פּירוש אויף שמות 10:8

ויושב [AND MOSES AND AARON] WERE BROUGHT BACK (The verb has a passive meaning [Hophal], not an active as the particle את before משה and אהרן might lead one to suppose) — They were brought back by a messenger: they (Pharaoh’s servants) sent people after them and these brought them back to Pharaoh.

BUT WHO ARE THEY THAT SHALL GO? Pharaoh desired that their leaders, elders, and officers²⁷See Deuteronomy 29:9. should go, men that are pointed out by name.²⁸Numbers 1:17. Moses answered him that also the sons and daughters will go, “for we must hold a feast unto the Eternal,²⁹Verse 9. and it is mandatory upon us all to take part in the feast.” Pharaoh’s anger was then kindled on account of the sons and daughters, and he said that under no circumstances will he send the little ones, for they take no part in the offerings. Instead he would send all the adult males because of the feast which Moses mentioned, while the little ones and the women will remain [in Egypt].

“Who and who are going.” There are questions in this matter: First, the repetition of who and who when one would suffice; second, the use of are going in the present tense, which is inappropriate as it should say “who will go,” implying the future, because are going suggests they are going now, but they have not yet gone; third, the phrase we will go appears twice, and surely one of them is superfluous, as it should say “with our youth and our elders, with our sons and our daughters we will go”; fourth, the phrase for it is a festival of the Lord for us, yet earlier it was said in the name of the Lord and they shall celebrate for Me in the wilderness, suggesting the festival is for the Lord and not for us. This distinction is well-known: a festival for the Lord involves divine service, while a festival for us involves the joy of the worshippers, as it is written a solemn assembly for the Lord (Deuteronomy 16:8), and it is written there shall be a solemn assembly for you (Numbers 29:35). Our Sages said (Pesachim 68b) as a compromise: “half for the Lord and half for you.” And here, who is wise and who knows the interpretation of this matter? Furthermore, the phrase this is what you are seeking is in the present tense, when it should say “this is what you sought” in the past tense, because now they are asking for more than that, as they said with our youth and our elders, etc. — indicating they wanted to uproot everything from there. The explanation of the commentators is already known, and instead of the word this [otah], it should have said “it is what you seek.”