Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 4:6/אבן עזרא על שמות ד׳:ו׳
אויאמר. האות הראשון מטהו שהוא נמצא בידו, והשני בידו, אמר יפת, בעבור שחשד שלא יאמינו נצטרעה ידו א"כ היה ראוי להיות זה האות הראשון, ור' ישועה אמר כי זה רמז לישראל שהיו בתחלה חפשים, ונגעם השם בעבדות מצרים והוא ירפאם וישובו חפשים:
1AND THE LORD SAID. The first sign was performed upon the staff that was found in Moses’ hand. The second one was executed on Moses’ very hand.16 Yefet says that his hand became leprous because he suspected that the Israelites would not believe him.17 57a; Shemot Rabba 3:12. Similarly Rashi. It is hard to understand why I.E. would quote a Karaite when he had traditional sources at his disposal that said the same thing. However, if this were the case,18 this should have been the first sign.19 Rabbi Joshua says that this was a hint20 about Israel, who at first were free and then God plagued them with Egyptian bondage, and that God would eventually heal them and that they would be free once again.
בויאמר. הגאון אמר כי החיק הוא בית הזרוע, וככה "בחיקו ישא" (ישעי' מ יא) "שאהו בחיקך" (במד' יב), ואחרים אמרו כי הוא הבגד הסמוך לחזה:
2AND THE LORD SAID. Saadiah Gaon says that chek (bosom) refers to the sleeve of the arm. Similarly u-ve-cheko yissa (and carrieth them in his bosom) (Is. 40:11) and sa’ehu ve-chekekha (carry them in thy bosom) (Num. 11:12).21 means in his sleeve and ve-chekekha in your sleeve. Others say that it refers to a garment that lies close to the chest.