Kommentar zu Schemot 10:8

ויושב [AND MOSES AND AARON] WERE BROUGHT BACK (The verb has a passive meaning [Hophal], not an active as the particle את before משה and אהרן might lead one to suppose) — They were brought back by a messenger: they (Pharaoh’s servants) sent people after them and these brought them back to Pharaoh.

BUT WHO ARE THEY THAT SHALL GO? Pharaoh desired that their leaders, elders, and officers²⁷See Deuteronomy 29:9. should go, men that are pointed out by name.²⁸Numbers 1:17. Moses answered him that also the sons and daughters will go, “for we must hold a feast unto the Eternal,²⁹Verse 9. and it is mandatory upon us all to take part in the feast.” Pharaoh’s anger was then kindled on account of the sons and daughters, and he said that under no circumstances will he send the little ones, for they take no part in the offerings. Instead he would send all the adult males because of the feast which Moses mentioned, while the little ones and the women will remain [in Egypt].

Exactly who will be going. Pharaoh said to Moshe, “Do you think you are going to enter the Holy Land? In fact, you are all destined to die in the desert with the exception of Yehoshua and Caleiv!” Thus the numerical value of mi vemi haholchim (“Exactly who will be going”) is equal to that of Caleiv ve[Yehoshua] Bin Nun. Moshe responded, “With our young and with our old we will go!” because the decree that they would die in the desert did not apply to those below the age of twenty nor above the age of sixty.

לכו עבדו…מי ומי ההולכים "Go and serve…who are the ones going?" Pharaoh asked a rhetorical question; it had not occurred to him that they would demand that all of them should go. This is why he had simply said: "go and serve" without limiting the ages or sexes of who was included in that offer. He had naturally assumed that only adult males would particpate in the ceremony under discussion. This is why he said later: "your menfolk may go because that is all you ever requested." He did not even want all the adult males to go.

מי ומי ההולכים?, “who are all those who are going?” Pharaoh wanted to know, that seeing the request of the Israelites had been for a leave of absence to offer sacrifices to their G’d, who would be the people involved in that other than adult males of superior rank, the ones normally performing such rites. Moses replied that seeing the occasion was happy one, a festival, the entire nation would participate in such celebrations.

They were brought back by a messenger. . . Rashi is answering the question: [If they returned on their own,] Scripture should have written וַיָשוּבוּ (“and they went back”). Whereas ויושב is a passive form, implying that Moshe and Aharon were acted upon by others.

Who will go. Par'oh and all ancient idol worshippers thought that there was a force of good and a force of evil, and would serve the force of good in order that it would do good for them, and serve the force of evil to appease it so that it would not do evil to them, and their service would be different. For the force of good they wouldn't slaughter animals, for it didn't want blood and the murder of flock and herd. It was only that they came before it with their wives and children and infants, to celebrate with drum and tambourine, as it desired good and joy. And for the force of evil they served it with slaughter and sacrifice, to appease its anger with blood. Infants and children would not come, lest it injure them with its evil or wish that they be slaughtered on its alter, for it desired human sacrifice. And regarding this Par'oh asked, who will go - for if their service was to the good force, infants and women also went, but they wouldn't take herds and flocks, and if they served the evil entity the herds and flocks would go and not the women and infants.

V. 8. ויושב: Pharao gab nicht den Befehl ausdrücklich, aber die Diener sahen es ihm an, dass es ihm recht wäre.