“I appeared to Abraham” [6:3]. God said: I appeared to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I told them that My name is Shaddai and did not tell them that My name is YHVH. Even with the name Shaddai I kept My promise and gave them what I promised. How much more so with the name YHVH, will I keep My promise? Therefore, go and tell Israel that I will keep My oath that I swore to their ancestors and I will take Israel out of Egypt.
Bahya writes. The verse here uses four terms, “I will free you,” “I will deliver you,” “I will redeem you,” “I will take you” [6:6–7]. This teaches us that the Holy One promised Israel four ways. The first was that they would be free from their masters. The second is that they would be separated far from their masters. The third is that He would split the sea. The fourth is that He would give the Torah. Therefore, it says about the first that they would be free from their masters. “I will free you from the labors” [6:6]. They will be free from work. They will be in Egypt and not have to work for six months, as our sages say. The Israelites stopped working on Rosh Hashanah and the redemption from Egypt was on the fifteenth day of Nisan. The second was that they went out from the authority of their masters in Nisan. Therefore, it says, “I delivered you from your bondage” [6:6]. I will protect them from their work. The third is to split the sea. Concerning this it says, “I will redeem you” [6:6]. That is, all the people. Since, as long as the master by whom the slave was in servitude lives, he remains afraid of the master, that he would capture him again. However, here when the sea was split, all of Israel saw that their masters were drowned, and the sea threw them out. Each Israelite saw that his master was dead and the Israelites were happy. This was the proper redemption. Concerning this it says, “I will redeem you” [6:6]. The fourth is that He would give the Torah to Israel. Concerning this it says, “I will take you to be My people” [6:7]. That is to say, with the giving of the Torah Israel were the people of the Holy One. They would serve Him and no other god.1Bahya, Exodus, 6:6.
“For a possession” [6:8]. The Holy One said: I have raised my hand to swear that I will give the land of Israel to Israel. “Possession,” I give the land as your inheritance. Bahya asks a question here. Why is it written, possession and not inheritance? This teaches us that the Israelites will die in the wilderness, but their children will live and inherit it.2Bahya, Exodus, 6:8.
“They would not listen to Moses” [6:9]. Moses came to the Israelites and said to them. I have come to take you out of this exile. The Israelites did not listen to Moses. They had great troubles with the work. They could not catch their breath because of the great amount of work. The Holy One said to Moses. Go to Pharaoh: let him send Israel out of Egypt. Moses responded: How should I go to Pharaoh when the Israelites will not listen to what I say to them? How should Pharaoh listen to my words to allow Israel to go? Even though it was good news for Israel to take them out, yet they did not want to listen to me. How should Pharaoh listen to my words?
God again commanded Moses that he should go to Pharaoh and said: show respect for the king, even if he is an evildoer. Further, it is just to honor a king, even if he is a gentile king. The Holy One commanded Moses that he should not be very angry at Israel.3Rashi, Exodus, 6:13.
“The following are the heads of their respective clans” [6:14]. Since the time had come to redeem Israel, that is why the verse lists each one according to his pedigree. That is, they are not like the Egyptians who have no pedigree. He gives their pedigree because he wants to say how Moses and Aaron are important, from their mother and father. Therefore, he must list them from Reuben until he comes to Levi.4Bahya, Exodus, 6:14.
The verse says that Levi was one hundred and thirty seven years old. This teaches us that as long as one of the twelve tribes still lived, Pharaoh did not make the Israelites work. This was until Levi died; then the exile began. Levi lived much longer than all of his brothers. Therefore, the verse tells us that Levi was one hundred and thirty seven years old, since the exile began then.5Rashi, Exodus, 6:16.
“Sister of Nahshon” [6:23]. The verse tells us that Aaron married Elisheva, the daughter of Aminadav. Her brother’s name was Nahshon. This teaches us that when somebody wants to marry a wife, one should see what kind of brother she has, since the children take after the wife’s brother.6Rashi, Exodus, 6:23.
“It is the same Aaron and Moses” [6:26]. The verse sometimes mentions Aaron first. It wants to teach us that Aaron was also important, just like Moses, since he was older than Moses. Moses was much more important than Aaron with regard to prophecy.7Bahya, Exodus, 6:26.
“See, I am of impeded speech” [6:30]. The Holy One said to Moses, go to Pharaoh. Moses said: I cannot speak; my lips are stopped up. Bahya asks a question. It is written, “the Lord spoke to both Moses and Aaron in regard to the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt” [6:13]. There, Moses did not say that he could not speak. The explanation is because God had said to Moses and Aaron together, that they should say. Therefore, Moses was silent. He thought that perhaps Aaron would speak before Pharaoh, but here the Holy One said to Moses alone, go to Pharaoh. Therefore, Moses said that he was not the man who could speak; he had a bad tongue.8Bahya, Exodus, 6:30.
Hizkuni asks a question. Why did the Holy One give such an important person who was descended from a man that the Torah would forbid to marry such a wife? Amram married his aunt, Yocheved, and they had Moses, Aaron and Miriam as children. The explanation is that Moses and Aaron were born from such people so that others should be able to throw before them, when they hold themselves above Israel, one could say to them, you were born from a man who married his aunt.9Hizkuni, Exodus, 6:20.
Here one asks a question. Why may a woman take her uncle as a husband and a man may not marry his aunt? The explanation is that the husband rules over his wife. Therefore, when a man would marry his aunt, perhaps he would beat her, as is customary among men. It is a sin for someone to beat his aunt. However, a woman may marry her uncle, since if he would beat her sometimes when she deserves it, this is no sin.
“It shall turn into a serpent” [7:9]. The Holy One said to Moses. If Pharaoh would desire a sign from you, take the staff and throw it before Pharaoh and it will become a snake. Bahya asks here. Why did it become a snake and not something else? The explanation is that Pharaoh is compared to the snake that spoke ill about the Holy One and caused Adam to sin. So too was Pharaoh who said, who is God that I should listen to Him? Therefore, the Holy One ordered them to make a snake. That is to say, Pharaoh will also be paid his reward as the snake was paid. Just like a snake is always crooked and is never straight, so too is Pharaoh who never keeps his word. Once he says that he will send Israel, when the plague hurts him. As soon as the plague was ended, he retracted and did not want to send Israel.10Bahya, Exodus, 7:10.
“In the presence of Pharaoh and his courtiers” [7:10]. Aaron took his staff and threw it before Pharaoh and his courtiers. It became a snake and Pharaoh sent for his magicians to also make snakes with magic. The Holy One made Aaron’s snake a staff again. The staff swallowed all the magician’s snakes.11Rashi, Exodus, 7:12. This was a hint that the Egyptians would be swallowed up by the sea later on through the Israelites.
Bahya writes. The verse says, “they turned into serpents” [7:12]. That is to say, the magicians made as if they made snakes from the staffs. However, the truth is that they could not make snakes, but they made the people blind and they thought that they made snakes.12Bahya, Exodus, 7:12.
“Pharaoh’s heart stiffened” [7:13]. Pharaoh’s heart strengthened and he did not want to send out Israel.
“Go to Pharaoh” [7:15]. The Holy One said: go to Pharaoh early in the morning. You will find him by the water. Pharaoh made himself to be a god. He said that he eats and drinks and does not need to excrete. Therefore, he went every morning to the Nile and excreted there, where no person would see him.13Rashi, Exodus, 7:15. Therefore, the Holy One said to Moses: go early to the water and there you will find Pharaoh. Say to him that he should send Israel out. I know well that he will not send them out until I will punish him with the plague of the firstborn.14Rashi, Exodus, 7:16.
Tell him that I will hit the water with the staff and they will become blood, and the fish in the water will be killed. They will make the water stink and you will not be able to drink it. The Holy One said to Moses: Go to Aaron that he should take the staff and should hold it over the water. The water in all the rivers and lakes will turn to blood and in all the wooden and stone vessels the water will also become blood. Why did Aaron hit the water and not Moses? Since the water did not do anything to Moses when he was thrown into the water, therefore he was not supposed to hit the water.15Exodus Rabbah, 9.10.
Similarly by the frogs, Moses also did not bring the plague, but it came through Aaron. This is because frogs come from the water. Moses did not bring any plague that came from the water.16Exodus Rabbah, 10.4.
Similarly, the lice that came from the earth. Moses was not supposed to cause this, because the earth protected Moses when he buried the Egyptian that he killed. The earth hid him and did not inform on him.17Exodus Rabbah, 10.7.
Bahya asks a question. Where did the magicians take the water that they used to make blood from water before Pharaoh, if all the water had become blood through Moses and Aaron’s plague? The explanation is that they got the water out of the earth and made blood from it. The plague of Moses and Aaron was only on the water that had been drawn and was ready to drink. However, the water under the earth did not become blood and that is how the magicians made blood.18Bahya, Exodus, 7:22. Hizkuni also writes the same thing.19Hizkuni, Exodus, 7:20.
“The water stank” [7:21]. The water stank, the fish died, and the Egyptians could not drink the water from the river. They dug up other water to drink.
“When seven days had passed” [7:25]. When the seven days of the plague had passed, Pharaoh did not want to send Israel Each plague lasted for seven days, just like a woman is menstrual impurity for seven days. Pharaoh had twenty-one days of rest before the next plague came upon him. During that period, Moses warned about the plague that was to come.20Bahya, Exodus, 7:25.
“Your whole country with frogs” [7:27]. The Holy One said to Moses: Tell Pharaoh that because he will not allow Israel to leave, I will punish your land with frogs. Your house and rooms and your bed, by your nobles and slaves equally. So too, in your oven and in the dough that you bake for bread.
Bahya writes. The king of Egypt had a dispute with the king of Ethiopia. The king of Egypt said to the king of Ethiopia: you have taken away my land. The king of Ethiopia said the same. However, when the frogs came to the land of Egypt, they saw how far the land of Egypt extended. There were frogs in the whole land of Egypt up to the border of the land of Ethiopia. From then on, there was peace between the two kings.21Bahya, Exodus, 7:27.
“The frogs shall come up on you” [7:29]. The frogs came into the bowels of the people and croaked inside their bodies.22Rashi, Exodus, 7:29.
“The frogs came up” [8:2]. One large frog came out of the water and Aaron beat all the frogs out of that one frog.23Rashi, Exodus, 8:2. The whole land became full of frogs from that one frog. The magicians also brought up frogs from the water. Pharaoh said to Moses and Aaron. Pray to God that He should take away the frogs and I will send Israel out. Moses said: when do you need me that I should pray and for which people to remove the frogs that they should only remain in the lakes? Pharaoh said: pray today that the frogs should leave tomorrow.
Bahya, Ramban, and Hizkuni ask. Why did Pharaoh not desire that the frogs should be removed that day? Instead he ordered that the frogs should be removed the same day. The explanation is that Pharaoh thought to himself, perhaps today is the day the frogs are supposed to leave by themselves. Therefore, I will tell him that he should remove the frogs tomorrow. Perhaps Moses will be a liar and they will go away before he has prayed. From then on, Pharaoh always said tomorrow. Moses also spoke about tomorrow to remove the plagues.24Bahya, Exodus, 8:5; Ramban, Exodus, 8:6; Hizkuni, Exodus, 8:6.
Hizkuni and Baal ha-Turim write that Moses prayed that all the frogs should die. However, the frogs that were in the oven ran into the fire, where the Holy One had sent them. Because they went into the fire through the command of the Holy One, these frogs remained alive and emerged from the fire alive and back to their original home in the water.25Hizkuni, Exodus, 8:9; Baal ha-Turim, Exodus, 8:1. From here we learn that one who sanctifies the Name [of God], for the sake of God, comes into eternal life.
Imre Noam asks a question. It is written, “the frogs died” [8:9]. All the frogs died and Moses said to Pharaoh, “the frogs shall retreat” [8:7]. The frogs will be removed. The explanation is that the frogs that were inside the bodies of people would be removed alive from their stomach. Also, the frogs that were in the house of the king they left alive, out of respect for Pharaoh. However, elsewhere all the frogs died.26Imre Noam, Exodus, 8:9.
“Moses cried out to the Lord” [8:8]. Moses prayed and cried out to God. Imre Noam asks a question. Why did Moses have to cry out loud at this plague? The explanation is because Moses had said to Pharaoh, “you may have this triumph over me” [8:5]. Boast about me when I will remove the frogs. Therefore, because he was arrogant, the Holy One did not accept his prayer immediately and he had to cry out loudly.27Imre Noam, Exodus, 8:8. From here we learn that one does not have to shout loudly in order to pray.
Rabbi Isserl writes. The plague of blood was in wooden vessels and in stone vessels, but in iron vessels, even though there was water in it, it did not become blood. This teaches also us that when the equinox comes, one should put some iron into the water and the equinox will not harm it, just like in Egypt where the plague of blood did not occur in iron vessels.28Be’ure Maharai, Exodus, 7:19.
“It will turn to lice” [8:12]. The Holy One said to Moses. Since Pharaoh does not want to send out Israel, say to Aaron that he should take the staff and hit the earth, so that many lice should come out in Egypt. Aaron did the hitting and not Moses because the earth had kept the Egyptian that Moses had killed and buried in the earth. Thus, Moses was protected by it.29Rashi, Exodus, 8:12.
Pharaoh and his magicians also wanted to make lice and they could not, because the demons do not have power over something that is smaller than a barley grain. Bahya writes. With the blood the magicians could also imitate it because it was not a new creation, since the water had already been created, and they only turned the water to blood. The frogs had also been created and they only caused them to come out of the water onto the land of Egypt. The magicians could imitate this, but the lice were a new creation that the magicians could not make. Therefore, the magicians recognized and said that this came from God. We cannot imitate this. Therefore, the Egyptians held the magicians in low esteem from then on. Pharaoh no longer called them at the other plagues. The lice were on the people and they livestock in the whole land of Egypt.30Bahya, Exodus, 8:14–15.
“The insects” [8:17]. The Holy One said to Moses. Since Pharaoh does not want to send out my people Israel and has strengthened his heart, therefore I will send wild animals into their houses in the whole land of Egypt.31Rashi, Exodus, 8:17, reinterprets the term as wild animals. However, in Goshen where the Israelites live, the wild animals will not come there.
Bahya writes. When an earthly king wants to do something bad to his enemy, he keeps it as secret, so that his enemy should not guard against it. However, the Holy One does everything, first informing Pharaoh about each plague he cannot hide from the Holy One.32Bahya, Exodus, 8:18.
“A distinction between My people and your people” [8:19]. The Holy One said: the wild animals will harm livestock and people. When an Israelite will go into the land of Egypt where the wild animals will be, no Israelite will be touched.33Bahya, Exodus, 8:19.
“Go and sacrifice to your God” [8:21]. Pharaoh said to Moses and Aaron. Go and offer sacrifices. Therefore, Moses said: should we slaughter the sheep, which are your gods and whom you worship? The Egyptians will want to stone us. Therefore, we must go into the wilderness, far from Egypt, so that the Egyptians should not see that we are slaughtering their gods. Pharaoh responded: I will send you, but do not go very far, and pray for me. Moses responded: when I will leave you I will pray to God that He should remove the wild animals tomorrow. You should not think that the wild animals would be removed by themselves. However, Pharaoh, do not go back on your words.
“He removed the swarm of insects” [8:27]. He prayed and God removed the wild animals. Bahya asks a question. Why did the Holy One allow the wild animals to run away? Why did He not kill them, like He killed the frogs? The explanation is that He killed the frogs because they stank and made the whole land disgusting, in the expectation that this would hurt them. However, if he had killed the wild animals, then they would have had good fur skins, among them fox skins, wolf skins, and other such skins. Therefore, the Holy One allowed all the animals to run away again into the wilderness, in the expectation that they would have no benefit from them.34Bahya, Exodus, 8:27.
Hizkuni writes. The magicians could not imitate the lice, since the earth was full of lice. Since the earth was full of lice, a person had to stand only on lice. One could not touch the earth because of the lice. When the magician does not stand on the earth, he cannot perform any magic.35Hizkuni, Exodus, 8:14.
“This time also” [8:28]. He made Pharaoh’s heart hard and he did not want to send out Israel. Bahya asks a question. Why did it say, “This time also” [8:28] by the plague of the wild animals? The explanation is that by the first three plagues, that is blood, frogs, lice, the magicians came and hardened Pharaoh’s heart. However, by the wild animals, the magicians did not come since they saw by the lice that they could not make it and said, it is all from the Holy One. Therefore, the verse says that the magicians did not harden Pharaoh’s heart during [the plague of] wild animals, but Pharaoh hardened his own heart.36Bahya, Exodus, 8:28.
“The hand of the Lord will strike your livestock” [9:3]. The Holy One said to Moses. Go to Pharaoh, and if he does not want to send Israel, I will kill all of his livestock in the field. Bahya writes. He says on the field because all the animals used to be out in the field. However, in any event, even in the livestock in the Egyptian houses were killed.37Bahya, Exodus, 9:3.
Ramban writes. He says on the field because the Egyptians kept their livestock in the fields, since they thought that they were gods. It is not right to keep them close to the people in the city. That is why they kept the flocks far from the city, close to the land of Goshen where the Israelites lived. The Israelite flocks were also close to the flocks of the Egyptians. Similarly, even though the Egyptian livestock were killed and the livestock of the Israelites were not killed. Pharaoh sent and checked that none of the Israelite cattle were killed. Yet, he still made himself hard and did not send Israel from his land.38Ramban, Exodus, 9:3.
“Soot from the kiln” [9:8]. The Holy One said to Moses and Aaron. Take your hands and fill them with ashes from the kiln. Throw it up toward the sky before Pharaoh. From this dust will be formed boils on the people and the animals. A miracle occurred that Aaron and Moses each took a handful of ash. Afterwards, Moses took two handfuls of the same ash in one hand and threw them into the sky. This was also a miracle that one cannot throw it high or with strength, since it immediately flies away. However, here Moses threw the ash with strength toward the sky.39Rashi, Exodus, 9:8.
“The Lord stiffened the heart of Pharaoh” [9:12]. Bahya asks a question. Why is it written here, “The Lord stiffened” [9:12], and concerning the earlier plagues it is written, “The Lord stiffened” [9:12], that God strengthened his heart? The explanation is that with the first plagues the magicians came and made Pharaoh’s heart strong. However, here with the plague of boils, the magicians were full of boils and were ashamed to go to Pharaoh’s house with boils. Therefore, it is written here, “The Lord stiffened.” That is, the Holy One strengthened the heart of Pharaoh.40Bahya, Exodus, 9:12.
Rashi asks a question. The verse says that the boils were on the livestock, but where did the Egyptians have livestock? They had all been killed as was written previously. The explanation is that some Egyptians feared the Holy One and took their livestock from the field and into their houses. These remained alive and now the boils came on these livestock.41Rashi, Exodus, 9:10.
“All My plagues” [9:14]. The Holy One said to Moses: go and say to Pharaoh. If he will not send out Israel, then I, the Holy One, will destroy all of his trees and grain in the fields. I will send large hail. I will break all the trees and grain. Therefore, go and gather all your livestock from the fields and the people from the field, so that the hail should not kill them.
Bahya asks a question here. All the livestock were killed, as is written above. The explanation is that the Egyptians bought livestock from other nations. These livestock were now out in the fields. Another explanation is that Israelites had livestock together with gentiles and these livestock remained alive during the first plague of lice. Therefore, the verse says here that the same livestock should now be ingathered because of the hail.42Bahya, Exodus, 9:19.
However, in any event one can ask a question. Why were the same livestock killed by the hail when an Israelite had a share in the same animal? The explanation is that the Holy One had given a warning here by the hail, that the animals should be brought into the house, in the expectation that the Israelite’s animals should not be killed; those that they owned in partnership with the gentiles.
Bahya writes. The hail destroyed all the trees and fire also came out of the hail. This fire burned all the roots in the earth. Even though the hail was water, yet the hail did not extinguish the fire. It is a parable. A king has two noblemen who hated each other. It happened once that the king went to war and needed these two nobles. The king made peace between these two noblemen. So too, the Holy One makes peace between his angels. Michael is appointed over water and Gabriel is appointed over fire. They are together in heaven and the Holy One makes peace between them. The hail broke and burned all the vegetation on the earth, barley and flax, also the livestock, and the people on the earth. However, in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were, there was no hail.43Bahya, Exodus, 9:14.
Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron and said: God in heaven is right. He and his people are evildoers because they do not send out Israel. Therefore, Pharaoh said to Moses and Aaron, ask that the great thunder and fire and hail that are here, should end. I want to send out Israel. Moses said: when I will leave the city, I will pray that the hail and fire should cease, in the expectation that you should know that God in heaven is a God over all the gods. Moses left the city because there were many foreign gods in the city. Therefore, he did not want to pray in the city.44Rashi, Exodus, 9:29.
Hizkuni asks a question. Why did Moses give a warning, here by the hail, that they should gather the livestock. With the pestilence above, all the livestock in the fields were killed and the Holy One did not order that the livestock should be gathered into the cities. The explanation is that the hail killed people and animals. Therefore, the Holy One ordered that the flocks and people be brought home. However, with the pestilence, only the cattle were killed. Therefore, they did not order that the cattle should be gathered into the houses.45Hizkuni, Exodus, 9:19.
Hizkuni also writes. That is why he went outside the city to pray. He wanted to show that even when there was still great hail and fire in the fields, yet Moses was not afraid and went to pray in the field.46Hizkuni, Exodus, 9:29.
Bahya writes. Why did Moses raise his hands to pray by the hail, more than by other prayers? The explanation is that the hail and thunder killed people and livestock. There was a great outcry among the people. Therefore, he prayed fervently and raised his hands.47Bahya, Exodus, 9:14.
“The Lord sent thunder and hail” [9:23]. The thunder came first and killed the people and afterwards the hail came.
“No rain came pouring down upon the earth” [9:33]. The hail did not reach the ground. Bahya writes. The hail remained hanging between heaven and earth for forty-one years until Joshua came and waged war with thirty-one kings. The same hail came and killed the people of the thirty-one kings. The thunder and the great shout remained hanging under heaven until Elisha came and the king of Aram came against Samaria with a great multitude to capture the city of Samaria. The Holy One released this thunder upon the people of the king of Aram. They ran away from their tents before Samaria and the Israelites took all their goods.48Bahya, Exodus, 9:33.
“He reverted to his guilty ways” [9:34]. The evildoer wants to stop his troubles, so he is pious and praises God. As soon as the trouble goes away from him, he is again evil. However, the righteous ones always make themselves humble. Therefore, they are always honored, as the verse says, “a humble man will obtain honor” [Proverbs, 29:23].49Bahya, Exodus, 9:34.