וְיָדְע֥וּ מִצְרַ֖יִם כִּי־אֲנִ֣י יְהוָ֑ה בְּהִכָּבְדִ֣י בְּפַרְעֹ֔ה בְּרִכְבּ֖וֹ וּבְפָרָשָֽׁיו׃
און די מִצרים װעלן װיסן אַז איך בין ה׳, װען איך װער געערלעכט דורך פַּרעהן, דורך זײַנע רײַטװעגן, און דורך זײַנע רײַטער.
Shemot Rabbah
“Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he did not heed them, as the Lord had spoken. The Lord said to Moses: Pharaoh's heart is stubborn, he refuses to let the people go. Go to Pharaoh in the morning; behold, he goes out to the water; and you shall stand by the Nile bank to meet him; and the staff that was transformed into a serpent you shall take in your hand (Exodus 7:13–15).
“Pharaoh’s heart was hardened.… The Lord said to Moses: Pharaoh’s heart is stubborn [kaved]” – he is angry. Just as the liver [kaved] becomes angry,11The liver was regarded as the seat of anger; see Berakhot 61b. so, too, this one’s heart became like a liver; he does not understand, he is a fool: “As anger rests in the bosom of fools” (Ecclesiastes 7:9). With what do you chastise the fool? With a staff, as it is stated: “A rod to the back of fools” (Proverbs 26:3). Moses, too, chastised Pharaoh with a staff, as it is stated: “and the staff that was transformed into a serpent [you shall take in your hand].”
Another interpretation: “Pharaoh’s heart is stubborn [kaved]” – the Holy One blessed be He said to him: Wicked one, with the expression with which you honored yourself,12Pharaoh honored himself by refusing to humble himself before God. The midrash here is interpreting the word kaved in the sense of kavod, honor. with the same expression I will be honored at your expense, as it is stated: “When I have gained honor [behikavedi] through Pharaoh” (Exodus 14:18).
“Go to Pharaoh in the morning; behold, he goes out to the water” – he would go out to the water only in the morning, because that wicked one would boast and assert that he was a deity and did not need to relieve himself; therefore, he would go out in the morning. Catch him in the morning when he needs to relieve himself. “And the staff that was transformed into a serpent you shall take in your hand” so that he will be afraid of it.
“Pharaoh’s heart was hardened.… The Lord said to Moses: Pharaoh’s heart is stubborn [kaved]” – he is angry. Just as the liver [kaved] becomes angry,11The liver was regarded as the seat of anger; see Berakhot 61b. so, too, this one’s heart became like a liver; he does not understand, he is a fool: “As anger rests in the bosom of fools” (Ecclesiastes 7:9). With what do you chastise the fool? With a staff, as it is stated: “A rod to the back of fools” (Proverbs 26:3). Moses, too, chastised Pharaoh with a staff, as it is stated: “and the staff that was transformed into a serpent [you shall take in your hand].”
Another interpretation: “Pharaoh’s heart is stubborn [kaved]” – the Holy One blessed be He said to him: Wicked one, with the expression with which you honored yourself,12Pharaoh honored himself by refusing to humble himself before God. The midrash here is interpreting the word kaved in the sense of kavod, honor. with the same expression I will be honored at your expense, as it is stated: “When I have gained honor [behikavedi] through Pharaoh” (Exodus 14:18).
“Go to Pharaoh in the morning; behold, he goes out to the water” – he would go out to the water only in the morning, because that wicked one would boast and assert that he was a deity and did not need to relieve himself; therefore, he would go out in the morning. Catch him in the morning when he needs to relieve himself. “And the staff that was transformed into a serpent you shall take in your hand” so that he will be afraid of it.
Midrash Tanchuma Buber
(Exod. 7:14:) AND THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES: PHARAOH'S HEART IS HARDENED. The Holy One said: By your life, through that word (HARDENED), because you have hardened (rt.: KBD) your heart, I will be honored (rt.: KBD).76Tanh., Exod. 2:12; Exod. R. 9:8. It is so stated (in Exod. 14:18): WHEN I HAVE BEEN HONORED (rt.: KBD) THROUGH PHARAOH.
Shemot Rabbah
Another matter, “then Moses…sang” – that is what is written: “The Lord is known, He executed justice” (Psalms 9:17). It refers to the Egyptians, as the Holy One blessed be He executed justice against them in Egypt and at the sea. Rabbi Yehoshua says: They were afflicted with ten plagues with one finger, as it is stated: “The magicians said to Pharaoh: It is the finger of God” (Exodus 8:15). At the sea they were afflicted with fifty plagues, as it is stated: “Israel saw the great power [hayad hagedola]” (Exodus 14:31).12The literal translation of hayad hagedola is “the great hand.” The hand has five fingers, and five times ten are fifty. Likewise, you find with Job that he was afflicted with fifty plagues, as it is stated: “Pity me, pity me; you are my friends, as the hand of God has touched me” (Job 19:21).
Rabbi Eliezer says: The Egyptians were afflicted with forty plagues in Egypt and two hundred at the sea, as each and every plague that came upon them, they would come as four, as it is stated: “He destroyed their vines with hail” (Psalms 78:47), and it is written: “[He sent upon them] His burning anger; rage, fury, trouble, a band of evil angels” (Psalms 78:49). “Rage” is one; “fury” is two, “trouble” is three; “a band of evil angels” is four. That is, with a finger they were afflicted with forty plagues and with a hand two hundred. That is, “He executed justice.” What is, “the Lord is known”? It is as it is written: “Egypt will know that I am the Lord,” (Exodus 14:18), when I impose punishment upon Pharaoh, as it is written afterward: “When I am glorified through Pharaoh” (Exodus 14:18). And it is written: “With the work of his hands, the wicked is snared” (Psalms 9:17) – this is Pharaoh. What did he say? “Every son that is born [you shall cast him into the Nile]” (Exodus 1:22). The Holy One blessed be He, too, did to him as he had done, as it is stated: “He tossed Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea” (Psalms 136:15). What is: “Higayon Selah” (Psalms 9:17)? Israel said: What is incumbent upon us to do? It is only to recite songs and paeans, as it is stated: “Then Moses…sang [yashir].”13The term higayon is thus interpreted as referring to song [nigun] and thought (as in Psalms 19:15). Selah means forever (Eruvin 54a). Thus, the Israelites realized that they should sing to God forever (Midrash HaMevoar). Then Moses and the children of Israel sang [yashiru] is not stated, but rather, “then Moses sang [yashir].”14The term yashir is singular, whereas the plural term is yashiru. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: From here, the passage was sung by Moses, and then our ancestors sang it at the sea.
Rabbi Eliezer says: The Egyptians were afflicted with forty plagues in Egypt and two hundred at the sea, as each and every plague that came upon them, they would come as four, as it is stated: “He destroyed their vines with hail” (Psalms 78:47), and it is written: “[He sent upon them] His burning anger; rage, fury, trouble, a band of evil angels” (Psalms 78:49). “Rage” is one; “fury” is two, “trouble” is three; “a band of evil angels” is four. That is, with a finger they were afflicted with forty plagues and with a hand two hundred. That is, “He executed justice.” What is, “the Lord is known”? It is as it is written: “Egypt will know that I am the Lord,” (Exodus 14:18), when I impose punishment upon Pharaoh, as it is written afterward: “When I am glorified through Pharaoh” (Exodus 14:18). And it is written: “With the work of his hands, the wicked is snared” (Psalms 9:17) – this is Pharaoh. What did he say? “Every son that is born [you shall cast him into the Nile]” (Exodus 1:22). The Holy One blessed be He, too, did to him as he had done, as it is stated: “He tossed Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea” (Psalms 136:15). What is: “Higayon Selah” (Psalms 9:17)? Israel said: What is incumbent upon us to do? It is only to recite songs and paeans, as it is stated: “Then Moses…sang [yashir].”13The term higayon is thus interpreted as referring to song [nigun] and thought (as in Psalms 19:15). Selah means forever (Eruvin 54a). Thus, the Israelites realized that they should sing to God forever (Midrash HaMevoar). Then Moses and the children of Israel sang [yashiru] is not stated, but rather, “then Moses sang [yashir].”14The term yashir is singular, whereas the plural term is yashiru. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: From here, the passage was sung by Moses, and then our ancestors sang it at the sea.