Kommentar zu Schemot 4:21

בלכתך לשוב מצרימה וגו׳ WHEN THOU GOEST TO RETURN TO EGYPT, [SEE THAT THOU DO etc.] — Understand that you should go thither with this purpose in mind: that you should be vigorous in carrying out my mission — to do all my wonders before Pharaoh and that you should not be afraid of him.

AND THE ETERNAL SAID UNTO MOSES: ‘WHEN THOU GOEST BACK INTO EGYPT SEE ALL THE WONDERS,’ etc. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that this was said to Moses when he was yet in Midian. G-d informed him that He would harden Pharaoh’s heart and he would not let the people go because of all the wonders which he would see until the last wonder. Ibn Ezra’s intent is thus to explain this verse as saying: “See that for all the wonders which I have put in thy hand and which you will do before Pharaoh, for all of these he will not let them go until you will tell him that I will slay his son, his firstborn. Then he will let them go.”
This explanation is not correct for what sense is there for the expression, when thou goest back into Egypt, see, etc.? Rather, the purport thereof is as follows: When leaving Midian, Moses took the rod of G-d in his hand³⁰⁶Verse 20. to mark the way with his footsteps.³⁰⁷Psalms 85:14. G-d forewarned him and said to him, “When you go on the way, mark well and behold³⁰⁸Ezekiel 44:5. that all the wonders which I have put in your hand you should do before Pharaoh; do not forget to do anything before him. And I will harden his heart, but do not despair from doing them because of his obstinacy, and you will yet warn him again on the last plague which will cause him to let them go.” The purport of the expression, I have put in thy hand, is that “in your hand I have put them; you are to do them, and not someone else.” He had already informed him that He would perform many signs and wonders in Pharaoh’s midst, as He said, with all My wonders which I will do in his midst.³⁰⁹Above, 3:20. All this was an encouragement to Moses, for since he was forced to go on the mission, G-d warned him before the action, and commanded him again at the time of the action before each and every wonder.
It is possible that the expression [concerning the smiting of his firstborn], and thou shalt say unto Pharaoh,³¹⁰Verse 22. is but to inform Moses now that in the end He will so command him to say it to Pharaoh. Thus the purport of His words is as follows: “I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go in spite of all the wonders, and thou shalt say to him on that day, ‘Behold I will slay thy son, thy firstborn,’ and then he will let them go.” We do not find that He informed Moses of the death of their firstborn except at this time, and thus [we must say] that not all of the Divine communication [here given to Moses was relayed to Pharaoh] now.³¹¹The intent of Ramban is as follows: In Chapter 11, Verse 1, it is said concerning the final plague: And the Eternal said unto Moses: Yet one plague more will I bring upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go hence. But nothing was mentioned to Moses about what that plague was. Ramban suggests that Verses 22-23 here concerning the final plague were said to Moses now with the understanding that later, before the tenth plague, he was to relay the warning to Pharaoh, but not that he said it to Pharaoh as soon as he came to see him. Hence it was not necessary for Scripture to say in Chapter 11, Verse 1, what that “one plague more” was.
It is possible to explain [the matter as follows]: “See all these three³¹²The staff turning into a serpent, Moses’ hand becoming leprous, and the waters turning into blood (Verses 3-9). wonders which I have put in thy hand to do before the Israelites, do them also before Pharaoh so that Pharaoh should know that the elders of the people who request of him to let them go say so according to the commandment of G-d, and he should not come with a pretext against them.” And so did Moses do [these three wonders³¹²The staff turning into a serpent, Moses’ hand becoming leprous, and the waters turning into blood (Verses 3-9). before Pharaoh], even though it is not so written. The verse [further on] which states, When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying: ‘Show a wonder for you,’³¹³Further, 7:9. [which might indicate that the wonder of the staff turning into a serpent was done by a special command, and not because of the Divine communication here, as explained above], means that Pharaoh will want a sign for himself. G-d thus commanded Moses to throw the rod and it shall become a tanin, not a nachash,³¹⁴Ramban thus distinguishes between the nachash mentioned here in Verse 3, and tanin mentioned further in 7:9. Rashi however explains there that tanin means nachash. In the J.P.S. translation, both terms are translated as “serpents.” In other translations, nachash is translated as “snake,” and tanin as “reptile.” Some such distinction between the terms is to be made according to Ramban. as mentioned the first time. Thus He wanted to show Pharaoh that Aaron’s rod would swallow up their rods, instructing him that He would vanquish them and that they would be destroyed forever by Him.
In the Midrash V’eileh Shemoth Rabbah,³¹⁵Shemoth Rabbah 5:6. I have seen mentioned: “[And the Eternal said to Moses: ‘When thou goest into Egypt, see all the wonders,’ etc.] To which wonders does He refer? If you say that it is to [the staff turning into] a serpent, [his hand becoming] leprous, and [the waters turning into] blood, the Holy One, blessed be He, told Moses to do these only before Israel! Moreover, we find nowhere that Moses did these signs before Pharaoh. But what then is the meaning of all the wonders which I have put in thy hand? This refers to the rod upon which were written the initials of the ten plagues: ‘D’tzach Adash B’achab.’ ”³¹⁶They are: Dam (blood), Tz’phardei’a (frogs), Kinim (lice), Arob (beasts), Dever (murrain), Sh’chin (boils), Barad (hail), Arbeh (locusts), Choshech (darkness), Makath-b’choroth (slaying of the firstborn). According to this Midrash, the explanation of the verse will be: “See and contemplate the writing on the rod which I have put in thy hand, for all wonders thereon you will perform before Pharaoh.”

בלכתך לשוב מצרימה, every time I tell you to leave your tent which is outside the boundary of the Egyptian capital, etc., do precisely what I command you. The nature of the capital, with all its abominations prevented prayer offered in that city to G’d to become effective, as we know from 9,29 where Moses explains this to Pharaoh. G’d says: “I will command you from time to time to enter the capital in order to speak to Pharaoh.”