פירוש על שמות 11:9

למען רבות מופתי SO THAT MY WONDERS MAY BE MULTIPLIED (more lit., so that my wonders may be many) — referring not to one wonder alone (the slaying of the firstborn) but to the slaying of the firstborn, the division of the Red Sea and the overthrowing of the Egyptians in it.

AND THE ETERNAL SAID UNTO MOSES: PHARAOH WILL NOT HEARKEN UNTO YOU. It was to be expected that Pharaoh and his servants should dread the plague of the firstborn and be in consternation thereof moreso than for anything that had happened to them — indeed they had previously seen all the words of Moses fulfilled. G-d therefore informed Moses that it is He Who is hardening his [Pharaoh’s] heart, so that His wonders would be multiplied through the plague of the firstborn in both man and beast and the judgments He will execute against their gods.⁹⁴Further, 12:12.
Rashi commented: “So that My wonders may be multiplied. This refers to the slaying of the firstborn, the division of the Red Sea, and the overthrowing of the Egyptians in it.” This explanation is not possible, because of the verse after that which states, And the Eternal hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go out of his land.⁹⁶Verse 10. This indicates that the expression, that My wonders may be multiplied, which was mentioned in Verse 9, refers only to those wonders which took place before the exodus, as Verse 10 clearly indicates that on account of the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart he did not let the people go. It thus cannot refer to the division of the Red Sea and the overthrowing of the Egyptians in it, as these wonders happened after the exodus (Mizrachi).

ויאמר ה' אל משה לא ישמע אליכם פרעה, G’d told him that the reason why Pharaoh would not react positively to Moses’ warning was simply that He, G’d, had stiffened his heart in order to be able to demonstrate more miracles. This was designed to teach both the Egyptians and the Israelites the multi-faceted power of G’d, as well as His goodness, as He had said: “you will know that I am Hashem.” (10,2) Moses and Aaron performed all these miracles in order to fulfill what G’d had wanted to demonstrate through human messengers. Now, that the time had come to punish the Egyptians, not to demonstrate miracles, and to save the Israelites, i.e. at least the ones that deserved being saved, and also to destroy the Egyptian deities, G’d introduces the part the Passover was to play in this end-game. This portion commences with 12,12-13. G’d wanted that the command-ment of the Passover be communicated to the people by both Moses and Aaron so that just as Moses and Aaron both had had a part to play in their confrontation with Pharaoh, they should also have a similar part to play in getting the Israelites to perform the two commandments which would qualify them to take advantage of Pharaoh’s downfall, i.e. their own salvation, the Exodus. Only in this way would Moses and Aaron reap the reward of all their efforts so far.

ויאמר ה׳ אל משה לא ישמע אליכם פרעה, G'd said: "Pharaoh will not listen to you, etc." Perhaps G'd answered a privately held belief by Moses that after Pharaoh would experience this dreadful plague he would not only free the Israelites but not pursue them even when he became aware that they had no intention of returning. This would also explain the use of the future tense by G'd. The reason that Pharaoh would remain obstinate was to give G'd an opportunity to perform still more miracles in the land of Egypt. Compare Mechilta 14 which explains why the word ארץ was needed and it was not enough to speak about מצרים.

לא ישמע אליכם פרעה. This was a refrain which G’d repeated to Moses and Aaron before every plague except the last one.

למען רבות מופתי, “in order to increase the number of My miracles.” Seeing that there was only one plague left to be performed in Egypt, Rashi understands the plural mode moftay” as applying to both the killing of the firstborn and the splitting of the Sea of Reeds, and the Egyptians being poured into that sea and drowning. Nachmanides claims that this could not be the meaning here, seeing the Torah concludes by “and he did not release the Israelites from his land.” He explains the meaning of מופתי as meaning that although the plague of the killing of the firstborn was the plague most feared by Pharaoh, and we would have expected him to humiliate himself rather than to maintain his posture, G’d explains that Pharaoh’s attitude was only due to His having strengthened his heart, giving him this unbelievable fortitude. G’d explains to Moses that this will provide Him with the justification to orchestrate more miracles. The plural mode is justified because the plague of killing the firstborn also resulted in the Egyptian deities being destroyed and their livestock similarly experiencing the death of the firstborn.

לא ישמע אליכם פרעה, “Pharaoh is not going to listen to you.” G’d meant that Pharaoh would not even be moved by this warning until the plague would strike him personally.

The killing of the first-born. . . This raises a difficulty: It is written, “In the land of Egypt,” but these wonders were outside of Egypt. (Nachalas Yaakov)

V. 9 u. 10. Diese beiden Verse setzen die Erzählung wieder in den Moment zurück, in welchem die Wundertaten Gottes noch nicht ihr Ziel erreicht hatten und die endlich eintretende Erlösung noch nicht angekündigt war, um, nachdem die Erzählung den Zyklus der Gott offenbarenden Zeichen und Überführungstaten mit seinen Einwirkungen auf Pharao und sein Volk zu Ende geführt, nun auch in den Kreis des jüdischen Volkes einzutreten und die dort geschehenen Vorbereitungen auf die Erlösungsnacht zu berichten. Es ist der Moment nach der Heuschreckplage vor Eintritt der Finsternis, in welchen die Erzählung zurückgreift. Pharao hatte sich endlich zu dem Geständnis gedrungen gefühlt: הטאתי לד׳ אלקיכם ולכם. Allein mit dem Aufhören der Plage war auch diese bessere Regung geschwunden. Pharao blieb in der alten Starrheit und entließ das Volk nicht. Da,

לא ישמע אליכם פרעה, “Pharaoh will pay no heed to you.” You might argue that this contradicts what we read in verses 3031, where Pharaoh and his servants are described as rising in the middle of the night, showing that he certainly did not ignore Moses’ warning. We therefore have to understand our verse here as referring to the entire period during which Moses was “negotiating” the release of the Jewish people. G-d had told Moses already at the burning bush that Pharaoh would not pay heed to his demands or threats. (Exodus 3,19) He had told him at that time that the reason for the lengthy negotiations was to demonstrate to him and his people G-d’s power by orchestrating the plagues.

למען רבות מופתי, “in order to multiply My miracles.” This was a reference to the dying of the firstborn. The reason G’d used the plural, i.e. מופתי, was to include the splitting of the Sea of Reeds which was still to follow.

G'd may also have told Moses that Pharaoh had not yet understood the impact of Moses' prediction, namely, that as of the moment that he and his servants would urge Israel to leave they would be subject to Moses' authority and not to his. G'd did not want him to understand this yet so as to bring more plagues upon Egypt.

Another exegesis of the line: לא ישמע אליכם פרעה. Since I knew in advance that Pharaoh would not heed your warnings I should have smitten him and his people with the last plague at once in order to make good on what you told him that you were afraid that any delay would result .in the Israelites being punished by Me. The reason why instead of you being punished with the sword and pestilence, as you had warned him, is that now I am entitled to punish him with what he had not minded that you would be punished. His obstinacy enabled me to demonstrate My power.