By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum
(דבר נא באזני העם וישאלו איש מאת רעהו… פרק יא פסוק ב
Hashem asks Moshe to instruct Klal Yisroel to go to the Egyptians and ask to borrow their gold
and silver. Rashi points out that Hashem expressed this as a request, almost a plea, because He
didn’t want Avraham Avinu to complain that Hashem never fulfilled His promise that Klal Yisroel
will leave with a “Rechush Gadol”, a large acquisition. The phrasing of Rashi is strange-
shouldn’t Hashem want to keep His promise of Rechush Gadol regardless of Avraham’s
complaint? It seems that only because of Avraham’s encouragement did Hashem feel
compelled to send off Klal Yisroel with a large treasure, but the fulfillment of the promise alone
would not have required it? R’ Eliyahu Boruch Finkel quotes R’ Nochum Partzovitz who
answered that only because of Avraham was Hashem required to provide Klal Yisroel with such
a large fortune. He explains that Chazal tell us that Avraham’s hospitality was such that
whoever came into his house was treated higher than their usual standard. When it came
to the Egyptian’s gold and silver, from Klal Yisroel’s perspective even a small amount of money
would be considered a Rechush Gadol compared to their assets as slaves the past 210 years.
Only because they were children of Avraham, who always ensured that a person is treated
greater than their expectation, were Klal Yisroel זוכה to receive something that would be a
Rechush Gadol even from the perspective of someone wealthier than them.
ויצא מעם פרעה בחרי אף (פרק יא פסוק ח)
After Makas Choshech, the plague of darkness, when Pharoah continues his stubborn refusal,
he angrily threatens Moshe that if he dares to show his face again then he will be punished
severely. Moshe readily agrees with Pharoah that he will indeed not come to see him again.
Then Moshe predicts מכת בכורות, the death of the firstborn and leaves Pharoah in a burning
anger. The גמרא comments that this anger of Moshe indicates that when he left, he slapped
Pharoah. Rashi says that Moshe’s anger was because Pharoah threatened him not to return. R’
Shimon Schwab asks, why did Moshe get so upset, he was a tremendous עניו and he also agreed
that he would not return to Pharoah? Additionally, when one gets angry, they lose their נבואה,
yet right after Pharoah threatens Moshe, Moshe continues to predict the last Makah? R’
Schwab says that clearly this was no simple, self-serving anger. Rather, Moshe was getting
upset about the terrible Chillul Hashem that Pharoah was causing. His public defiance of
Hashem’s Will was a disgrace to Hashem’s Name, and this caused Moshe to become enraged.
Until now, however, Moshe had to withhold his anger because Hashem had told him to
treat Pharoah with respect. Now, when Moshe had completed his final message to Pharoah,
and had promised not to return, he was no longer acting as Hashem’s messenger. Now he
showed Pharoah what he really thought of him and angrily slapped him for his impudence.
Anger for Hashem’s sake does not cause a loss of נבואה and is appropriate when doing so on
behalf of Hashem’s Honor.
