Saadia's Tafsir on Shemot 4 (Parashat Shemot)

Shemot 4:1

וַיַּעַן מֹשֶׁה וַיֹּאמֶר וְהֵן לֹא-יַאֲמִינוּ לִי וְלֹא יִשְׁמְעוּ בְּקֹלִי כִּי יֹאמְרוּ לֹא-נִרְאָה אֵלֶיךָ יְהוָה

. . . .

And Moses replied and said: 'Perhaps they will not believe me, and will not accept from me; rather they will say: God did not appear to you.'

Shemot 4:2

וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו יְהוָה מזה (מַה-זֶּה) בְיָדֶךָ וַיֹּאמֶר מַטֶּה

.

And God said to him, prompting him: 'What is this in your hand?' He said: 'A staff.'

Shemot 4:3

וַיֹּאמֶר הַשְׁלִיכֵהוּ אַרְצָה וַיַּשְׁלִכֵהוּ אַרְצָה וַיְהִי לְנָחָשׁ וַיָּנָס מֹשֶׁה מִפָּנָיו

. .

He said: 'Throw it upon the ground.' And he threw it, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.

Shemot 4:4

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה שְׁלַח יָדְךָ וֶאֱחֹז בִּזְנָבוֹ וַיִּשְׁלַח יָדוֹ וַיַּחֲזֶק בּוֹ וַיְהִי לְמַטֶּה בְּכַפּוֹ

. . . .

God said to him: 'Stretch out your hand and seize its tail.' And he stretched out his hand and seized it, and it became a staff in his hand.

Shemot 4:5

לְמַעַן יַאֲמִינוּ כִּי-נִרְאָה אֵלֶיךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבֹתָם אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם אֱלֹהֵי יִצְחָק וֵאלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב

. . .

So that they may believe that God — the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — has appeared to you.

Shemot 4:6

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה לוֹ עוֹד הָבֵא-נָא יָדְךָ בְּחֵיקֶךָ וַיָּבֵא יָדוֹ בְּחֵיקוֹ וַיּוֹצִאָהּ וְהִנֵּה יָדוֹ מְצֹרַעַת כַּשָּׁלֶג

. . . .

And He said to him further: 'Put your hand into your bosom.' And he put it in; then he brought it out — and behold, it was white as snow.

Shemot 4:7

וַיֹּאמֶר הָשֵׁב יָדְךָ אֶל-חֵיקֶךָ וַיָּשֶׁב יָדוֹ אֶל-חֵיקוֹ וַיּוֹצִאָהּ מֵחֵיקוֹ וְהִנֵּה-שָׁבָה כִּבְשָׂרוֹ

. . . .

And He said: 'Return your hand to your bosom.' And he returned it; then he brought it out, and it had returned [to be] like the rest of his body.

Shemot 4:8

וְהָיָה אִם-לֹא יַאֲמִינוּ לָךְ וְלֹא יִשְׁמְעוּ לְקֹל הָאֹת הָרִאשׁוֹן--וְהֶאֱמִינוּ לְקֹל הָאֹת הָאַחֲרוֹן

. .

And if they will not believe you, and will not accept the first sign, then they will believe the second sign.

Shemot 4:9

וְהָיָה אִם-לֹא יַאֲמִינוּ גַּם לִשְׁנֵי הָאֹתוֹת הָאֵלֶּה וְלֹא יִשְׁמְעוּן לְקֹלֶךָ--וְלָקַחְתָּ מִמֵּימֵי הַיְאֹר וְשָׁפַכְתָּ הַיַּבָּשָׁה וְהָיוּ הַמַּיִם אֲשֶׁר תִּקַּח מִן-הַיְאֹר וְהָיוּ לְדָם בַּיַּבָּשֶׁת

. . . . .

And if they will not believe these two signs, and will not accept from you — then take from the water of the Nile, and pour it upon the dry ground; and it shall change, and shall become blood upon the dry ground.'

Shemot 4:10

וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל-יְהוָה בִּי אֲדֹנָי לֹא אִישׁ דְּבָרִים אָנֹכִי גַּם מִתְּמוֹל גַּם מִשִּׁלְשֹׁם גַּם מֵאָז דַּבֶּרְךָ אֶל-עַבְדֶּךָ כִּי כְבַד-פֶּה וּכְבַד לָשׁוֹן אָנֹכִי

. . . .

And Moses said to his Lord: 'O my Lord, I am not a man of speech — neither from yesterday and before, nor from the time You spoke to Your servant; for I am heavy of mouth and of tongue together.'

Shemot 4:11

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֵלָיו מִי שָׂם פֶּה לָאָדָם אוֹ מִי-יָשׂוּם אִלֵּם אוֹ חֵרֵשׁ אוֹ פִקֵּחַ אוֹ עִוֵּר--הֲלֹא אָנֹכִי יְהוָה

. . . . .

God said to him: 'Who made speech for the human? Or who makes the mute, or the deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Is it not I, God?

Shemot 4:12

וְעַתָּה לֵךְ וְאָנֹכִי אֶהְיֶה עִם-פִּיךָ וְהוֹרֵיתִיךָ אֲשֶׁר תְּדַבֵּר

.

And now, go — and I shall be with your speech, and shall direct you in what you shall say.'

Shemot 4:13

וַיֹּאמֶר בִּי אֲדֹנָי שְׁלַח-נָא בְּיַד-תִּשְׁלָח

.

He said: 'O my Lord — send by whomever You will send.'

Shemot 4:14

וַיִּחַר-אַף יְהוָה בְּמֹשֶׁה וַיֹּאמֶר הֲלֹא אַהֲרֹן אָחִיךָ הַלֵּוִי--יָדַעְתִּי כִּי-דַבֵּר יְדַבֵּר הוּא וְגַם הִנֵּה-הוּא יֹצֵא לִקְרָאתֶךָ וְרָאֲךָ וְשָׂמַח בְּלִבּוֹ

. . . .

And God was greatly angered with him, and said: 'Is not Aaron your brother the Levite? I know that he is a speaker; and behold, he is going out to meet you, and he will see you, and rejoice in his heart.

Shemot 4:15

וְדִבַּרְתָּ אֵלָיו וְשַׂמְתָּ אֶת-הַדְּבָרִים בְּפִיו וְאָנֹכִי אֶהְיֶה עִם-פִּיךָ וְעִם-פִּיהוּ וְהוֹרֵיתִי אֶתְכֶם אֵת אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשׂוּן

. . .

And you shall speak to him, and shall set the words in his mouth; and I shall be with your speech and with his speech, and shall direct you in what you shall do.

Shemot 4:16

וְדִבֶּר-הוּא לְךָ אֶל-הָעָם וְהָיָה הוּא יִהְיֶה-לְּךָ לְפֶה וְאַתָּה תִּהְיֶה-לּוֹ לֵאלֹהִים

. .

And he shall speak for you to the people; and he shall be to you a spokesman, and you shall be to him a master.

Shemot 4:17

וְאֶת-הַמַּטֶּה הַזֶּה תִּקַּח בְּיָדֶךָ אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשֶׂה-בּוֹ אֶת-הָאֹתֹת

.

And take this staff in your hand — you shall perform the wonders by it.'

Shemot 4:18

וַיֵּלֶךְ מֹשֶׁה וַיָּשָׁב אֶל-יֶתֶר חֹתְנוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ אֵלְכָה נָּא וְאָשׁוּבָה אֶל-אַחַי אֲשֶׁר-בְּמִצְרַיִם וְאֶרְאֶה הַעוֹדָם חַיִּים וַיֹּאמֶר יִתְרוֹ לְמֹשֶׁה לֵךְ לְשָׁלוֹם

. . . . .

And Moses went, and returned to Jether his father-in-law, and said to him: 'Let me go and return to my brothers who are in Egypt, and see whether they are still surviving.' Jethro said to him: 'Go in peace.'

Shemot 4:19

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה בְּמִדְיָן לֵךְ שֻׁב מִצְרָיִם כִּי-מֵתוּ כָּל-הָאֲנָשִׁים הַמְבַקְשִׁים אֶת-נַפְשֶׁךָ

. . .

Then God said to Moses in Midian: 'Go, return to Egypt; for all the men who sought to kill you have died.'

Shemot 4:20

וַיִּקַּח מֹשֶׁה אֶת-אִשְׁתּוֹ וְאֶת-בָּנָיו וַיַּרְכִּבֵם עַל-הַחֲמֹר וַיָּשָׁב אַרְצָה מִצְרָיִם וַיִּקַּח מֹשֶׁה אֶת-מַטֵּה הָאֱלֹהִים בְּיָדוֹ

. . .

And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon donkeys, and led them; and he returned to the land of Egypt. And he took the staff which God had commanded him with in his hand.

Shemot 4:21

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה בְּלֶכְתְּךָ לָשׁוּב מִצְרַיְמָה רְאֵה כָּל-הַמֹּפְתִים אֲשֶׁר-שַׂמְתִּי בְיָדֶךָ וַעֲשִׂיתָם לִפְנֵי פַרְעֹה וַאֲנִי אֲחַזֵּק אֶת-לִבּוֹ וְלֹא יְשַׁלַּח אֶת-הָעָם

. . . . .

Then God said to him: 'In your going, to return to Egypt — see all the proofs which I have set in your hand: perform them before Pharaoh. And I shall harden his heart, and he shall not let the people go.

Shemot 4:22

וְאָמַרְתָּ אֶל-פַּרְעֹה כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה בְּנִי בְכֹרִי יִשְׂרָאֵל

. .

And say to him: Thus says God in honor: Israel is My son, My firstborn.

Shemot 4:23

וָאֹמַר אֵלֶיךָ שַׁלַּח אֶת-בְּנִי וְיַעַבְדֵנִי וַתְּמָאֵן לְשַׁלְּחוֹ--הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי הֹרֵג אֶת-בִּנְךָ בְּכֹרֶךָ

. . .

And I have said to you: Let My son go, that he may worship Me. And if you refuse to let him go — behold, I am about to kill your son, your firstborn.'

Shemot 4:24

וַיְהִי בַדֶּרֶךְ בַּמָּלוֹן וַיִּפְגְּשֵׁהוּ יְהוָה וַיְבַקֵּשׁ הֲמִיתוֹ

. .

And it was on the way, at the lodging-place, the angel of God came suddenly upon his son, and sought to kill him.

Shemot 4:25

וַתִּקַּח צִפֹּרָה צֹר וַתִּכְרֹת אֶת-עָרְלַת בְּנָהּ וַתַּגַּע לְרַגְלָיו וַתֹּאמֶר כִּי חֲתַן-דָּמִים אַתָּה לִי

. . . .

And Zipporah took a flint, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and presented it before [him]; and she said: 'The bridegroom was about to be killed.'

Shemot 4:26

וַיִּרֶף מִמֶּנּוּ אָז אָמְרָה חֲתַן דָּמִים לַמּוּלֹת

. .

And He desisted from him. At that time she said: 'The bridegroom marked for death has become circumcised.'

Shemot 4:27

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-אַהֲרֹן לֵךְ לִקְרַאת מֹשֶׁה הַמִּדְבָּרָה וַיֵּלֶךְ וַיִּפְגְּשֵׁהוּ בְּהַר הָאֱלֹהִים--וַיִּשַּׁק-לוֹ

. . . .

And God said to Aaron: 'Go to meet Moses, into the wilderness.' And he went, and met him at the mountain of God, and kissed him.

Shemot 4:28

וַיַּגֵּד מֹשֶׁה לְאַהֲרֹן אֵת כָּל-דִּבְרֵי יְהוָה אֲשֶׁר שְׁלָחוֹ וְאֵת כָּל-הָאֹתֹת אֲשֶׁר צִוָּהוּ

.

And Moses informed him of all the words of God which He had sent him with, and all the signs which He had commanded him.

Shemot 4:29

וַיֵּלֶךְ מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן וַיַּאַסְפוּ אֶת-כָּל-זִקְנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

. .

And Moses and Aaron went, and gathered all the elders of the sons of Israel.

Shemot 4:30

וַיְדַבֵּר אַהֲרֹן--אֵת כָּל-הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר-דִּבֶּר יְהוָה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה וַיַּעַשׂ הָאֹתֹת לְעֵינֵי הָעָם

. .

And Aaron spoke all the words which God had spoken to Moses, and performed the wonders in the presence of the people.

Shemot 4:31

וַיַּאֲמֵן הָעָם וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ כִּי-פָקַד יְהוָה אֶת-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְכִי רָאָה אֶת-עָנְיָם וַיִּקְּדוּ וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ

. . . .

And the people believed; and when they heard that God had remembered the sons of Israel, and had looked upon their affliction, they bowed down and prostrated themselves.