2021/5781

In this week's Parashah, we encounter two very strange Pesukim that the Rishonim elaborate upon. Pasuk (7:15) says, “Leich El Paroh BaBoker Hinei Yotzei HaMaimah,” “Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he is coming out to the water” (Shemot 7:15). What does it mean that Moshe Rabbeinu should go to Pharaoh in the morning when he comes out of the water? Rashi (ibid. s.v. Hinei Yotzei HaMaimah) says that at this time in the morning Pharaoh secretly went to the bathroom. Pharaoh made himself look like a god and one of the ways he did this was by claiming that he never went to the bathroom. Hashem had Moshe come to Pharaoh at this time to show that he was not a god but rather an imposter. Rashbam (ibid.), on the other hand, has a very simple understanding of this encounter, stating that this was the same as Bat Pharaoh going down to the river; this was typical behavior for a nobleman. Shadal (ibid.) takes a very different approach, saying that Hashem told Moshe to go at this time to make it clear to Pharaoh that he was going to strike the water.

The Or HaChaim HaKadosh (Shemot 7:16 s.v. Ve’Amarta Eilav Hashem) agrees with Rashi that Hashem wanted to expose Pharoah, but is perplexed why the next Pasuk needed to repeat that Hashem sent Moshe, because we already know that. The Or HaChaim offers three incredible answers to this dilemma with three amazing lessons: His first answer is that Moshe would be coming to Pharaoh at a very inappropriate time and Pharaoh could be angry at Moshe. The Pasuk reiterates that Hashem sent him so Moshe will say that Hashem sent him on a mission and he would not delay. This is a beautiful answer because it shows that we need to be sensitive to every possible issue to which our actions. This also shows the importance of serving Hashem in the best way possible, which means doing so with no delay, even if it means going to Pharoah at an inappropriate time. Hashem still comes first. The Or HaChaim's second answer suggests that by saying Hashem sent Moshe again, it shows that Hashem knows everything that is going on, and one cannot hide anything from Him. Hashem doesn’t just know what you are doing but also what you are thinking. This teaches us that we should always try to live in the manner of a Ben Torah, for Hashem knows exactly what we are doing and thinking; let us thus take advantage of this and try to live righteously. Lastly, by saying Hashem sent Moshe again, the Torah is telling us that the first time was to warn Pharaoh and now it is to punish him. This repetition teaches us that Hashem is not just involved in the Din, the punishment, but also the Rachamim, warning. This is very similar to when Hashem gives Moshe the second sign so Bnei Yisrael would believe that Hashem sent him: when Moshe would bring his arm towards his chest he would get leprosy and when he took his hand out it would go away. Rashi notes that there is an extra letter when Moshe is stricken with Tzara’at compared to when it goes away, showing that Hashem is quicker to heal than to punish. We see that Hashem is always looking out for us, giving us the ability to succeed by always being with us and quick to do good, not bad. The only thing we need to do is show our devotion and not to delay.