וּמֹשֶׁ֣ה וְאַהֲרֹ֗ן עָשׂ֛וּ אֶת־כָּל־הַמֹּפְתִ֥ים הָאֵ֖לֶּה לִפְנֵ֣י פַרְעֹ֑ה וַיְחַזֵּ֤ק יְהוָה֙ אֶת־לֵ֣ב פַּרְעֹ֔ה וְלֹֽא־שִׁלַּ֥ח אֶת־בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵאַרְצֽוֹ׃ (פ)
A Mojżesz i Ahron spełnili wszystkie te cuda przed Faraonem; ale ukrnąbrnił Wiekuisty serce Faraona i nie uwolnił synów Israela z ziemi swojej.
Midrash Tanchuma Buber
What is written above (in Exod. 11:9) on the matter? NOW THE LORD HAD SAID UNTO MOSES: PHARAOH WILL NOT HEARKEN UNTO YOU…. R. Judah and R. Nehemiah disagree. R. Judah says: This parashah says at the beginning of the plagues (in Exod. 7:4): PHARAOH WILL NOT HEARKEN UNTO YOU. But R. Nehemiah says: <The warning> is stated in its <present> place (in Exod. 11:9, which continues): <IN ORDER THAT MY WONDERS MAY BE MULTIPLIED IN THE LAND OF EGYPT, > in the sea more than in Egypt. (Exod. 11:10) SO MOSES AND AARON PERFORMED ALL THESE WONDERS…. The Holy one wished to credit this parashah to Moses alone.37See Codex Vaticanus Ebr. 34, which gives the following marginal addition: R. Jacob said: A defense (Gk.: synegoria) was entered before the Holy One. It said to him: Sovereign of the Universe, (according to Exod. 11:10) MOSES AND AARON PERFORMED….; yet you wish to credit this parashah to Moses alone! The Holy One said to it: You have taught well. As you (Moses and Aaron) live, I am crediting it to both of you. Thus it is stated (in Exod. 12:1): THEN THE LORD SPOKE UNTO MOSES AND UNTO AARON …
Shemot Rabbah
‘Go and exact retribution from him’6When God said to Moses: “I have set you as god to Pharaoh,” He was saying: Go exact retribution [hipara] from him. – he said to Him: ‘How will I bring upon him ten plagues?’ He said to him: “You shall take in your hand this staff” (Exodus 4:17). Rabbi Yehuda said: The weight of the staff was forty se’a, and it was made of sapphire, and the ten plagues were etched on it in acronym form, detzakh adash be’aḥav.7This is an acronym of the initials of the plagues: Blood [dam], frogs [tzefarde’a], lice [kinnim] – detzakh; wild beasts [arov], pestilence [dever], boils [shekhin] – adash; hail [barad], locusts [arbeh], darkness [ḥoshekh], firstborn [bekhorot] – be’aḥav. The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘In this order, bring the plagues upon him.’
“And Aaron your brother will be your prophet” – just as the lecturer sits and lectures and the amora8After the lecturer stated an excerpt of the lecture that was heard only by the amora, the amora would repeat it in loud voice and occasionally elaborate upon it for the benefit of the audience. speaks before him, so too, “you shall speak everything that I command you; and Aaron your brother will speak to Pharaoh” (Exodus 7:2), and all the matters were accomplished by the two of them, as it is stated: “Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders” (Exodus 11:10).
“And Aaron your brother will be your prophet” – just as the lecturer sits and lectures and the amora8After the lecturer stated an excerpt of the lecture that was heard only by the amora, the amora would repeat it in loud voice and occasionally elaborate upon it for the benefit of the audience. speaks before him, so too, “you shall speak everything that I command you; and Aaron your brother will speak to Pharaoh” (Exodus 7:2), and all the matters were accomplished by the two of them, as it is stated: “Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders” (Exodus 11:10).
Midrash Tanchuma
See, I have set thee in God’s stead to Pharaoh, and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet (Exod. 7:1). Just as the lecturer sits and lectures, and the interpreter explains his words, so you shall relate everything that I have commanded, and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh (ibid., v. 2). Through the two of you shall all these things be done, as it is said: And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh (ibid. 11:10). They both spoke to Pharaoh, even though he was told: Thou shall speak (ibid. 7:2). Moses said to Him: Master of the Universe, I will not be able to convince him with words, as it is said: A servant will not be corrected by words (Prov. 29:19).