will go. With our sons, with our daughters, with our sheep and with our cattle we will go, for it is a festival to Adonoy for all of us.”

10:10

וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם יְהִי כֵן יְהֹוָה עִמָּכֶם כַּאֲשֶׁר אֲשַׁלַּח אֶתְכֶם וְאֶֽת־טַפְּכֶם רְאוּ כִּי רָעָה נֶגֶד פְּנֵיכֶֽם׃

He [Pharaoh] said to them, “So be it. May Adonoy be with you just as I will send you and your little ones. Beware for evil confronts you.

Rashi

כאשר אשלח אתכם וגו'. אף כי אשלח גם את הצאן ואת הבקר כאשר אמרתם:

Just as I will send you and your little ones. [I.e.,] “Surely were I to send the sheep and cattle as you have requested.”

ראו כי רעה נגד פניכם. כתרגומו. ומדרש אגדה שמעתי, כוכב אחד יש ששמו רעה, אמר להם פרעה, רואה אני בָּאִיצְטַגְנִינוּת שלי אותו כוכב עולה לקראתכם במדבר, והוא סימן דם והריגה, וכשחטאו ישראל בעגל ובקש הקב"ה להרגם, אמר משה בתפלתו, לָמָה יֹאמְרוּ מִצְרַיִם לֵאמֹר בְּרָעָה הֹוצִיאָם (שמות לב, יב), זו היא שאמר להם ראו כי רעה נגד פניכם, מיד וַיִנָחֶם ה' עַל הָרָעָה, והפך את הדם לדם מילה שמל יהושע אותם, וזהו שנאמר הַיֹּום גַּלֹּותִי אֶת חֶרְפַּת מִצְרַיִם מֵעֲלֵיכֶם (יהושע ה, ט), שהיו אומרים לכם דם אנו רואין עליכם במדבר:

Beware, for evil confronts you. This should be translated as Onkelos does. An aggadic explanation that I heard [states:] There is a star by the name of “Evil”; Pharaoh said to them: “I see by my astrological calculations that that star is rising towards you in the wilderness and it is a sign of blood and killing.” When [eventually] the Israelites sinned by [worshipping] the calf and God wished to kill them, Moshe said in his prayer, “Why should the Egyptians speak, saying: ‘He took them out with (רָעָה) the star “Evil,’” for this is meant by what he said, ‘Beware, for “Evil” confronts you’.” Immediately “God reconsidered the ‘Evil’” and turned the blood to blood of circumcision for Yehoshua circumcised them. This is meant by what is said: (Yehoshua said:) “Today I have removed the shame of Egypt from you” for they had been saying to you, “We see blood upon you in the wilderness.”

10:11

לֹא כֵן לְכֽוּ־נָא הַגְּבָרִים וְעִבְדוּ אֶת־יְהֹוָה כִּי אֹתָהּ אַתֶּם מְבַקְשִׁים וַיְגָרֶשׁ אֹתָם מֵאֵת פְּנֵי פַרְעֹֽה׃ {ס}

This is not right. [Only] the [adult] men should go and worship Adonoy for this is what you desire.” He had them expelled from Pharaoh’s presence.

Rashi

לא כן. כאשר אמרתם להוליך הטף עמכם, אלא לכו הגברים ועבדו את ה':

This is not right — as you have said to take the children along with you, but, rather, let the men go and serve God.”

כי אותה אתם מבקשים. (אותה עבודה) בקשתם עד הנה, נזבחה לאלהינו, ואין דרך הטף לזבוח:

For this is what you desire. “This (service) is what you requested till now: ‘Let us slaughter to our God’ and it is not customary for children to slaughter.

ויגרש אותם. הרי זה לשון קצר, ולא פירש מי המגרש:

He had them expelled. This is a shortened statement and does not state who expelled them.

Shemot 10:1-11 שמות י׳:א׳-י״א

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