Musar su Esodo 9:12

Whenever Moses appeared before Pharaoh he appeared as a messenger of that attribute. Pharaoh's reaction in Exodus 5,2 was that he had certainly never heard of such an attribute of any deity, מי י-ה-ו-ה אשר אשמע בקלו? Pharaoh had no difficulty in accepting G–d in His attribute as אלקים, as we know from Genesis 41,38. The Zohar (Sullam edition Miketz page 13) already comments on Genesis 41,16 where Joseph says: אלקים יענה את שלום פרעה "G–d will provide a reply for the welfare of Pharoh." Rabbi Abba said: "Observe the wickedness of Pharaoh who claimed not to have heard of G–d. He was extremely clever and exploited the fact that Moses had not presented himself as a messenger of אלקים -whom he could not have denied- but as a messenger of י-ה-ו-ה. He found it puzzling that Moses did not come in the name of the "same" G–d as the G–d of Joseph whom he recognised. He could not come to terms with that name of G–d. When the Torah writes ויחזק י-ה-ו-ה את לב פרעה, the meaning is that it was the use of that name that made Pharaoh's heart become obstinate. This is the reason that Moses never used a different name for G–d when confronting Pharaoh. Thus far the Zohar.

Sometimes satisfaction and cheerfulness follow upon hearing: thus it is said (Lev. x. 20), "When Moses heard that he was content," just as anger ensues in the absence of assent and hearkening, as (Ex. xvi. 20), "Notwithstanding, they hearkened not unto Moses." ..."And Moses was wroth with them." Hatred also results from hearing, as thou must know from the case of Esau, of whom it is said (Gen. xxvii. 34), "When Esau heard," and then follows (id. xxvii. 41), "Esau hated Jacob." Mercy is known to result from "hearing"; thus God said (Ex. xxii. 26), "I will hear, for I am merciful." It is said of the righteous dead (Prov. i. 33), "Whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely." In contrast to this, it is said of the unrighteous (Job xv. 21), "A sound of fright is in his ears: in peace the despoiler shall come upon him," and so forth. Hard-heartedness results from the want of assent; thus it is said of Pharaoh in many places (Ex. ix. 12), "The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh and he hearkened not." A hard-hearted people is called (Deut. xxviii. 49), "A nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand, neither shalt thou hearken unto what it speaketh," and so forth.