1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “[Because you questioned my providence,] now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh [but not what will be done to the seven nations when I bring Israel into the Holy Land]: For with a mighty hand [that I will wield against him] he will let them go, and with a mighty hand he will drive them out of his country” [against their will (the Jews not having time to prepare their food)].
Rashi’s Commentary
Now you will see, etc.—You have criticised my methods of guiding the world. You are not like Abraham to whom I said (Gen 21:12), “for through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned” and to whom I afterwards said (Gen 22:2), “sacrifice him there as a burnt offering,” and yet he did not criticise my ways, therefore, now you will see—what will now be done to Pharaoh you will see, but not what will be done to the kings of the seven nations of Canaan when I shall bring them (the Israelites) into the Holy Land (cf. Sanhedrin 111a).
For with a mighty hand he will let them go this means: for on account of my mighty hand—which will prove mighty against him he will let them go.
And with a mighty hand he will drive them out of his country—Against the will of the Israelites themselves he will drive them out: they will not have sufficient time to prepare provisions for themselves for the journey. So, indeed, does Scripture state (Exo 12:33): “And the Egyptians pressed the people strongly, etc.”
I Appeared (Exo 6)
2 And God spoke [“strong words”] to Moses [for his presumptuousness (5:22)] and he said to him, “I am the Lord [Lord (connoting “trusted for recompense,” for which reason I sent you)].
Rashi’s Commentary
God spoke to Moses—He took him to task because he had spoken so censoriously when he said (Exo 5:22), “Why have you brought trouble on this people?”
And he said to him, “I am the Lord”—Meaning: I am faithful to recompense with a full reward those who walk before me. Nor have I sent you with no purpose in view (cf. 5:22), but to fulfil the promise which I made to the early patriarchs. In this sense we find that the phrase is to be explained in many passages: אִנִי ה signifies, I am the Lord, meaning that I am faithful to exact punishment—when it is spoken in reference to a matter that demands punishment, as, for instance, “or you will profane the name of your God. I am the Lord” (Lev 19:12); and when it is spoken in reference with the fulfillment of commandments—as in (Lev 22:31) “And you shall keep my commands and follow them. I am the Lord”—it means: I am faithful to give reward.
Act 17:24-25
24 The God who made the world and everything in it, since he is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples built with hands. 25 Nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all people life and breath and everything.
3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob with the name God Almighty, but with my name Lord I did not become known to them [for I promised them but did not fulfill].
Rashi’s Commentary
I appeared—To the patriarchs.
With the name God Almighty—I made certain promises to them and in the case of all of these I said to them, “I am God Almighty.”
But with my name Lord I did not become known to them—It is not written here לֹא הוֹדַעְתִּי, “but my name Lord I did not make known to them,” but לֹא נוֹדַעְתִּי, “I did not become known”—i. e. I was not recognised by them in my attribute of “keeping faith,” by reason of which my name is called Lord, which denotes that I am certain to substantiate My promise, for, indeed, I made promises to them but did not fulfill them during their lifetime.
Joh 8:58
Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am!”
4 And also [when I appeared to them as God Almighty], I established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan [see Gen 17:1, 8; 26:3; 35:9, 11-12], the land of their sojournings, where they resided.
Rashi’s Commentary
And also, when I appeared to them by the name of God Almighty I established and set up my covenant between myself and them.
Act 7:5
But God gave him no inheritance in it, not even enough to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him as a possession, and to his descendants after him, when as yet Abraham had no child.
5 And also [having set up the covenant and being obliged to fulfill it], I have heard the groaning of the children of Israel whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered my covenant [(Gen 15:14) wherein I promised to punish the enslaving nation].
Rashi’s Commentary
And also, I have heard—Since I established and set up my covenant it is incumbent upon me to fulfill it; therefore, I have heard the groaning of the children of Israel who groan (complain).
Luk 1:54, 72
72 to show the mercy promised to our ancestors
and to remember his holy covenant,
6 “Therefore [by that oath], say to the children of Israel: ‘I am the Lord [trusted to fulfill], and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians [for thus did I promise (Gen 15:14)]. I will free you from their labors, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty judgments.
Rashi’s Commentary
Therefore, i. e. in accordance with the tenor of that oath (cf. Exodus Rabbah 6).
Say to the children of Israel: “I am the Lord”—I am faithful to my promise.
The burdens of the Egyptians means the toil of the burden of the Egyptians.
7 I will take you as my people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
Rom 8:31
What, then, shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Heb 11:16
But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
8 And I will bring you to the land which I lifted my hand [i.e., which I swore by my throne] to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’ ”
Rashi’s Commentary
I lifted my hand—I lifted it up to swear by my throne.
9 Moses spoke thus to the children of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses [i.e., they were not comforted by him] because of their shortness of breath [in anguish] and their harsh labor.
Rashi’s Commentary
But they did not listen to Moses—They did not accept his words of comfort.
10 Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
11 “Go, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the children of Israel go out of his country.”
12 But Moses spoke before the Lord, saying, “If the children of Israel did not listen to me, how should Pharaoh listen to me, for I am of uncircumcised [i.e., occluded] lips?”
Rashi’s Commentary
How should Pharaoh listen to me—This is one of the ten inferences from minor to major which are found in the Bible (Genesis Rabbah 92:7).
Family Record of Moses and Aaron
13 And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron [who, because of Moses’ demurral (above) was made his spokesman], and he commanded them concerning the children of Israel and concerning [their embassy to] Pharaoh king of Egypt [the charge continuing, ibid. 29] to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.
Rashi’s Commentary
And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron—Because Moses had said, “I am of uncircumcised lips,” the Holy One, blessed be he, associated Aaron with him to be his mouth-piece and spokesman.
And he commanded them concerning the children of Israel signifies that he commanded regarding them; viz., to deal with them in a gentle manner and to be patient with them (Exodus Rabbah 7:3).
14 These following are the heads of their fathers’ houses:
The sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel [the genealogy of Moses and Aaron is traced from its beginning in the line of Jacob], were Hanok and Pallu, Hezron and Karmi. These are the clans of Reuben.
15 The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. These are the clans of Simeon.
16 These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their records: Gershon, Kohath and Merari. And the years of the life of Levi were one hundred and thirty-seven years [Levi’s years being mentioned to apprise us of the years of the bondage, there being no bondage while any of Jacob’s sons lived, and Levi being the longest-lived of them].
Rashi’s Commentary
And the years of the life of Levi—Why is the number of the years of Levi mentioned? In order to tell us how long the period of slavery lasted—because so long as even one of the sons of Jacob (lit. the tribes) remained alive there was no slavery imposed upon the Israelites, as it is said, (Exo 1:6) “Joseph died, and all his brothers,” and afterwards it is stated (Exo 1:8), “A new king arose” (who enslaved them); and Levi lived the longest of all of them (Seder Olam 3).
17 The sons of Gershon were Libni and Shimei according to their clans.
18 The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. And the years of the life of Kohath were one hundred and thirty-three years [from these numbers we may gather regarding the four hundred years of Israel’s residence (Gen 15:13) date from the birth of Isaac].
Pharaoh the king of Egypt by Sweet Publishing/Free Bible Images is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
19 The sons of Merari were Mahali and Mushi.
These are the clans of Levi according to their records.
20 Amram married his father’s sister Jochebed [his father’s sister; the daughter of Levi, the sister of Kohath], and she bore him Aaron and Moses. And the years of the life of Amram were one hundred and thirty-seven years.
21 The sons of Izhar were Korah, Nepheg and Zikri.
22 The sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan and Sithri.
23 Aaron married Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab, the sister of Nahshon [hence they (the Rabbis) derived that in taking a wife one should inquire about her brothers], and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
Bava Batra 110a:2
Rava says: One who marries a woman needs to first examine her brothers so that he will know in advance what character his children will have, as it is stated: “Aaron married Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab, the sister of Nahshon” (Exo 6:23). By
inference from that which is stated: “Daughter of Amminadab,” do I not know that she is the sister of Nahshon, as Nahshon was the son of Amminadab? What is the meaning when the verse states: “The sister of Nahshon”? From here one learns that one who marries a woman needs to examine her brothers. The reason is as the Sages taught: Most sons resemble the mother’s brothers.
Rashi’s Commentary
The sister of Nahshon—Hence they (the Rabbis) learned (i.e. from the fact that Scripture states who her brother was when it mentions her marriage to Aaron) that he who is about to take a wife should strictly investigate who her brothers are (Bava Batra 110a).
Mat 1:4
Ram was the father of Amminadab,
Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
and Nahshon the father of Salmon,
24 The sons of Korah were Assir, Elkanah and Abiasaph. These are the clans of the Korahites.
25 Eleazar son of Aaron married one of the daughters of Putiel [of the seed of Jethro, who fattened calves for idolatry, and of the seed of Joseph, who made light of his evil inclination (in resisting Potiphar’s wife)], and she bore him Phinehas.
These are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites according to their families.
Rashi’s Commentary
One of the daughters of Putiel—Of the family of Jethro (cf. Rashi on Exo 4:18) who fattened (פִּטֵּ ם) calves for idolatrous sacrifice, and of the family of Joseph who overcame (פִּטְפֵּט, who talked or argued with) his passion (Bava Batra 109b; Sotah 43a).
Gen 21:12
But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed because of the boy and your maidservant. Whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her [we may derive that Abraham was secondary to Sarah in prophecy] for through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.”
Gen 22:2
Then he said, “Take now [stand firm for me in this trial] your son [Abraham: I have two sons], your only son [Abraham: Each is the only one of his mother], whom you love [Abraham: I love them both]—Isaac [all this, so as not to overwhelm Abraham by springing the command upon him, and, also, to endear the command to him]—and go to the region of Moriah [Jerusalem], and sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I will show you.”
Exo 5:22
And Moses returned to the Lord and said, “O Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people [and] why is it you have sent me?”
Exo 12:33
The Egyptians urged the people, to send them out of the country in haste. For they said, “We will all be dead!” [even non first-born dying, beyond the decree of Moses]
Lev 19:12
You shall not swear falsely by my name [even by an epithet], so as to profane the name of your God. I am the Lord.
Lev 22:31
And you shall keep [i.e., study] my commands and follow them. I am the Lord.
This work, "I Appeared" is a derivative of "The Rashi Chumash" and "The Rashi Ketuvim" by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein used under CC BY 3.0
Hiding baby Moses three months by Sweet Publishing/Free Bible Images is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0