Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Exodus 6:12/רמב"ן על שמות ו׳:י״ב

אהֵן בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא שָׁמְעוּ אֵלַי כִּי לֹא עָשִׂיתָ דְּבָרַי נִשְׁמָעִים לָהֶם, וְאֵיךְ יִשְׁמָעֵנִי פַרְעֹה וְעוֹד, כִּי אֲנִי עֲרַל שְׂפָתָיִם וְאֵינִי הָגוּן שֶׁאֲדַבֵּר לִפְנֵי מֶלֶךְ גָּדוֹל. וְיִתָּכֵן לְפָרֵשׁ שֶׁחָשַׁב מֹשֶׁה אוּלַי כִּי מִפְּחִיתוּתוֹ לֹא שָׁמְעוּ אֵלָיו, כִּי הוּא עֲרַל שְׂפָתַיִם וְלֹא יָכִין לְדַבֵּר עַל לִבָּם דְּבָרִים טוֹבִים דְּבָרִים נִחֻמִים, אַף כִּי יְדַבֵּר לְפַרְעֹה. וְטַעַם הַכָּתוּב הַזֶּה, כִּי מִתְּחִלָּה לֹא צִוָּה אוֹתוֹ שֶׁיְּדַבֵּר הוּא אֶל פַּרְעֹה, רַק אָמַר "וּבָאתָ אַתָּה וְזִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל מֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם וַאֲמַרְתֶּם אֵלָיו" (שמות ג':י"ח), וְהָיָה אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁיְּדַבְּרוּ הַזְּקֵנִים וְהוּא יַחֲרִישׁ. וְהָיָה בּוֹשׁ מִלְּדַבֵּר גַּם אֶל הָעָם וְאָמַר "לֹא אִישׁ דְּבָרִים אָנֹכִי" (שם ד י). וְהקב"ה הֱשִׁיבוֹ "וְדִבֶּר הוּא לְךָ אֶל הָעָם" (שם שם טז), וְכֵן עָשָׂה בְּבוֹאָם מִתְּחִלָּה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר (שם שם ל) "וַיְדַבֵּר אַהֲרֹן אֵת כָּל הַדְּבָרִים (האלה) אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר ה' אֶל מֹשֶׁה וַיַּעַשׂ הָאֹתֹת לְעֵינֵי הָעָם". וְעַתָּה כַּאֲשֶׁר נִצְטַוָּה מֹשֶׁה "לָכֵן אֱמֹר לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲנִי ה'", דִּבֵּר הוּא לָהֶם בְּעַצְמוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּהוּ וְלֹא שָׁמְעוּ אֵלָיו, וְכַאֲשֶׁר חָזַר וְצִוָּה אוֹתוֹ לְדַבֵּר אֶל פַּרְעֹה אָמַר אֵיךְ אֲדַבֵּר אֵלָיו וַאֲנִי עֲרַל שְׂפָתָיִם, והקב"ה צֵרֵף אַהֲרֹן עִמּוֹ וְצִוָּה שְׁנֵיהֶם אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁיְּדַבְּרוּ לָהֶם כָּל אֲשֶׁר יְצַוֵּם וְאֶל פַּרְעֹה לְהוֹצִיאָם מֵאַרְצוֹ. וְרַשִׁ"י פֵּרֵשׁ (רש"י על שמות ו':י"ג) עַל דְּבַר בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְעַל שְׁלִיחוּתוֹ שֶׁל פַּרְעֹה. וְאֵין צֹרֶךְ:

1BEHOLD, THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL HAVE NOT HEARKENED UNTO ME because You have done nothing [for Israel] so that my words should be acceptable to them. AND HOW THEN SHALL PHARAOH HEAR ME? AND besides, I AM OF UNCIRCUMCISED LIPS, and I am not fit to speak before a great king.It is possible to explain that Moses thought that due to his deficiency — for he was of uncircumcised lips — the children of Israel would not hearken to him, for he could not frame [words] to speak⁶¹ kindly to them, words of good cheer and comfort, and all the more how could he speak to Pharaoh?Now the reason that Moses again broached this argument [of his speech-impediment, when he had already mentioned it above in Chapter 4, Verse 10], is that G-d did not originally command him that he was to speak before Pharaoh. He merely said, And thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him.⁶² In that case it was possible that the elders should speak [before Pharaoh] and Moses would remain silent. Then Moses said that he was ashamed even to speak to the people, saying, I am not a man of words.⁶³, 4:10. Whereupon the Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, And he [Aaron] shall be thy spokesman unto the people.⁶⁴, Verse 16. And so indeed Moses and Aaron did when they first came to the people, as it is said, And Aaron spoke all the words which the Eternal had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.⁶⁵, Verse 30. But now Moses himself was commanded, Wherefore say unto the children of Israel: I am the Eternal,⁶⁶ and he did speak to them as He commanded him, but they did not hearken to him.⁶⁷ Now when He again commanded Moses to speak to Pharaoh,⁶⁸ Moses said, “How can I speak to him, I who am of uncircumcised lips.” Then the Holy One, blessed be He, associated Aaron with him, and gave both of them a charge unto the children of Israel,⁶⁹ that they should say to them whatever He will command them, and unto Pharaoh⁶⁹ to bring them forth out of his land. Now Rashi commented: “[And He gave them a charge unto the children of Israel, and unto Pharaoh, king of Egypt]. That is to say, He gave them a command with regard to the children of Israel and His mission on which He had sent them to Pharaoh.” But there is no need for this.⁷⁰