Tafsiran Keluaran 8:16: Rav Hirsch & Ramban

V. 16. Mit diesem Satze beginnt die zweite Gruppe: עד׳׳ש. Sie beginnt wieder mit einer גרות-Plage, die, nur in erhöhtem Maße, zum Bewusstsein bringen sollte, daß ihr Bleiben im Lande selbst nur von dem Willen des allmächtigen Gottes abhänge. Oben hieß es, Mosche sollte hinausgehen und Pharao am Wasser erwarten; denn dort galt es eben zunächst diesem Gotte, dem Nil, um dessen Abhängigkeit von dem Alleinen zu zeigen. Hier heißt es, Mosche soll seinem Hinausgehen zuvorkommen, soll ihn in seinem Hause aufsuchen, damit ihm gegenwärtig werde, es könne Fluss und Boden — Vater und Mutter Ägyptens — in ihrer Natur unverändert bleiben, und — so es Gottes Wille ist — sei doch für die Ägypter kein Bleiben im Lande.

In the case of certain plagues, [i.e., blood, swarms, and hail], G-d said to Moses, Rise up early in the morning … lo he cometh forth to the water.¹⁷⁵The three verses are mentioned by Ramban more fully later in the text. Here he mentions the text in a general way although it is based on Verse 16 here. In line with the plain meaning of Scripture,¹⁷⁶Rashi commented (above, 7:15): “Lo, he goeth forth unto the water to ease himself. Pharaoh claimed to be a god and asserted that [because of his divine powers], he did not need to ease himself. Therefore he would rise early and go forth to the Nile to ease himself in secret.” This interpretation of Rashi which is based upon a Midrash (Tanchuma Va’eira, 14) is alluded to by Ramban’s words that his own explanation is “in line with the plain meaning of Scripture,” thus implying that there is a Midrashic or homiletic interpretation of the verse, namely, that of Rashi mentioned above. this was the time when the kings were wont to go forth in the morning to enjoy themselves in the waters, and the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded Moses to go there. The reason for it is that since the plague of blood was the first one [of the plagues], He wanted Moses to do it in the sight of the king and without fear of him. This is the sense of the expression, and thou shalt place thyself towards him.¹⁷⁷Above, 7:15, in the case of the first plague. Similarly, in the plague of swarms it is said, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; lo, he cometh forth to the water,¹⁷⁸Here in Verse 16. and also in the case of hail it is said, Rise up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh,¹⁷⁹Further, 9:13. which likewise took place when the king went forth to the water. He wanted these two plagues to be wrought [at that particular time] because since swarms and hail brought death and punishment upon the people, the Holy One, blessed be He, wanted the warning to be given in the sight of all people. When the king went forth to the water, a multitude of people followed him, and when Moses will then forewarn him in their sight, perhaps they might plead with their master to return from his evil way. In case they do not do so, they will deserve punishment. But in the case of the other plagues, the warning given to the king alone was sufficient, and therefore in connection with them it is said, Go in unto Pharaoh,¹⁸⁰Above, 7:26 (in the plague of frogs); further, 9:1 (pestilence), and 10:1 (locusts). meaning that Moses was to go into the palace. In the case of gnats and boils, it does not say [that Moses was to go into the palace] because Aaron had to strike the dust of the earth [to bring on the plague of the gnats], and in the king’s palace there is no dust, as it has a pavement of green and white marble.¹⁸¹Esther 1:6. In the case of boils, Moses had to throw the soot of the furnace heavenward.¹⁸²Further, 9:10. Thus [we must say that] these two plagues, [i.e., gnats and boils], were done in the sight of Pharaoh when he was in the court of the garden of the king’s palace,¹⁸³Esther 1:5. or some similar place.