Vaera - וָאֵרָא- Shemot / Exodus 6:2 - 9:35 Making Torah Personal

Studying selected verses of the parsha through the lens of Mussar---enabling us to make a connection between the weekly portion and our own lives.

The middah of /אמץ לב / Ometz Lev / Courage...in relationship to...LevAkshan / Stubbornness.
This parsha begins with the revelation of God's name and his power.

וָאֵרָ֗א The Hebrew word Va'era, means "I will see", and there will be both physical and spiritual things that will be seen.

Bullet Points /key concepts:

The parsha opens with a continuation of the meeting between God and Moses at the 'burning bush' where God revealed Himself to Moses and informed him of his leadership role in releasing his people, which Moses resists.
His brother Aaron is appointed as the spokesperson and they both appear before Pharaoh.
Moses asks Pharaoh to “Let My People Go” there is a series of miraculous events, some copied by Egyptian sorcerers.
The request is that B'nai Yisrael can worship God in the wilderness for 3 days.
God uses 4 different expressions for redeeming B’nai Yisrael from Egypt
Pharaoh refuses and 7 plagues come upon Egypt by God. During each plague, Pharaoh offers to let B'nei leave, but as soon as the plagues stop, he changes his mind, remains stubborn, and refuses to free them.

It was the result of God's wisdom that the Israelites were led about in the wilderness until they acquired courage. ~Rambam, Guide for the Perplexed, Part 3 32:2

The last part of the conversation between Moses and Hashem from the previous parsha, Shemot:

שמות ה׳:כ״ב-כ״ג

(כב) וַיָּ֧שׇׁב מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶל־יהוה וַיֹּאמַ֑ר אדני לָמָ֤ה הֲרֵעֹ֙תָה֙ לָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה לָ֥מָּה זֶּ֖ה שְׁלַחְתָּֽנִי׃(כג) וּמֵאָ֞ז בָּ֤אתִי אֶל־פַּרְעֹה֙ לְדַבֵּ֣ר בִּשְׁמֶ֔ךָ הֵרַ֖ע לָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֑ה וְהַצֵּ֥ל לֹא־הִצַּ֖לְתָּ אֶת־עַמֶּֽךָ׃

Exodus 5:22-23

(22) Then Moses returned to יהוה and said, “O my lord, why did You bring harm upon this people? Why did You send me?(23) Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has dealt worse with this people; and still You have not delivered Your people.”

שמות ו׳:ב׳-ה׳

(ב) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֵלָ֖יו אֲנִ֥י יהוה׃(ג) וָאֵרָ֗א אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֛ם אֶל־יִצְחָ֥ק וְאֶֽל־יַעֲקֹ֖ב בְּאֵ֣ל שַׁדָּ֑יוּשְׁמִ֣י יהוה לֹ֥א נוֹדַ֖עְתִּי לָהֶֽם׃(ד) וְגַ֨ם הֲקִמֹ֤תִי אֶת־בְּרִיתִי֙ אִתָּ֔ם לָתֵ֥ת לָהֶ֖ם אֶת־אֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן אֵ֛ת אֶ֥רֶץ מְגֻרֵיהֶ֖ם אֲשֶׁר־גָּ֥רוּ בָֽהּ׃(ה) וְגַ֣ם ׀אֲנִ֣י שָׁמַ֗עְתִּי אֶֽת־נַאֲקַת֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר מִצְרַ֖יִם מַעֲבִדִ֣ים אֹתָ֑ם וָאֶזְכֹּ֖ר אֶת־בְּרִיתִֽי׃

Exodus 6:2-5

(2) God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am יהוה.(3) I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as El Shaddai,but I did not make Myself known to them by My name יהוה.(4) I also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners.(5)I have now heard the moaning of the Israelites because the Egyptians are holding them in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant.

רש"י על שמות ו׳:ג׳:ב׳

באל שדי. הִבְטַחְתִּים הַבְטָחוֹת וּבְכֻלָּן אָמַרְתִּי לָהֶם אֲנִי אֵל שַׁדַּי:

Rashi on Exodus 6:3:2

באל שדי BY THE NAME OF GOD ALMIGHTY — I made certain promises to them and in the case of all of these I said unto them, “I am God Almighty”.

רש"י על שמות ו׳:ג׳:ג׳

ושמי יהוה לא נודעתי להם. לֹא הוֹדַעְתִּי אֵין כְּתִיב כָּאן אֶלָּא לֹא נוֹדַעְתִּי, לֹא נִכַּרְתִּי לָהֶם בְּמִדַת אֲמִתּוּת שֶׁלִּי, שֶׁעָלֶיהָ נִקְרָא שְׁמִי יהוה, נֶאֱמָן לְאַמֵּת דְּבָרַי, שֶׁהֲרֵי הִבְטַחְתִּים וְלֹא קִיַּמְתִּי:

Rashi on Exodus 6:3:3

ושמי יהוה לא נודעתי להם BUT BY MY NAME THE LORD WAS I NOT KNOWN TO THEM — It is not written here לא הודעתי [My name the Lord] I did not make known to them, but לא נודעתי [by My name, the Lord], was I not known [unto them] — i. e. I was not recognised by them in My attribute of “keeping faith”, by reason of which My name is called יהוה, which denotes that I am certain to substantiate My promise, for, indeed, I made promises to them but did not fulfill them [during their lifetime].

...G-d reminds Moses that neither Avraham nor Yitzchok or Yaakov, to all of whom He had spoken far less that He had to Moses, ever questioned what they could have questioned about G-d’s judgments... They believed Me on My word alone, without the need for any miracles or proof. They could not have known me by My real name, as I had made promises and had not yet kept them. My true name is based not only on My ability to promise but on My ability beyond question to also keep My promises. Now, G-d says, “I will explain to you why I did not reveal Myself to the patriarchs as the attribute of Hashem. The promises I made to them referred to a distant future.” They would not live to see their fulfilment. The promises I made to you and through you to My people, will be fulfilled within the immediate future. As this occurs, the past partially passive mode of the root ידע will be appropriate, i.e. “I will have become known as Hashem.” Seeing that this is so, the people should not have asked: “what is His name?” Who asks about something that he knows and is familiar with? Rashi also explains why the conjunctive letter ו in וגם in verse 4 is appropriate. The word: הקימותי is not to be confused with “I have kept (a promise),” but is to be understood as the promises made to the patriarchs still being in effect, and the fact that they had not yet been fulfilled is due to their having been made by G-d in His capacity as שדי, “the G-d whose promises are meaningful because He is able to fulfill them and no one can stop Him from doing so.” The reason that the time for fulfilling them has arrived is because the Children of Israel’s outcry on account of their suffering is justified. ~Chizkuni

"Actually, God did use the Tetragrammaton [Yud-Hei-Vov-Hei} in speaking to Abraham and Jacob...the name was also used by angels...it is true however that the Tetragrammaton was never used in speech before the time of the Patriarchs...[it] was known but not its inner significance....only Moses received it [prophecy] from the level associated with the Tetragrammaton . ~Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, [adapted and condensed]

Moshe is uniquely interested in God’s names, so God gives Moshe deeper insight into the name of God that has been with humanity from the start, but never fully understood until now. We often think of Moshe’s prophecy as distinct because he had greater power than anyone who had come before him: he saw God clearly while others were unable to fully process the divine encounter. But perhaps Moshe’s greatest gift was his curiosity. Perhaps it was his willingness to inquire, above all, that granted him access to eternal truths. ~Rabbi David Kasher

שמות ו׳:ו׳-ח׳

(ו) לָכֵ֞ן אֱמֹ֥ר לִבְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ אֲנִ֣י יהוה וְהוֹצֵאתִ֣י אֶתְכֶ֗ם מִתַּ֙חַת֙ סִבְלֹ֣ת מִצְרַ֔יִם וְהִצַּלְתִּ֥י אֶתְכֶ֖ם מֵעֲבֹדָתָ֑ם וְגָאַלְתִּ֤י אֶתְכֶם֙ בִּזְר֣וֹעַ נְטוּיָ֔ה וּבִשְׁפָטִ֖ים גְּדֹלִֽים׃(ז) וְלָקַחְתִּ֨י אֶתְכֶ֥ם לִי֙ לְעָ֔ם וְהָיִ֥יתִי לָכֶ֖ם לֵֽאלֹהִ֑ים וִֽידַעְתֶּ֗ם כִּ֣י אֲנִ֤י יהוה אֱלֹ֣הֵיכֶ֔םהַמּוֹצִ֣יא אֶתְכֶ֔ם מִתַּ֖חַת סִבְל֥וֹת מִצְרָֽיִם׃(ח) וְהֵבֵאתִ֤י אֶתְכֶם֙ אֶל־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֤ר נָשָׂ֙אתִי֙ אֶת־יָדִ֔י לָתֵ֣ת אֹתָ֔הּ לְאַבְרָהָ֥ם לְיִצְחָ֖ק וּֽלְיַעֲקֹ֑ב וְנָתַתִּ֨י אֹתָ֥הּ לָכֶ֛ם מוֹרָשָׁ֖האֲנִ֥י יהוה׃

Exodus 6:6-8

Therefore, say to the Children of Israel: I am YHWH. I will bring you out from beneath the burdens of Egypt; I will rescue you from servitude to them; I will redeem you
with an outstretched arm, with great acts-of-judgment; I will take you for me as a people,
and I will be for you as a God; and you shall know that I am YHWH your God, who brings you out from beneath the burdens of Egypt.

The four bolded words are called אַרְבַּע לְ ׁשוֹנוֹת גְּאֻלָּה (arba leshonot geulah), four descriptions of redemption. According to the Talmud Yerushalmi (Pesahim 10:1), the four cups of wine that we drink on Pesah represent these four words. ~ Hadar Institute.

שמות ו׳:ט׳-י״ג

(ט) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר מֹשֶׁ֛ה כֵּ֖ן אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְלֹ֤א שָֽׁמְעוּ֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה מִקֹּ֣צֶר ר֔וּחַ וּמֵעֲבֹדָ֖ה קָשָֽׁה׃ {פ}(י) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יהוה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃(יא) בֹּ֣א דַבֵּ֔ר אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֖ה מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרָ֑יִם וִֽישַׁלַּ֥ח אֶת־בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵאַרְצֽוֹ׃(יב) וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר מֹשֶׁ֔ה לִפְנֵ֥י יהוה לֵאמֹ֑ר הֵ֤ן בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לֹֽא־שָׁמְע֣וּ אֵלַ֔י וְאֵיךְ֙ יִשְׁמָעֵ֣נִי פַרְעֹ֔ה וַאֲנִ֖י עֲרַ֥ל שְׂפָתָֽיִם׃ {פ}(יג) וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר יהוה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֣ה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹן֒ וַיְצַוֵּם֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאֶל־פַּרְעֹ֖ה מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרָ֑יִם לְהוֹצִ֥יא אֶת־בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃ {ס}

Exodus 6:9-13

(9) But when Moses told this to the Israelites, they would not listen to Moses, their spirits crushed by cruel bondage.(10) יהוה spoke to Moses, saying,(11) “Go and tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites depart from his land.”(12) But Moses appealed to יהוה, saying, “The Israelites would not listen to me; how then should Pharaoh heed me, me—who gets tongue-tied!”*who gets tongue-tied Lit. “uncircumcised of lips,” which is not a claim to a permanent condition, contra NJPS “a man of impeded speech.” Cf. Lev. 19.23; Jer. 6.10.(13) So יהוה spoke to both Moses and Aaron in regard to the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt, instructing them to deliver the Israelites from the land of Egypt.

Often in life, we are imprisoned by our own egos. The harder we struggle to free ourselves, the more trapped we become. ~ Rabbi Michael Katz and Rabbi Gershon Schwartz, Swimming in the Sea of Talmud.

דברים י׳:ט״ז

(טז) וּמַלְתֶּ֕ם אֵ֖ת עׇרְלַ֣ת לְבַבְכֶ֑ם וְעׇ֨רְפְּכֶ֔ם לֹ֥א תַקְשׁ֖וּ עֽוֹד׃

Deuteronomy 10:16

(16) Cut away, therefore, the thickening about your hearts and stiffen your necks no more.

שמות ז׳:א׳-ה׳

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יהוה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה רְאֵ֛ה נְתַתִּ֥יךָ אֱלֹהִ֖ים לְפַרְעֹ֑ה וְאַהֲרֹ֥ן אָחִ֖יךָ יִהְיֶ֥ה נְבִיאֶֽךָ׃ אַתָּ֣ה תְדַבֵּ֔ר אֵ֖ת כׇּל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֲצַוֶּ֑ךָּ וְאַהֲרֹ֤ן אָחִ֙יךָ֙ יְדַבֵּ֣ר אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֔ה וְשִׁלַּ֥ח אֶת־בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵאַרְצֽוֹ׃ וַאֲנִ֥י אַקְשֶׁ֖ה אֶת־לֵ֣ב פַּרְעֹ֑ה וְהִרְבֵּיתִ֧י אֶת־אֹתֹתַ֛י וְאֶת־מוֹפְתַ֖י בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃ וְלֹֽא־יִשְׁמַ֤ע אֲלֵכֶם֙ פַּרְעֹ֔ה וְנָתַתִּ֥י אֶת־יָדִ֖י בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם וְהוֹצֵאתִ֨י אֶת־צִבְאֹתַ֜י אֶת־עַמִּ֤י בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם בִּשְׁפָטִ֖ים גְּדֹלִֽים׃ וְיָדְע֤וּ מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ כִּֽי־אֲנִ֣י יהוה בִּנְטֹתִ֥י אֶת־יָדִ֖י עַל־מִצְרָ֑יִם וְהוֹצֵאתִ֥י אֶת־בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מִתּוֹכָֽם׃

Exodus 7:1-5

YHWH said to Moshe: See, I make you as a god*as a god: Or oracle, as mentioned in the note to 4:16. for Pharaoh, and Aharon your brother will be your prophet. You are to speak all that I command you, and Aharon your brother is to speak to Pharaoh so that he may send free the Children of Israel from his land. But I, I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, I will make my signs and my portents many in the land of Egypt: Pharaoh will not hearken to you, so I will set my hand against Egypt, and I will bring out my forces, my people, the Children of Israel, from the land of Egypt, with great acts-of-judgment. And the Egyptians will know that I am YHWH, when I stretch out my hand*when I stretch out my hand: In the Plague Narrative, Moshe and Aharon will do the actual stretching out of hands (see 7:19, 8:1, 12; 9:22; 10:12, 21; and the climactic passage in 14:16, 26). over Egypt and bring the Children of Israel out from their midst!

In this parsha we are confronted with stubbornness in many forms: Moses' view of himself, B'nei Yisrael's responses to Moses, Pharaoh's unwillingness to waiver... What can each situation teach us? The Torah's message is that we can also hold a mirror up to those instances where we've been intractable.

An obstinate man does not hold opinions, but they hold him; for when he is once possessed with an error, it is, like a devil, only cast out with great difficulty. ~Samuel Butler (1835 -1902)

We are all Pharaohs or slaves of Pharaohs. It is sad to be a slave of a Pharaoh. It is horrible to be a Pharaoh. Daily we should take account and ask: What have I done today to alleviate the anguish, to mitigate the evil, to prevent humiliation? Let there be a grain of prophet in every man! ~Abraham Joshua Heschel

מסילת ישרים ו׳:ז׳

שאם הוא מניח עצמו ביד כבדותו, ודאי הוא שלא יצליח. והוא מה שאמר התנא (אבות ה, כ): הוי עז כנמר, וקל כנשר, ורץ כצבי, וגבור כארי לעשות רצון אביך שבשמים. וכן מנו חכמים ז"ל (ברכות לב): בדברים הצריכים חיזוק, תורה ומעשים טובים. ומקרא מלא הוא (יהושע א): חזק ואמץ מאד לשמר לעשות ככל התורה אשר צוך משה עבדי, כי חיזוק גדול צריך למי שרוצה לכפות הטבע אל הפכו.

Mesillat Yesharim 6:7

If he leaves himself in the hands of his [natural] heaviness, it is a certainty that he will not succeed. This is what the Tana (Mishnaic sage) stated: "be brazen as a leopard, light as an eagle, swift as a deer, and mighty as a lion to do the will of your Father in Heaven" (Avot 5:20). Likewise, the Sages counted among the things which need strengthening: "Torah and good deeds" (Berachot 32b). This is explicitly stated in scripture: "be strong and very courageous [to observe and do all of the Torah...]" (Yehoshua 1:6). For great strengthening is needed for one who wants to bend his nature to its opposite.

The state of the heart defines, then, the essential character of a person. It's “hardening” connotes the willful suppression of the capacity for reflection, for self-examination, for unbiased judgments about good and evil. In short, the “hardening of the heart”becomes synonymous with the numbing of the soul, a condition of moral atrophy. ~ Nahum M. Sarna

“A man walking on the road saw a pack of dogs and felt afraid of them, so he sat down amongst them.” Genesis Rabbah 84:5

Draw yourself toward God with all your might. Remain strong, no matter how low you fall. Whether you go up or down, always yearn to come close to God. No matter how low you have sunk, stay resolved and determined to draw close to God and to yearn and pine for Him, and cry out to God. Do everything you can to serve Him in joy. Without this inner strength, you will never be able to truly approach God. ~Disciple of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, Rabbi Natan of Nemirov, Sichot HaRan 48:4

We are often in a rush to get out of uncomfortable situations. We want to solve problems as quickly as we can so that we need not dwell on them. But it appears that bracketing our stay in Mitzrayim with the word 'Mitzrayim' functions as an invitation to actually sit in this space. It seems that the only way out of this constricted state of being is by going through it, not by circumventing it!

We can't overcome limitations that we've encountered unless we are willing to own our part in the situation: to be able to name and face our pain, to be able to claim our suffering, to be able to hold our loss. It is only then, when we see ourselves in the light of our darkness that we can truly leave it behind as we walk towards new horizons. We are being asked to dwell in our pain and discomfort so that we will be able to indeed move forward.

Without this process, it would appear that we will never be free from that which enslaved us - we would carry it with us, creating new Mitzrayims wherever we journeyed next. We won't be able to truly leave it behind us. ~ Rabbi Mimi Feigelson,Mashpiah Ruchanit (spiritual mentor) of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies

יהושע א׳:ט׳

הֲל֤וֹא צִוִּיתִ֙יךָ֙ חֲזַ֣ק וֶאֱמָ֔ץ אַֽל־תַּעֲרֹ֖ץ וְאַל־תֵּחָ֑ת כִּ֤י עִמְּךָ֙ יהוה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ בְּכֹ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר תֵּלֵֽךְ׃ {פ}

Joshua 1:9

“I charge you: Be strong and resolute; do not be terrified or dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

ליקוטי מוהר"ן, תנינא מ״ח:ב׳:ב׳

כִּי צָרִיךְ עַקְשָׁנוּת גָּדוֹל מְאֹד מְאֹד לִהְיוֹת חָזָק וְאַמִּיץ, לֶאֱחֹז עַצְמוֹ, לַעֲמֹד עַל עָמְדוֹ, אַף אִם מַפִּילִין אוֹתוֹ, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, בְּכָל פַּעַם. כִּי לִפְעָמִים יֵשׁ שֶׁמַּפִּילִין אֶחָד מֵעֲבוֹדַת הַשֵּׁם, כַּיָּדוּעַ, אַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן עָלָיו לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת שֶׁלּוֹ, לַעֲשׂוֹת מַה שֶׁיּוּכַל בַּעֲבוֹדַת הַשֵּׁם, וְאַל יָנִיחַ עַצְמוֹ לִפֹּל לְגַמְרֵי, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם. כִּי כָל אֵלּוּ הַנְּפִילוֹת וְהַיְרִידוֹת וְהַבִּלְבּוּלִים וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה צְרִיכִים בְּהֶכְרֵחַ לַעֲבֹר בָּהֶם קֹדֶם שֶׁנִּכְנָסִין בְּשַׁעֲרֵי הַקְּדֻשָּׁה, וְגַם הַצַּדִּיקִים הָאֲמִתִּיִּים עָבְרוּ בְּכָל זֶה.

Likutei Moharan, Part II 48:2:2

A person needs tremendous determination to be strong and courageous, to hold on and maintain his position even if they cause him to fall time and again, God forbid. For there are times when they cause a person to fall from the service of God, as is known. Nevertheless, it is incumbent upon him to do his, to do whatever he can in the service of God, and not allow himself to fall entirely, God forbid. This is because one must surely experience all these falls, descents, confusions and so on before entering the gates of holiness. And the true tzaddikim, too, underwent all this.

ברכות ה׳ ב:י״ג

אָמְרִי: אֵין חָבוּשׁ מַתִּיר עַצְמוֹ מִבֵּית הָאֲסוּרִים.

Berakhot 5b:13

The Gemara answers, they say: A prisoner cannotfree himself from prison.

נועם אלימלך, ספר שמות, וארא א׳:א׳

וידבר אלהים אל משה כו'. נראה לפרש דאיתא בגמרא "רשעים תחילתן שלוה וסופן יסורין וצדיקים תחילתן יסורין וסופן שלוה", יש לומר הפירוש דהצדיק צריך לעבוד את הבורא ב"ה מתחילה ביראה ולשמור עצמו מיצר הרע ולשבר כל תאוויות הגשמיות, וזהו "תחילתן יסורין", ואחר שזכה לשבר כל התאוות ואויבו - הוא היצה"ר - השלים עמו, אז "סופן שלוה".

Noam Elimelekh, Sefer Shemot, Vaera 1:1

And El-him spoke to Moshe, etc (Exodus 6:2) - Seems to us that [we should] explain what is in the Gemara "the wicked:their beginning is harmony and their end is suffering but the righteous: their beginning is suffering and their end is harmony" (See Genesis Rabbah 66:4). There is to say that the righteous need to serve the Blessed Creator from the beginning with awe and guard oneself from [being manipulated by] the impulse for evil, and to break every physical appetite, and this is "their beginning is suffering" and after one has merited to break every appetite and one's enemy - this is the impulse for evil - he is in peace with himself, the "their end is harmony".

שמות ו׳:כ״ו-ל׳

(כו) ה֥וּא אַהֲרֹ֖ן וּמֹשֶׁ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָמַ֤ר יהוה לָהֶ֔ם הוֹצִ֜יאוּ אֶת־בְּנֵ֧י יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם עַל־צִבְאֹתָֽם׃(כז) הֵ֗ם הַֽמְדַבְּרִים֙ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֣ה מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרַ֔יִם לְהוֹצִ֥יא אֶת־בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם ה֥וּא מֹשֶׁ֖ה וְאַהֲרֹֽן׃(כח) וַיְהִ֗י בְּי֨וֹם דִּבֶּ֧ר יהוה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֖ה בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃ {ס} (כט) וַיְדַבֵּ֧ר יהוה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹ֖ר אֲנִ֣י יהוה דַּבֵּ֗ר אֶל־פַּרְעֹה֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם אֵ֛ת כׇּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲנִ֖י דֹּבֵ֥ר אֵלֶֽיךָ׃(ל) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֖ה לִפְנֵ֣י יהוה הֵ֤ן אֲנִי֙ עֲרַ֣ל שְׂפָתַ֔יִם וְאֵ֕יךְ יִשְׁמַ֥ע אֵלַ֖י פַּרְעֹֽה׃ {פ}

Exodus 6:26-30

(26) It is the same Aaron and Moses to whom יהוה said, “Bring forth the Israelites from the land of Egypt, troop by troop.”(27) It was they who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt to free the Israelites from the Egyptians; these are the same Moses and Aaron.(28) For when יהוה spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt(29) and יהוה said to Moses, “I am יהוה; speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I will tell you,”(30) Moses appealed to יהוה, saying, “See, I get tongue-tied; how then should Pharaoh heed me!”

מסילת ישרים י״א:ע״ט

על כן לשיהיה בכחו לעזוב מה שטבעו מכריח אותו ויעבור על מדותיו, ולא ישנא מי שהעיר בו השנאה, ולא יקום ממנו בהזדמן לו שיוכל להנקם, ולא יטור לו, אלא את הכל ישכח ויסיר מלבו כאילו לא היה חזק ואמיץ הוא.

Mesillat Yesharim 11:79

Therefore for one to have the strength to relinquish what his nature impels him to and to overlook the wronging, not hating the one who ignited hatred in his heart, not exacting vengeance when he has the opportunity to do so nor bearing a grudge against him, but rather to forget the whole incident and remove it from his heart as if it had never happened - he is mighty and courageous.

שמות ט׳:כ״ז-ל׳

(כז) וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח פַּרְעֹ֗ה וַיִּקְרָא֙ לְמֹשֶׁ֣ה וּֽלְאַהֲרֹ֔ן וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֖ם חָטָ֣אתִי הַפָּ֑עַם יהוה הַצַּדִּ֔יק וַאֲנִ֥י וְעַמִּ֖י הָרְשָׁעִֽים׃(כח) הַעְתִּ֙ירוּ֙ אֶל־יהוה וְרַ֕ב מִֽהְיֹ֛ת קֹלֹ֥ת אֱלֹהִ֖ים וּבָרָ֑ד וַאֲשַׁלְּחָ֣ה אֶתְכֶ֔ם וְלֹ֥א תֹסִפ֖וּן לַעֲמֹֽד׃(כט) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ מֹשֶׁ֔ה כְּצֵאתִי֙ אֶת־הָעִ֔יר אֶפְרֹ֥שׂ אֶת־כַּפַּ֖י אֶל־יהוה הַקֹּל֣וֹת יֶחְדָּל֗וּן וְהַבָּרָד֙ לֹ֣א יִֽהְיֶה־ע֔וֹד לְמַ֣עַן תֵּדַ֔ע כִּ֥י לַיהוה הָאָֽרֶץ׃(ל) וְאַתָּ֖ה וַעֲבָדֶ֑יךָ יָדַ֕עְתִּי כִּ֚י טֶ֣רֶם תִּֽירְא֔וּן מִפְּנֵ֖י יהוה אֱלֹהִֽים׃

Exodus 9:27-30

(27) Thereupon Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron and said to them, “I stand guilty this time. יהוה is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong.(28) Plead with יהוה that there may be an end of God’s thunder and of hail. I will let you go; you need stay no longer.”(29) Moses said to him, “As I go out of the city, I shall spread out my hands to יהוה; the thunder will cease and the hail will fall no more, so that you may know that the earth is יהוה’s.(30) But I know that you and your courtiers do not yet fear God יהוה.”—

כצאתי את העיר — This is the same as מן העיר [AS SOON AS I AM GONE OUT] FROM THE CITY. But he did not pray within the city because it was full of idols (Exodus Rabbah 12:5) ~Rashi

שמות ט׳:ל״ג-ל״ה

(לג) וַיֵּצֵ֨א מֹשֶׁ֜ה מֵעִ֤ם פַּרְעֹה֙ אֶת־הָעִ֔יר וַיִּפְרֹ֥שׂ כַּפָּ֖יו אֶל־יהוה וַֽיַּחְדְּל֤וּ הַקֹּלוֹת֙ וְהַבָּרָ֔ד וּמָטָ֖ר לֹא־נִתַּ֥ךְ אָֽרְצָה׃(לד) וַיַּ֣רְא פַּרְעֹ֗ה כִּֽי־חָדַ֨ל הַמָּטָ֧ר וְהַבָּרָ֛ד וְהַקֹּלֹ֖ת וַיֹּ֣סֶף לַחֲטֹ֑א וַיַּכְבֵּ֥ד לִבּ֖וֹ ה֥וּא וַעֲבָדָֽיו׃(לה) וַֽיֶּחֱזַק֙ לֵ֣ב פַּרְהעֹ֔ וְלֹ֥א שִׁלַּ֖ח אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר דִּבֶּ֥ר יהוה בְּיַד־מֹשֶֽׁה׃ {פ}

Exodus 9:33-35

(33) Leaving Pharaoh, Moses went outside the city and spread out his hands to יהוה: the thunder and the hail ceased, and no rain came pouring down upon the earth.(34) But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he became stubborn and reverted to his guilty ways, as did his courtiers.(35) So Pharaoh’s heart stiffened and he would not let the Israelites go, just as יהוה had foretold through Moses.