(27) The LORD said to Aaron, “Go to meet Moses in the wilderness.” He went and met him at the mountain of God, and he kissed him. (28) Moses told Aaron about all the things that the LORD had committed to him and all the signs about which He had instructed him. (29) Then Moses and Aaron went and assembled all the elders of the Israelites. (30) Aaron repeated all the words that the LORD had spoken to Moses, and he performed the signs in the sight of the people, (31) and the people believed. When they heard that the LORD had taken note of the Israelites and that He had seen their plight, they bowed low in homage. (1) Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Let My people go that they may celebrate a festival for Me in the wilderness.” (2) But Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD that I should heed Him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, nor will I let Israel go.”
אָמַר רַבִּי רְאוּבֵן בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמשֶׁה בְּמִדְיָן (שמות ד, יט): לֵךְ שֻׁב מִצְרָיְמָה, נֶחְלַק הַדִּבּוּר לִשְׁנֵי קוֹלוֹת וְנַעֲשָׂה דוּ פַּרְצוּפִין, וְהָיָה משֶׁה שׁוֹמֵעַ בְּמִדְיָן לֵךְ שֻׁב מִצְרָיְמָה, וְאַהֲרֹן שׁוֹמֵעַ, לֵךְ לִקְרַאת משֶׁה הַמִּדְבָּרָה, הֱוֵי יַרְעֵם אֵל בְּקוֹלוֹ נִפְלָאוֹת.
Rabbi Reuven said, "At the time that the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moshe in Midian, 'Go return to Egypt' (Exodus 4:19), the speech divided into two voices and it became two faces. And Moshe heard in Midian, 'Go return to Egypt,' but Aharon heard, 'Go to meet Moshe in the wilderness.'" Hence, "God thunders wonders with His voice."
(א) וטעם את כל דברי יי אשר שלחו שהגיד לו כל הדברים שהיו בינו ובין הב''ה, וכל אשר היה. מסרב בשליחות, וכי על כרחו נשתלח, וזה טעם כל ובמדרש חזית (שה''ש רבה ד יב) ורבנן אמרי גלה לו שם המפורש:
Moses told Aaron everything that had passed between him and the Holy One-all about how he tried to refuse the mission, and had been sent against his will. That is the meaning of "all." According to the Song of Songs Rabbah, "The Sages say that Moses revealed the Ineffable Name to Aaron."
"The people believed": Rabbi Nachman of Breslov: Faith is the sole means for effecting redemption. When informed of the pending redemption, the Jews had to strengthen their faith. [Later,] God performed the awesome miracles of the Ten Plagues in order to show the Jews there is reason to believe. (Likutei Halakhot, II, p. 36).
When you cry with your heart, this itself is an aspect of faith. You may have doubts and questions, but when you cry out in your heart it shows that you still have a spark of true faith. Without this spark you would not cry out at all. Your cry is therefore an aspect of faith. Understand this. (Sichot HaRan 146)
RABBI ABRAHAM JOSHUA HESCHEL, “RELIGION AND RACE” (14 JANUARY 1963)
At the first conference on religion and race, the main participants were Pharaoh and Moses. Moses’ words were: “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, let My people go that they may celebrate a feast to Me.” While Pharaoh retorted: “Who is the Lord, that I should heed this voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover I will not let Israel go.” The outcome of that summit meeting has not come to an end. Pharaoh is not ready to capitulate. The exodus began, but is far from having been completed. In fact, it was easier for the children of Israel to cross the Red Sea than for a Negro to cross certain university campuses. Let us dodge no issues. Let us yield no inch to bigotry, let us make no compromise with callousness.