Tanach
Shemot 7:14-18 שמות ז׳:י״ד-י״ח
Part of: VaeraVaera, Aliyah 4Chapter 7
Reading: Hebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlyHebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlySimple English onlyFaithful translation onlySide by sideRashi
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה כָּבֵד לֵב פַּרְעֹה מֵאֵן לְשַׁלַּח הָעָֽם׃
Adonoy said to Moshe, “Pharaoh’s heart is heavy [unmoved]. He refuses to let the people go.
Adonoy said to Moshe, “Pharaoh’s heart is heavy [unmoved]. He refuses to let the people go.
Rashi
לֵךְ אֶל־פַּרְעֹה בַּבֹּקֶר הִנֵּה יֹצֵא הַמַּיְמָה וְנִצַּבְתָּ לִקְרָאתוֹ עַל־שְׂפַת הַיְאֹר וְהַמַּטֶּה אֲשֶׁר־נֶהְפַּךְ לְנָחָשׁ תִּקַּח בְּיָדֶֽךָ׃
Go to Pharaoh in the morning when he goes out to the water, and stand there to meet him by the bank of the river. The rod that was turned into a snake, take in your hand.
Go to Pharaoh in the morning when he goes out to the water, and stand there to meet him by the bank of the river. The rod that was turned into a snake, take in your hand.
Rashi
הנה יצא המימה. לנקביו, שהיה עושה עצמו אלוה, ואומר שאינו צריך לנקביו, ומשכים ויוצא לנילוס ועושה שם צרכיו (שמו"ר ט, ז):
When he goes out to the water — to relieve himself, for he made claims to be a god and said that he did not need to relieve himself. He would arise early and go out to the Nile and there relieve himself.
וְאָמַרְתָּ אֵלָיו יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי הָעִבְרִים שְׁלָחַנִי אֵלֶיךָ לֵאמֹר שַׁלַּח אֶת־עַמִּי וְיַֽעַבְדֻנִי בַּמִּדְבָּר וְהִנֵּה לֹא־שָׁמַעְתָּ עַד־כֹּֽה׃
Say to him, “Adonoy, God of the Hebrews, sent me to you to say [to you], ‘Send out My people that they may worship Me in the wilderness. Behold, thus far you have not listened.
Say to him, “Adonoy, God of the Hebrews, sent me to you to say [to you], ‘Send out My people that they may worship Me in the wilderness. Behold, thus far you have not listened.
Rashi
עד כה. עד הנה. ומדרשו, עד שתשמע ממני מכת בכורות, שאפתח בה בכה כֹּה אָמַר ה' כֲַּחצֹת הַלַּיְלָה:
Thus Far. [The plain meaning of עַד כֹּה is:] thus far. But its midrashic explanation is: “until you will hear [the word כֹּה] from Me at the killing of the first-born, which I will begin with the word כֹה: [viz.] “כֹּה — Thus did Hashem say at midnight.”
כֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה בְּזֹאת תֵּדַע כִּי אֲנִי יְהֹוָה הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי מַכֶּה ׀ בַּמַּטֶּה אֲשֶׁר־בְּיָדִי עַל־הַמַּיִם אֲשֶׁר בַּיְאֹר וְנֶהֶפְכוּ לְדָֽם׃
This is what Adonoy has said, ‘By this you will know that I am Adonoy. Behold, with the rod that is in my hand, I will strike the water of the river and it will turn into blood.
This is what Adonoy has said, ‘By this you will know that I am Adonoy. Behold, with the rod that is in my hand, I will strike the water of the river and it will turn into blood.
Rashi
ונהפכו לדם. לפי שאין גשמים יורדים במצרים, ונילוס עולה ומשקה את הארץ, ומצרים עובדים לנילוס, לפיכך הלקה את יראתם ואחר כך הלקה אותם:
It will turn into blood. Since rain does not fall in Egypt and the Nile rises and irrigates the land, and the Egyptians worship the Nile, He therefore struck their god [first] and afterwards struck them.
וְהַדָּגָה אֲשֶׁר־בַּיְאֹר תָּמוּת וּבָאַשׁ הַיְאֹר וְנִלְאוּ מִצְרַיִם לִשְׁתּוֹת מַיִם מִן־הַיְאֹֽר׃ {ס}
The fish that is in the river will die, and the river will become polluted. The Egyptians will weary themselves [trying to purify] drinking water from the river.’”
The fish that is in the river will die, and the river will become polluted. The Egyptians will weary themselves [trying to purify] drinking water from the river.’”
Rashi
ונלאו מצרים. לבקש רפואה למי היאור שיהיו ראויין לשתות:
The Egyptians will weary themselves — [attempting] to find a cure so that the waters of their river should be fit to drink.
כבד. תרגומו יַקִּיר, ולא אתיקר, מפני שהוא שם דבר, כמו כִּי כָּבֵד מִמְּךָ הַדָּבָר (שמות יח, יח):
Is heavy. The correct version of Onkelos is יַקִּיר — is hard and not אִתְיַקַּר — hardened, because it is an adjective as in: “the thing is too hard for you.”