Rashi on TanakhExodus 6

Now you will see, etc. “You have questioned My ways, not as Avraham, to whom I said, ‘for through Yitzchok will you have descendants,’ and afterwards, I said to him, ‘Bring him up as an olah sacrifice,’ yet, he did not question My ways. Therefore: “Now you will see. Only that which will be done to Pharaoh will you see, but not which will be done to the kings of the seven nations when I bring them (Yisrael) to the land.

For by [My] strong hand he will let them go. [Meaning:] “Due to My strong hand which will overpower Pharaoh will he let them go.

And by a strong hand he will drive them from his land. He will drive them out against their will so that they will not have a chance to prepare provisions [for the journey]. And so it is said: “The Egyptians pressed the people” — to hurry and send them away.

Elokim spoke to Moshe. He (Hashem) spoke to him with severity for he (Moshe) had spoken harshly, saying, “Why have you brought harm to this nation?”

And said to him, “I am Adonoy.” (I.e.) “[I] can be trusted to properly reward those who walk before Me. And it is not in vain that I sent you but to keep My promise which I had made to the early Fathers.” And it is in this sense that we find in many places: "אֲנִי ה'" [denoting] that He may be relied upon to exact retribution, when it (אני ה') appears in the context of punishment, as in: “You shall be profaning your God’s Name (אֲנִי ה') I am God. And when it appears in the context of the fulfillment of mitzvos as in: “And you shall keep My mitzvos and do them, (אֲנִי ה') I am God,” [it means, “I may be] trusted to give reward.”

I revealed Myself — to the fathers —

as Almighty Shaddai. [Meaning:] “I made promises to them always saying to them, ‘I am El Shaddai.’”

[But,] My Name Adonoy I did not make known to them. לֹא הוֹדַעְתִּי is not written here (I did not make known), but, rather לֹא נוֹדַעְתִּי (I did not become known) [meaning:] “I was not recognized by them by My attribute of keeping trust, the reason for which My Name is called ה', [which denotes that] I may be trusted to keep My promises. For I made promises but have not [as yet] fulfilled them.”

I also established My covenant, etc. [Meaning:] Also when I revealed Myself to them as Almighty Shaddai, I established and set up My covenant between Myself and them.

To give them the Land of Canaan. To Avraham, in the chapter concerning circumcision, it is said: “I am Almighty Shaddai, etc., and I will give to you and to your descendants who will follow you the land of your temporary residence.” To Yitzchok: “For to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, I will [thus] keep the oath that I swore to Avraham,” and that oath that I swore to Avraham was with [My Name] Almighty Shaddai. To Yaakov: “I am Almighty Shaddai be fruitful and multiply, etc. and the land that, etc. [I gave to Avraham and to Yitzchok I will give to you].” Thus, [you see] that I have made vows to them but have not [as yet] fulfilled [them].

I have also. “Just as I established and set up the covenant so, too, must I fulfill it. Therefore, I heard the groaning of the B’nei Yisrael who groan: that the Egyptians are enslaving them and I remember that covenant, for at the covenant of ‘Between the Pieces’ I said to him (Avraham): ‘And also the nation whom they will serve I will judge.’”

Therefore. [Meaning:] in accordance with that oath —

say to the B’nai Yisrael — “I am Adonoy — Who can be trusted to fulfill My promise.”

I will bring you out. For I so promised: ‘And afterwards they will leave with great wealth.’

The burdens of Egypt. [Meaning:] the trouble of the burden of Egypt.

I raised My hand. [Meaning:] “I lifted it to swear by My Throne.”

But they would not listen to Moshe. [Meaning:] they did not accept [his] words of comfort.

Because of [their] shortness of wind. If someone is in a distressed state he is short of breath and he cannot draw long breaths. I heard [an explanation] similar to this one in this Parsha from Rabbi Baruch b. Rabbi Eliezer and he brought me proof from the following verse: “This time I will make known to them My hand and My might so that they will know that My Name is Adonoy.” We learn [from this] that when Hashem fulfills His words even where punishment is involved, He lets it be known that His Name is Adonoy. This is all the more so when it is a fulfillment of reward [promised]. The Sages, however, explained it as referring to what is discussed earlier — when Moshe said, “Why have You brought harm?” Hashem said to him, “Woe for those who are gone and cannot be replaced!” I have reason to mourn the deaths of the Fathers [for] many times I revealed Myself to them with [the Name] El Shaddai and they [never] said, “What is Your Name?” But, you said, “[‘Should they ask] what is His Name, what shall I tell them?’”...

...I also established, etc. (v. 4)... And when Avraham sought to bury Sarah, he could not find land until he had to buy it at great expense. Similarly, concerning Yitzchok, there was opposition to him on account of the wells that he dug. Similarly, concerning Yaakov, [it is written:] “He bought the part of the field” in order to pitch his tent, yet they did not question My attributes, but, you said, “Why did You bring harm?” However, this Midrash does not flow with the text for many reasons. First, because it does not state: “And they did not ask about My Name, Adonoy.” Should you say [that the intent of the verse is] He did not make known that that is His name, [this cannot be,] because in the beginning when He appeared to Avraham [at the Covenant] ‘Between the Pieces’ it is said: “I am Adonoy Who brought you out of Ur Kasdim.” And, furthermore, how is there continuity of context with the statements which [the Torah] places immediately afterwards, [viz.,] “I have also heard, etc.” (v. 5) [and:] “Therefore say to the B’nei Yisrael” (v. 6). Therefore, I say, let the verse be explained simply, each statement fitting its context, and let the exposition [by the Sages] be expounded, as it is said: “Is not My Word as fire, says Hashem, and like a hammer that shatters stone,” [so, too, does Hashem’s word] divide into many sparks.

How then will Pharaoh listen to me. This is one of the ten a fortiori inferences in the Torah.

[Whose] lips are covered. [Literally,] obstructed regarding the lips. Similarly, wherever a term [derived from] עָרְלָה [appears] I say that it means obstructed [as in:] “Their ear is עֲרֵלָה,” [meaning:] obstructed from hearing. [or:] “עַרְלֵי of heart” [meaning:] obstructed of understanding, [or:] “You drink and וְהֵעָרֵל” [meaning:] and become obstructed [of understanding] from intoxication caused by the cup of curse. The foreskin of the flesh [is so called] because the member is obstructed and covered by it. וַעֲרַלְתֶּם עָרְלָתוֹ [means:] make for it (the fruit) an obstruction and cover — a prohibition that will prevent its being eaten. “For three years they shall be עֲרֵלִים to you” [עֲרֵלִים meaning:] obstructed and covered and barred from eating.

Adonoy [then] spoke to Moshe and Aharon. Since Moshe had said, “And I have a speech defect,” (v. 12) Hashem had Aharon join him so that he would be his spokesman and interpreter.

Commanding them regarding the B’nei Yisrael. He commanded them regarding them (the B’nei Yisrael) to lead them with gentleness and to be patient with them.

And Pharaoh, king of Egypt. He commanded them regarding him (Pharaoh) to treat him with respect when speaking [to him]. This is its midrashic meaning. But, its simple meaning (of אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְּׂרָאֵל וְאֶל פַּרְעֹה) is that He commanded them regarding the matter of Yisrael and regarding his mission to Pharaoh. And as far as what the substance of the command was, it is explained in the next chapter after the order of the genealogy, but, having mentioned Moshe and Aharon, it (the Torah) interrupts the narrative with, “These are the heads of their paternal households” to teach us how they were born and to whom they trace their lineage.

These are the heads of their paternal households. Since it was necessary to state the genealogy of the tribe of Leivi down to Moshe and Aharon because of Moshe and Aharon, it (the Torah) begins to give their genealogy in the order of their births, [beginning] from Reuvein. But, in Pesikta Rabbasi (7, 12) I saw: Because our Father Yaakov criticized these three tribes at the time of his death, Scripture, here again traces only their genealogy thereby indicating that they were [nevertheless] worthy.

The years of Leivi’s life were, etc. Why are the years of Leivi’s life specified [here]? To tell the length of time that the enslavement lasted, for as long as one of the Tribes (Yaakov’s sons) remained alive there was no enslavement, as it is said “Yoseif and his brothers died,” and afterwards: “A new king arose,” and Leivi outlived all of them.

The years of Kehos’s life, the years of Amram’s life, etc. (v. 20). From these calculations we learn that the 400 year sojourn of the B’nei Yisrael of which Scripture speaks, was not [spent] in Egypt alone, but [was calculated] from the day Yitzchok was born. [This can be calculated thus:] For Kehos was among those who went down to Egypt. [Now] total up all of his years and the years of Amram [his son], and the eighty years of Moshe, you will find that they do not total [even] 400 years, [especially since] many of the [sons’] years are included in the fathers’ years.

His aunt Yocheved. [Translated by Onkelos:] “His father’s sister,” for she was Leivi’s daughter, Kehos’s sister.

Sister of Nachshon. From here we learn that one [who contemplates] marrying a woman should [first] investigate her brothers.

One of the daughters of Putiel. [He was] of the descendants of Yisro who [at one time] fattened (פִּטֵּם) calves [for use as] idolatrous [sacrifices], and of the descendants of Yoseif, who showed contempt (פִּטְפֵּט) for his evil inclination.

This is [the lineage of] Aharon and Moshe. The same ones about whom it is mentioned above (v. 20) that Yocheved bore to Amram. This is [the lineage of] Aharon and Moshe. There are places where [the Torah] sets Aharon ahead of Moshe, and there are places where it sets Moshe ahead of Aharon, to tell you that they were equal.

With their multitudes. [עַל צִבְאֹתָם meaning:] with their multitudes — [i.e.] all their multitudes according to their tribes. Sometimes עַל replaces only a single letter, [as in:] וְעַל חַרְבְּךָ — “You shall live by your sword” [וְעַל חַרְבְּךָ] being the same as בְּחַרְבְּךָ, [or:] עֲמַדְתֶּם עַל חַרְבְּכֶם — “You stand by your sword” [עַל חַרְבְּכֶם] being the same as בְּחַרְבְּכֶם .

They are the ones who spoke, etc. They were the ones who were commanded, they were the ones who fulfilled [their mission].

These are Moshe and Aharon. They [remained faithful] in their mission and [remained] in their righteousness from beginning to end.

It was the day when [Adonoy] spoke, etc. [This verse] is to be joined with the verse that follows.

Adonoy spoke. This is the same statement that was mentioned above. “Come speak to Pharaoh, king of Egypt,” but since the narrative was interrupted in order to present their lineage the narrative returns to it and begins again.

I am Adonoy. I.e., “I have the power to send you and to fulfill the things of My mission.”

Moshe said before Adonoy. This is the same statement which was mentioned above: “Behold, the B’nei Yisrael have not listened to me.” Scripture repeats it here since it interrupted the narrative. This is the method [of a narrator], just as a person who says, “Let us return to the first [subject].”