Rashi on TanakhExodus 4

“What is that in your hand?” [מַה זֶה] is written as one word so that it can be explained: “From that which is in your hand you deserve to be punished, for you were suspicious of righteous people.” The plain meaning of it is as a person who says to his friend, “Do you agree that the item before you is a stone?” “Yes,” he responds. “Well, watch as I turn it into wood.”

And it turned into a snake. He indicated to him that he spoke slanderous words against Israel, when he said, “They will not believe me,” and so he assumed for himself the occupation of the snake.

And took hold of it. [וַיַחֲזֶק] has the meaning of grasping. There are a number of [such uses] in Scripture: “[וַיַּחֲזִיקוּ] The men took hold of his hand,” [or:] “(וְהֶחֱזִיקָה) She took hold of his private parts,” [or:] “(וְהֶחֱזַקְתִּי) I took hold of his beard.” Wherever the verb חִזוּק is followed by the prefix ב' it has the meaning of grasping.

A snow-like tzora’as. It is usual for tzora’as to be white [as we find:] “If it be a white blemish.” With this sign, too, He hinted to him that he spoke slanderously when he said, “They will not believe me.” It is for this reason that He struck him with tzora’as, just as Miriam was struck for speaking slanderously.

And when he withdrew from his bosom, etc. We can derive from this that [when God reveals] His attribute of goodness it is much faster in coming than [when He reveals] His attribute for punishment, for in the first instance [when he was struck with tzora’as] it does not state: “from his bosom.”

Then they will believe the voice [of proof] of the latter sign. “Once you tell them, ‘because of you I was struck [with tzora’as] for relating slanderous things about you, they will believe you, because they have already become experienced in this, that those who conspire to harm them are struck with tzora’as, such as Pharaoh and Avimelech [who were struck with tzora’as] on account of Sarah.

You shall take from the water of the river. He alluded to them that with the first plague He will exact retribution from their deity (Explanation: When God exacts retribution from the nations He first exacts retribution from their deity, for they had worshipped the Nile which gave them sustenance and He turned them (its waters) to blood. [This explanation is found] in an old Rashi manuscript.

The water [you will take]. The word וְהָיוּ [appears] twice [in this verse]: It seems to me that had it said: "וְהָיוּ הַמַּיִּם אֲשֶׁר תִּקַּח מִן הַיְאוֹר לְדָם בַּיַּבָּשֶׁת", I would conclude that while still in his hand [the waters] will turn into blood and also upon reaching the ground they would remain as they are but, now, [by repeating וְהָיוּ, i.e., וְהָיוּ לְדָם בַּיַּבָּשֶׁת] it teaches us that they will not turn into blood until they reach the dry land.

[Not] since yesterday, etc. This teaches us that for an entire seven days God had been trying to persuade Moshe, at the thorn-bush, to go on his mission: "מִתְּמוֹל, שִׁלְשֹׁם, מֵאָז דַּבֶּרְךָ" represent three [days]: the three words “גַּם” are extensions, making it six; and he was presently in the seventh day when he continued saying the following: “Please send the one You usually send,” until He (God) became angry and he (Moshe) accepted. All this [reluctance on the part of Moshe] was due to his not wanting to accept a greater position than his brother, Aharon, who was older than he and who was a prophet [as well], as it is said: “For I revealed Myself to your ancestor’s house when they were in Egypt, referring to Aharon.” Similarly: “I made Myself known to them in the Land of Egypt and I said to them, ‘Let each man throw away that which is repulsive in his eyes.’” And that prophecy was said to Aharon.

I am clumsy of mouth. [Meaning:] I speak with difficulty. Balbe in Old French — stutterer.

Who gave a mouth, etc. [I.e.] “Who taught you how to speak when you were put on trial before Pharaoh on account of the Egyptian [whom you killed]?”

Or who makes a person dumb. [I.e.] “Who made Pharaoh to be dumb so that he exerted no effort [to fulfil his] command to have you killed, [and who made] his servants deaf so that they would not hear his decree about you. And as for the killer excutioners — who made them blind so that they would not see when you ran away from the [execution] platform and escaped.

Is it not I — [Adonoy]? [I.e.] “Is it not I whose Name is Adonoy who did all this?”

The one You usually send [בְּיַד תִּשְׁלָח means:] “Through the one You usually send,” namely, Aharon. An alternate explanation: “Through someone else whom you will wish to send, for I am not destined to bring them into the land, nor to be their redeemer in the future — you have many messengers.”

[Adonoy] displayed anger. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korcho says: Wherever anger [of God] is mentioned in the Torah, an impression (i.e., some punishment) is mentioned, but, in this case no impression is mentioned, and we do not find any punishment as a result of that anger! Rabbi Yosi responded to him: In this case, too, an impression is mentioned: "הֲלֹא אַהֲרֹן אָחִיךָ הַלֵּוִי" “For he was destined to be a Levite and not a kohein (priest) and I had planned that the priesthood would descend from you. But now this will not be so, but, rather, he will be a kohein and you a Levite.” As it is said: “And the descendants of Moshe, the man of God will be attributed to the Tribe of Leivi.”

Behold he is setting out to meet you — when you set out to go to Egypt.

And when he sees you he will rejoice in his heart. “It is not as you think that he will resent you for your having reached a high position.” As a result of this, Aharon merited the adornment of the choshen which is placed over the heart.

He will speak to the people for you. [לְךָ here means:] “For you will he speak to the people.” This is an indication that wherever לְךָ, לִי, לוֹ, לָכֶם, לָהֶם are preceded by the verb דִבּוּר (speaking), they all have the meaning of עַל (for).

Will be your spokesman (lit. mouth). [לְפֶה here, means:] “as a spokesman, since you have a speech impediment.”

[His] master [לֵאלֹהִים, here, means:] a master and a superior.

And returned to Yeser, his father-in-law — in order to obtain permission, for he had sworn to him. [His father, in-law] had seven names: Reuel, Yeser, Yisro, Keini, Chovev, Chever, and Putiel.

For they have died — all the men. Who were they (these men)? Dasan and Aviram. [Actually,] they were still alive, but had become paupers and a poor person is considered as if dead.

The donkey. [Meaning:] the donkey designated for this. This is the same donkey that Avraham saddled at the binding of Yitzchok, and the same one upon which the King Moshiach is destined to reveal himself, as it is said: [“The king will come to you] humble and riding on a donkey.”

And he returned to the land of Egypt. Moshe took the rod “Earlier” or “later” are not exact in Scripture.

On your way back to Egypt. “Know, that your going is on the condition that you are strong in [carrying out] My mission, by doing all My wonders before Pharaoh without fear of him.”

That I have placed in your hand. This does not refer to the three signs mentioned above, for, those, He did not command him to do before Pharaoh, but rather, before the Israelites so that they may believe him; and we do not find that he did them before him. But [this refers to] “the wonders (i.e., the plagues) which I shall, in the future, place in your hand in Egypt.” As it is said: “When Pharaoh speaks to you, etc.” Do not wonder as to why it is written: אֲשֶׁר שַׂמְתִּי — that I have placed (past tense) because it should be understood thus: “When you speak with him, I will have already placed them in your hand.”

You will say to Pharaoh. “When you hear that his heart is hardened and he refuses to send [the people away], tell him thus:

[Yisrael] is my son, my firstborn. [בְּכוֹרִי, here means:] of greatness as in: “I will also make him great.” This is its plain meaning. But, the midrashic explanation is: Here, God put His seal on the sale of the birthright which Yaakov had bought from Eisov.

“And I have said to you — as a messenger of God, ‘Send My son out, etc.’”

Behold, I will slay, etc. This will be the last plague [Yet, God] warns him with this first — because it is the most severe. This is what is meant regarding Iyov: “For God is powerful in His might,” therefore, “Who is a teacher like Him,” [the explanation being:] A human being, who seeks to take revenge from his fellow-man, is secretive about it so that the other will not seek to escape. But, God “is powerful in His might” and there is no possible escape from His Hand, unless he returns to Him (repents). Therefore He teaches him and warns him to repent.

When he was along the way, in the inn. Moshe.

And wanted to kill him. I.e., the angel [wanted to kill] Moshe because he did not circumcise his son, Eliezer, and because he was negligent he deserved the punishment of death. The Beraisa taught: [however,] Rabbi Yosi said: God forbid! [Actually,] he was not negligent, but, he thought: “If I circumcise him and set out on a journey, the child’s life will be in danger for three days. [However,] I might circumcise him and wait three days, [but,] God has commanded me, “Go! Return to Egypt.” Then, why was he punished? Because his first concern was his lodging. Maseches Nedarim: The angel turned into a kind of snake and swallowed him (Moshe) from his head to his thigh [and spit him out] and then again swallowed him from his feet to that place (the membrum). Zipporah understood that this was on account of [delaying] the circumcision.

And threw it at his feet. I.e., She threw it at Moshe’s feet

saying, regarding her son —

“You are a bridegroom of blood to me.” I.e., “You were to have caused my bridegroom to be slain on account of you; you would thus have been my husband’s killer.”

He withdrew. The angel [withdrew] from him.

Then — she understood that on account of [delaying] the circumcision, he had come to kill him, [and] she said, “Bridegroom of blood because of the circumcision.” [Meaning:] My bridegroom would have been killed on account of [delaying] the circumcision.

Because of the circumcision. [לַמּוּלוֹת means:] on account of the circumcision. [מוּלוֹת] is a noun, and the letter lamed serves as a prefix meaning: regarding, as in: “And Pharaoh said (לִבְנֵי) regarding the B’nei Yisrael.” However, Onkelos translates דָּמִים (blood) as referring to the blood of the circumcision.