출애굽기 10:3의 주석

לענת Translate as the Targum: TO BE HUMBLED. It is of the same derivation as עני poor, so that the passage signifies, “thou refusest to be poor and lowly before Me”.

AND MOSES AND AARON CAME IN UNTO PHARAOH. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra commented: “We know that Moses never came to Pharaoh without being accompanied by Aaron, who was the interpreter.¹¹Above, 7:2. Scripture here makes a point of mentioning Moses and Aaron in order [to make clear] that Pharaoh’s command that both of them be brought again before him¹²Further, Verse 8. and his final act of driving them out¹³Ibid., Verse 11. — something he had not done previously — [applied to the two brothers alike].”

לענות, related to עני, poor, ענוי, oppressed, Pharaoh refused to humble himself, to act as if he was a poor man rather than an autocrat.

עד מתי מענת, seeing that in the meantime I have demonstrated to you My dominance even in the atmosphere, how much longer will you refuse to humble yourself seeing that I control the very air you need to breathe? Seeing that you were not impressed, there is no sense in hoping that you will be impressed by the overwhelming show of strength represented by the plagues. However, perhaps if the impact of the miracle itself did not make an impression on you, perhaps the drawn out duration of the effect of the plagues may finally have the desired effect. This is why the question “how long must a plague continue before it will have the desired effect?” is not out of place.

ויבא משה ואהרן, “Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, etc.” Ibn Ezra writes that it was a known fact by now that whenever a plague was to be announced both Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh. Why then did the Torah see fit to single out this occasion by writing that both Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh? The reason may be that we hear later that Pharaoh dismissed both Moses and Aaron summarily. Had we not been told that they both had come to Pharaoh, this would have sounded strange. Pharaoh’s reaction to the warning on this occasion was out of character, seeing that he had clearly admitted being in the wrong. Had it not been for G’d stiffening his attitude to the point of being rude to Moses for the first time, his behaviour would be totally beyond comprehension.

Which is from the root עני — poor. Rashi is explaining that לענות does not mean servitude as in, “ והתעני (submit yourself) under her power.” (Bereishis 16:9) Rashi continues by saying, “You have refused to be poor and humble,” because עני usually refers to [lack of] money, while here it refers to humility.

V. 3. Gewöhnlich steht der Kürze willen der dem Mosche zur Ausführung an Pharao erteilte Auftrag und dann sofort der Eintritt der Plage, ohne zu berichten, dass Mosche auch also im Namen Gottes zu Pharao gegangen und geredet, weil dieses sich von selbst versteht. Hier ists umgekehrt. Wir erfahren den Inhalt des Auftrages erst aus der Ausführung und zwar deshalb, weil uns die bei dieser Ausführung geschehenen Vorgänge zu erzählen waren. — עד מתי מאנת וגו׳: Auf wie lange hast du dir denn vorgenommen, dich nicht in deiner Armut vor mir zu fühlen!

ויבא משה ואהרן, Moses and Aaron arrived (at the Palace); the reason why the Torah did not mention during the other plagues that both Moses and Aaron arrived at the Palace together, is that Aaron had been present at every interview Moses had with Pharaoh. The reason that it needed to be stressed here, is that shortly the Torah will tell us that after Pharaoh had thrown out Moses and Aaron they were both recalled at Pharaoh’s servants urging him to do so. (Verse 8)

לענות מפני, “to humble yourself before Me;” seeing that Pharaoh had boasted about the crops that the hail had not destroyed, [attributing it to G-d’s “weakness” Ed.] He retaliated in kind.

'כה אמר ה, ”thus has the Lord said, etc.;” other prophecies which have been introduced with this introductory phrase are numerous, as are commandments (in the future) which have been introduced with the introductory: “thus the Lord has said.” The author cites: Exodus 11,5; 32,27; Numbers 19,2; Numbers 30,2 as well as reminding us that in the Books of the prophets, especially Isaiah and Ezekiel, this formula is used frequently. It happens several times that what was predicted has not later on in the text been spelled out as having happened; [one of the reasons is that when the prophecy is a warning of something unpleasant it need not be fulfilled if the circumstances changed. Ed.] At any rate, in this case it was important for G-d to show Pharaoh that a prophecy by Moses would be fulfilled, because Moses, G-d’s spokesman, had said that it would. This is what Isaiah 44 26 had in mind when he said that G-d fulfills promises or threats made by His servants. (Compare our author on Exodus 11,4)