Let's begin with a recap of last week...
Exodus 1:8:
A new king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph.
A new king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph.
The analogy is not exact (Trump incited a violent insurrection; Pharaoh embittered the lives of the Hebrew slaves, etc.), but there are some rather unfortunate parallels! Onwards...
ולא שמעו אל משה. להתבונן בכל זה בענין שיבטחו בישועת האל יתברך ויחשבה להם צדקה, כענין באברהם, וכן לא נתקיים בהם ונתתי אותה לכם אבל נתנה לבניהם:
ולא שמעו אל משה, to mentally absorb all this, so that they would have full trust in the salvation of G’d and give Him credit for this. This is where they were different from Avraham in his time, who believed implicitly in an impossible-sounding promise, and who gave credit to G’d for making such a promise. This was eventually the reason why this part of G’d’s promise was not fulfilled in the lifetime of the people who were being addressed at this time.
הן בני ישראל לא שמעו אלי. כי חשב שהיה זה מפני שראו שמאז בא לדבר אל פרעה הרע הצורר ולא הציל השליח, כל שכן שיעשה זה פרעה שעשה כרצונו והגדיל:
הן בני ישראל לא שמעו אלי, he believed that this was due to the fact that from the moment he had started speaking to Pharaoh the latter had become worse in his attitude and the people, putting two and two together, had concluded that his mission had failed. If he felt that way, Pharaoh would certainly not pay any heed to him and continue doing what he liked.
Moshe repeatedly (and as a result, revealingly) says that his speech impediment prevents him from carrying out God’s mandate. God’s answer (Shemot 4:11)41 seems so obvious that one wonders why Moshe had not been embarrassed to even bring it up. It is manifestly clear that God is able to fix Moshe’s speech if it is necessary.42 We take it for granted that God knows what He is doing when He asks Moshe to be an emissary to Pharaoh. The obviousness of the answer and Moshe’s multiple repetition of the problem even after hearing God’s response (Shemot 6:12; Shemot 6:30).43 tell us to dig deeper. Indeed, the text mandates that we look below the surface.
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֖ה לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה הֵ֤ן אֲנִי֙ עֲרַ֣ל שְׂפָתַ֔יִם וְאֵ֕יךְ יִשְׁמַ֥ע אֵלַ֖י פַּרְעֹֽה׃ (פ)
Moses appealed to the LORD, saying, “See, I am of impeded speech; how then should Pharaoh heed me!”