Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Sforno · Torah

Sforno on Exodus 11:9/ספורנו על שמות י״א:ט׳

אוַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל מֹשֶׁה לֹא יִשְׁמַע אֲלֵיכֶם פַּרְעֹה כוּ'. אָמַר שֶׁבִּהְיוֹת שֶׁהָאֵל יִתְבָּרַךְ אָמַר אֶל מֹשֶׁה שֶׁטַּעַם הַכְבָּדַת הַלֵּב שֶׁהָיְתָה לְפַרְעֹה כִּי הִקְשָׁה ה' אֶת רוּחוֹ, הָיָה כְּדֵי לְהַרְבּוֹת מוֹפְתָיו, כְּדֵי שֶׁבָּהֶם יַכִּירוּ הַמִּצְרִים וְיִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת גָּדְלוֹ וְטוּבוֹ, כַּאֲמָרוֹ "וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי אֲנִי ה'" (שמות י:ב). וְהִנֵּה לְהַשְׁלִים כַּוָּנָתוֹ זֹאת מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן יַחְדָּיו הִתְעַסְּקוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת הַמּוֹפְתִים. לָכֵן עַתָּה כַּאֲשֶׁר גָּזַר הָאֵל יִתְבָּרַךְ לְהַעֲנִישׁ אֶת הַמִּצְרִים וּלְהַצִּיל אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאוֹתוֹ הָעֹנֶשׁ, עִם הֱיוֹת קְצָתָם רְאוּיִים לוֹ בְּצַד מָה, וּלְהַפִּיל אֶת אֱלֹהֵי מִצְרַיִם, כְּדֵי שֶׁיָּחוּל הָעֹנֶשׁ, וְכָל זֶה בְּזֶבַח הַפֶּסַח, כַּאֲמָרוֹ "וְעָבַרְתִּי וְהִכֵּיתִי", "אֶעֱשֶׂה שְׁפָטִים", "וּפָסַחְתִּי" (שמות יב:יב-יג), רָצָה שֶׁתִּהְיֶה מִצְוָתוֹ זֹאת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל עַל יְדֵי מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן יַחְדָּיו, כְּמוֹ שֶׁהִשְׁתַּדְּלוּ יַחְדָּיו לְהָשִׁיב אֶת הַמִּצְרִים בִּתְשׁוּבָה וּלְהוֹרוֹת אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּזְכּוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם יַחַד לְהוֹצִיא לְפֹעַל אֶת פְּרִי פְּעֻלַּת הִשְׁתַּדְּלוּתָם.
1ויאמר ה' אל משה לא ישמע אליכם פרעה, G’d told him that the reason why Pharaoh would not react positively to Moses’ warning was simply that He, G’d, had stiffened his heart in order to be able to demonstrate more miracles. This was designed to teach both the Egyptians and the Israelites the multi-faceted power of G’d, as well as His goodness, as He had said: “you will know that I am Hashem.” (10,2) Moses and Aaron performed all these miracles in order to fulfill what G’d had wanted to demonstrate through human messengers. Now, that the time had come to punish the Egyptians, not to demonstrate miracles, and to save the Israelites, i.e. at least the ones that deserved being saved, and also to destroy the Egyptian deities, G’d introduces the part the Passover was to play in this end-game. This portion commences with 12,12-13. G’d wanted that the command-ment of the Passover be communicated to the people by both Moses and Aaron so that just as Moses and Aaron both had had a part to play in their confrontation with Pharaoh, they should also have a similar part to play in getting the Israelites to perform the two commandments which would qualify them to take advantage of Pharaoh’s downfall, i.e. their own salvation, the Exodus. Only in this way would Moses and Aaron reap the reward of all their efforts so far.