My Musing
While initially commenting on the language of "therefore"; that it is used to imply an oath, and referencing the reader to the four (five?) languages of redemption, the midrash begins analyzing the nature of the oath that God took to the Israelites, and segues into an interesting implied question:
Is it possible that there are those who need to be broken to learn their lesson? While rare, the midrash implies that there are those who need to be broken in order for them to learn their lesson and become better.
But the midrash ends on an interesting note. Yes Pharaoh must be broken, but who will break him, God, not Moshe and Aaron, They must treat the king with respect.
While initially commenting on the language of "therefore"; that it is used to imply an oath, and referencing the reader to the four (five?) languages of redemption, the midrash begins analyzing the nature of the oath that God took to the Israelites, and segues into an interesting implied question:
Is it possible that there are those who need to be broken to learn their lesson? While rare, the midrash implies that there are those who need to be broken in order for them to learn their lesson and become better.
But the midrash ends on an interesting note. Yes Pharaoh must be broken, but who will break him, God, not Moshe and Aaron, They must treat the king with respect.
מדרש תנחומא (ורשא) פרשת וארא סימן ב
(שמות ו:ו-ח) "לָכֵן אֱמֹר לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲנִי יְדֹוָד, וְהוֹצֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם מִתַּחַת סִבְלֹת מִצְרַיִם וְהִצַּלְתִּי אֶתְכֶם מֵעֲבֹדָתָם וְגָאַלְתִּי אֶתְכֶם בִּזְרוֹעַ נְטוּיָה וּבִשְׁפָטִים גְּדֹלִים. וְלָקַחְתִּי אֶתְכֶם לִי לְעָם וְהָיִיתִי לָכֶם לֵאלֹקִים, וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי אֲנִי יְדֹוָד אֱלקֵיכֶם הַמּוֹצִיא אֶתְכֶם מִתַּחַת סִבְלוֹת מִצְרָיִם. וְהֵבֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נָשָׂאתִי אֶת יָדִי לָתֵת אֹתָהּ לְאַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק וּלְיַעֲקֹב וְנָתַתִּי אֹתָהּ לָכֶם מוֹרָשָׁה אֲנִי יְדֹוָד"
Therefore say unto the children of Israel: I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments; and I will take you to Me for a people, and I will be to you a God; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning which I lifted up My hand to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for a heritage: I am the LORD.'
"לָכֵן אֱמֹר לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲנִי יְדֹוָד", ואין "לָכֵן" אלא שבועה. שנאמר, (שמואל א,ג:יד) "וְלָכֵן נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי לְבֵית עֵלִי אִם יִתְכַּפֵּר עֲוֹן בֵּית עֵלִי בְּזֶבַח וּבְמִנְחָה עַד עוֹלָם." הלך משה ואמר להם כך, (שמות ו:ט) "וַיְדַבֵּר מֹשֶׁה כֵּן אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלֹא שָׁמְעוּ אֶל מֹשֶׁה מִקֹּצֶר רוּחַ וּמֵעֲבֹדָה קָשָׁה"
חזר משה ואמר (שמות ו:יב) "[וַיְדַבֵּר מֹשֶׁה לִפְנֵי יְדֹוָד לֵאמֹר] הֵן בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא שָׁמְעוּ אֵלַי וְאֵיךְ יִשְׁמָעֵנִי פַרְעֹה וַאֲנִי עֲרַל שְׂפָתָיִם" (שמות ו:י-יא) "וַיְדַבֵּר יְדֹוָד אֶל מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר:בֹּא דַבֵּר אֶל פַּרְעֹה מֶלֶךְ מִצְרָיִם וִישַׁלַּח אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאַרְצוֹ"
"Therefore say unto the Children of Israel, I am the Lord", and there is no use of the word "Therefore" except to indicate an oath. As it says, " And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be expiated with sacrifice nor offering for ever.'" Moshe went and said to them thus, " And Moses spoke so unto the children of Israel; but they hearkened not unto Moses for impatience of spirit, and for cruel bondage"
Moshe returned and said, " [And Moses spoke before the LORD, saying:] 'Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; [how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips?'"] "And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 'Go in, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.'"
המשל אומר מן שטייא לית הנייא אלא מן קצייה. (שמות ו:יג) "וַיְדַבֵּר יְדֹוָד אֶל מֹשֶׁה וְאֶל אַהֲרֹן וַיְצַוֵּם אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאֶל פַּרְעֹה מֶלֶךְ מִצְרָיִם לְהוֹצִיא אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם"
עשה אותן שוים. אמר להם הקדוש ברוך הוא, 'היו נוהגין בו כבוד, וחלקו כבוד למלך, שאני צריך לו לעשות בו את הדין. לפיכך משה אומר לו, (שמות ה:ג) ""וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֱלֹקֵי הָעִבְרִים נִקְרָא עָלֵינוּ, נֵלֲכָה נָּא דֶּרֶךְ שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים בַּמִּדְבָּר וְנִזְבְּחָה לַידֹוָד אֱלֹקֵינוּ פֶּן יִפְגָּעֵנוּ בַּדֶּבֶר אוֹ בֶחָרֶב"
The analogy dictates "From the Acacia tree here is no benefit unless it is cut down"
"And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, and gave them a charge unto the children of Israel, and unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt." He made them equals. Said to them (Moshe and Aaron), conduct yourselves to him in a respectful manner, and give him the respect due to a king, for I am the one who must mete out his justice. Therefore Moshe said to him "And they said: 'The God of the Hebrews hath met with us. Let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest He fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.'"
Lest the pestilence or sword fall upon you, Moshe did not say, rather, lest it affect us" to teach you that he treated him with respect.
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