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Why did Hashem use this sign as the first miracle with which to impress Pharaoh? Undoubtedly, when Pharaoh’s magicians immediately duplicated this sign, he no longer was impressed with Moshe’s divine powers. We may suggest that a message was being sent to Pharaoh. When Moshe came to Pharaoh with the request to allow the Bnei Yisroel to leave Egypt for a three day “seminar” in the desert to serve Hashem, he was treated with contempt. How could a nation that  had sunk to the lowest levels of impurity be able to comprehend holiness, let alone serve Hashem? Moshe’s action  with…

It would seem that this posuk is repetitive, because if the Jewish people are taken out from under the burdens of Egypt, undoubtedly they are saved from their bondage. The Kotzker Rebbe Zt”l suggests that there are two necessary stages to complete liberation. First, the slave must be physically set free, then his slave mentality must be cast off. One who is freed physically but still is mentally subservient, is in reality, not actually free. The word “,ukcx” “burdens” may be derived from the word “,ubkcx” which generally means acceptance or tolerance. During their stay in Egypt, the Bnei Yisroel…