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“Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh, and it will become a snake.” (7:9)

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…

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“And Hashem spoke to Moshe and Aharon and commanded them concerning the Bnei Yisroel.” (6:13)

 Rashi explains that Hashem commanded Moshe and Aharon to lead the Bnei Yisroel with gentleness and patience. The Midrash emphasizes the responsibility of a leader in stronger terms: “Hashem said to Moshe and Aharon, my children are stubborn and recalcitrant, they are quick to anger, and they are troublesome. It is under these conditions that you should accept leadership over them, even if they should curse you, even if they should stone you.” This Midrash portrays the image of a Jewish leader. On one hand, a leader must not falter under pressure from the people. Even if they “curse” or…

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“How can I expect Pharaoh to listen to me, I have a speech defect.” (6:12)

  Moshe was blessed with all the attributes of perfection and purity. He was the paragon of excellence, so that the Jewish people would believe that his superiority was truly a divine gift.  Why then was he lacking  in his power of speech?  Should not this attribute  have been included among his special divine gifts? This was also Hashem‘s intention, lest others say that the Jewish people were inspired by Moshe’s rhetoric and style, and moved by his eloquence, rather than by the content of his message. Often, people are emotionally stimulated by rhetoric that covers subtle dishonesties disseminated by…

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“And I will bring you out from under the burdens of Egypt, and I will save you from their bondage.” (6:6)

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…

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