Pgs. 457-469

Ch. 6-9

SECTION VAERA.

AND the Lord spake with Mosheh, and said to him, I am the Lord who revealed Myself to thee in the midst of the bush, and said to thee, I am the Lord. And I was revealed unto Abraham, and to Izhak, and to Jakob, as EI‑Shaddai; but My Name Ye‑ya, as it discovereth My Glory,[1] was not known to them. [JERUSALEM. And the Lord was revealed in His Word unto Abraham, to Izhak, and to Jakob, as the God of Heaven; but the Name of the Word of the Lord was not known. to them.] And I confirmed also My covenant with them, to give them the land of Kenaan, the land of their sojourning in which they were sojourners. And now cometh before Me the groaning of the sons of Israel, because the Mizraee do enslave them; and I remember My covenant. Therefore say to the sons of Israel, I am the Lord; and I will bring you forth from the oppressive bondage of the Mizraee, and will deliver you from your servitude, and save you with an uplifted arm, and by great judgments. And I will bring you nigh before Me to be a people, and I will be a God unto you, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God who hath led you forth from the hard service of the Mizraee. And I will bring you into the land which I covenanted by My Word to give unto Abraham, to Izhak, and to Jakob; and I will give it to you for an inheritance. I Am the Lord. And Mosheh spake according to this to the sons of Israel; but they received not from Mosheh, through anxiety of spirit, and from the strange and hard service which was upon their hands. [JERUSALEM. From anxiety.]

And the Lord spake to Mosheh saying, Go in, speak with Pharoh, the king of Mizraim, that he release the children of Israel from his land. And Mosheh said before the Lord, Behold, the sons of Israel do not hearken to me; how then will Pharoh hearken to me, and I a man difficult of speech? And the Lord spake with Mosheh and with Aharon, and gave them admonition for the sons of Israel, and sent them to Pharoh, king of Mizraim, to send forth the children of Israel from the land of Mizraim.

These are the heads of the house of their fathers. The sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, Hanok and Phallu, Hezron and Karmi; these are the race of Reuben. And the sons of Shimeon, Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jakin, and Sochar, and Shaul (he is Zimri, who yielded himself unto fornication, as among the Kenaanaee); these are the race of Shimeon. And these are the names of the sons of Levi, according to their race: Gershon, and Kehath, and Merari. And the years of the life of Levi a hundred and thirty and seven years: he lived to see Mosheh and Aharon the deliverers of Israel. And the sons of Gershon, Libni and Shemei, according to their generations. And the sons of Kehath, Amram, and Jitshar, and Hebron, and Uzziel. And the years of the life of Kehath the saint, a hundred and thirty and three years. He lived to see Phinehas, who is Elijah, the Great Priest, who is to be sent to the captivity of Israel at the end of the days. And the sons of Merari, Mahali and Mushi; these are the race of Levi according to the generations. And Amram took Jokeved his cousin to wife, and she bare him Aharon and Mosheh; and the years of Amram the saint were a hundred and thirty and seven years. He lived to see the children of Rechabia bar Gershom bar Mosheh. And the sons of Jitshar (were) Korah, and Nepheg, and Zichri. And the sons of Uzziel, Mishael, and Elsaphan, and Sithri. And Aharon took Elisheba, daughter of Aminadab, sister of Nachshon, Unto him to wife, and she bare him Nadab and Abihu, Elasar and Ithamar. And the sons of Korah, Assir, and Elkanah, and Abiasaph: these are the race of Korah. And Elasar bar Aharon took unto him a wife from the daughters of Jethro who is Putiel, and she bare him Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers of the Levites, according to their generations. These are Aharon and Mosheh, to whom the Lord said, Bring forth the sons of Israel free from the land of Mizraim, according to their hosts;‑these are they who spake with Pharoh, king of Mizraim, that he should send out the sons of Israel from Mizraim; it is Mosheh the prophet, and Aharon the priest.

And it was in the day when the Lord spake with Mosheh in the land of Mizraim, that Aharon gave a listening ear, and heard what He spake with him. And the Lord spake with Mosheh, and said to him, I am the Lord. Say to Pharoh, king of Mizraim all that I tell thee. And Mosheh said before the Lord, Behold, I am difficult in speaking; how then will Pharoh hearken to me?

VII. But the Lord said to Mosheh, Wherefore art thou fearful? Behold, I have set thee a terror to Pharoh, as if thou wast his God, and Aharon thy brother shall be thy prophet. Thou shalt speak to Aharon that which I command thee, and Aharon thy brother shall speak to Pharoh, that he release the sons of Israel from his land. But I will harden the disposition of Pharoh's heart to multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Mizraim. Nor will Pharoh hearken to you. But I will shoot among them the arrows of death, and inflict the plagues of My mighty band upon Mizraim, and will bring out the sons of Israel free from among them. And Mosheh and Aharon did as the Lord commanded them, even so did they. And Mosheh was the son of eighty years, and Aharon the son of eighty and three years, at their speaking with Pharoh. And the Lord spake to Mosheh and to Aharon, saying, When Pharoh talketh with you, saying, Give us a miracle, thou shalt say to Aharon, Take thy rod, and cast it down before Pharoh, and it shall become a basilisk‑serpent;[2] for all the inhabiters of the earth shall hear the voice of the shriek of Mizraim when I shatter them, as all the creatures heard the shriek of the serpent when made naked at the beginning. [JERUSALEM. And throw down before Pharoh.]

And Mosheh and Aharon went in unto Pharoh, and did as the Lord had commanded. And Aharon threw down the rod before the sight of Pharoh, and before the sight of his servants, and it became a basilisk. But Pharoh called the hachems and magicians; and they also, Janis and Jamberes, magicians of Mizraim, did the same by their burnings of divination. They threw down each man his rod, and they became basilisks;[3] but were forthwith changed to be what they were at first; and the rod of Aharon swallowed up their rods. And the disposition[4] of Pharoh's heart was hardened, and he would not hearken to them, as the Lord had said.

And the Lord said to Mosheh, The disposition of Pharoh's heart is obdurated in refusing to release the people. Go unto Pharoh in the morning: behold, he cometh forth to observe divinations at the water as a magician; so shalt thou prepare thee to meet him on the bank of the river, and Aharon's rod that was changed to be a serpent thou shalt take in thy hand. [JERUSALEM. To refresh himself at the river.] And thou shalt say to him, The Lord God of the Jehudaee hath sent me unto thee, saying Release My people, that they may serve Me in the desert; and, behold, as yet thou bast not hearkened. Thus saith the Lord: By this sign thou shalt know that I am the Lord. Behold, with the rod that is in my hand, I will smite the waters of the river, and they shall be changed into blood. And the fish that are in the river shall die, and the river become foul, and the Mizraee shall desist from drinking water from the river.

And the Lord said to Mosheh, Tell Aharon, Take thy rod and stretch forth thy hand over the waters of the Mizraee over their rivers, Over their trenches, over their canals, and over every place for collecting their waters, and they will become blood; and there shall be blood in all the land of Mizraim, and in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone. [JERUSALEM. In vases.] And Mosheh and Aharon did so, as the Lord commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters of the river in the sight of Pharoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters of the river were turned into blood; and the fish that were in the river died; and the river became foul, and the Mizraee could not drink of the waters, of the river and the plague of blood was in all the land of Mizraim. But so (also) did the astrologers of Mizraim by their burnings, and turned the waters of Goshen into blood. And the design of Pharoh's heart was strengthened, and he would not hearken. to them, as the Lord had said. And Pharoh did what was needful to him, and went unto his house, nor did he set his heart upon this plague. And the Mizraee digged about the river for water to drink, but could not find them pure; for they were not able to drink of the water from the river.

And seven days were completed after the Lord bad smitten the river, and the Word of the Lord had afterward healed the river. And the Lord spoke to Mosheh, Go in unto Pharoh and say to him, Thus saith the Lord, Emancipate My people, that they may serve before Me. But if thou refuse to set them free, behold, I will plague all thy borders with frogs. And the river shall multiply frogs, and they shall ascend and come up into thy house, and into the bedchamber where thou sleepest, and upon thy couch; and into the house of thy servants, and among thy people, and into the ovens, and into thy baking‑troughs, and upon thy body, and upon the bodies' of thy people, and upon all thy servants, shall the frogs have power.

VIII. And the Lord said to Mosheh, Lift up thy hand with thy rod over the rivers, over the trenches, and over the canals, [JERUSALEM. Pools,] and I will bring up the frogs upon the land of Mizraim. And Aharon uplifted his hand over the waters of Mizraim, and the plague of frogs came up and covered the land of Mizraim. But Mosheh (himself) did not smite the waters, either with the blood or with the frogs because through them (the waters of the Nile) he had (found) safety the time that his mother laid him in the river. And the astrologers did likewise by their burnings, and brought up frogs upon the land of Mizraim. And Pharoh called to Mosheh and to Aharon, saying, Pray before the Lord, that He may remove the frogs from me and from my people; and I will release the people to offer the sacrifices of a feast before the Lord. And Mosheh said to Pharoh, Glorify thyself on account of me. At what time dost thou request that I should pray for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, that the frogs may be destroyed from thee and from thy house, and be left only in the river? And he said, To‑morrow. And he said, According to thy word: that thou mayest know that there is none like the Lord our God. [JERUSALEM. Give a sign, and keep at a distance, till I shall have prayed for thee.] And the frogs shall depart from thee, and from thy house, and from thy servants, and from thy people; and those only that are in the river shall remain. And Mosheh and Aharon went out from Pharoh, and Mosheh prayed before the Lord respecting the frogs, as he had proposed to Pharoh. And the Lord did according to the word of Mosheh; and the frogs died from the houses and from the courts and from the field, and they collected them in heaps and heaps, [JERUSALEM. Heaps, heaps,] and the land was corrupted. And Pharoh saw that he was refreshed from his molestation, but hardened his heart, and would not hearken to them, as the Lord had said.

And the Lord said to Mosheh, Speak unto Aharon, Lift up thy rod and smite the dust of the earth, and it shall become venomous insects[5] in all the land of Mizraim. But it shall not be by thee that the ground shall be smitten, because therein for thee was (the means of) safety when thou hadst slain the Mizraite and it received him. And they did so, and Aharon lifted up his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the ground, and it became a plague of venomous insects upon the flesh of men and of cattle; all the dust of the earth was changed to become insects, in all the land of Mizraim. And the astrologers wrought with their burnings to bring forth the insects, but were not able; and the plague of insects prevailed upon men and upon cattle. And the astrologers said to Pharoh, This is not by the power or strength of Mosheh and Aharon; but this is a plague sent from before the Lord. Yet the design of Pharoh's heart was strengthened, and he would not hearken to them, as the Lord had said.

And the Lord spake to Mosheh, Arise in the morn­ing, and stand before Pharoh: behold, be goeth forth to observe divinations at the water, as a magician; and thou shalt say to him, Thus saith the Lord, Emancipate My people, that they may worship before Me; but if thou wilt not set My people free, behold, I will stir up among thee, and thy servants, and thy people, and thy house, a mixed multitude of wild beasts [JERUSALEM. A commixture,] and the houses of the Mizraee shall be filled with a swarm of wild beasts, and they shall be upon the land also. And I will do wonders that day in the land of Goshen where My people dwell, that there no swarms of wild beasts shall be;‑that thou mayest know that I the Lord am the Ruler in the midst of the land. And I will appoint redemption for My people, and upon thy people will I lay the plague: tomorrow this sign shall be. And the Lord did so; and sent the mixed multitude of wild beasts in strength to the house of Pharoh, and to the house of his servants and in all the land of Mizraim the inhabitants of the land were devastated from the swarm of wild beasts. And Pharoh called to Mosheh and to Aharon., saying, Go, worship with festival sacrifices before the Lord your God in this land. But Mosheh said, It will not be right to do so; because we shall take sheep, which are the abomination of the Mizraee, and offer them before the Lord our God. Behold if we offer the abomination of the Mizraee before them, they would stone us with stones as an act of justice. We will go three days journey into the wilderness to offer the festival sacrifices before our God, as He hath bidden us. And Pharoh said, I will release you to sacrifice before the Lord your God in the wilderness, only you shall not go to a greater distance. Pray, (too,) for me. And Mosheh said, I will go forth from thee, and pray before the Lord to remove the swarm of wild beasts from Pharoh, and from his servants, and from his people, to‑morrow; only let not Pharoh add to deceive, in not releasing the people to offer the festal sacrifices before the Lord. And Mosheh went out from Pharoh, and prayed before the Lord; and the Lord did according to the word of the prayer of Mosheh, and removed the swarm of wild beasts from Pharoh, and from his servants, and from his people; not one was left. Yet did Pharoh strengthen the design of his heart this time also, and released not the people.

IX. And the Lord said to Mosheh, Go in to Pharoh, and say to him, Thus saith the Lord, the God of the Jehudaee, Emancipate My people, that they may worship before Me. But if thou refuse to release, and hitherto thou hast constrained them, behold, the stroke of the Lord's hand shall be as it hath not been yet, upon thy cattle that are in the field, upon the horses, and upon the asses, upon the camels, oxen, and sheep, with a very mighty death. [JERUSALEM. Great conturbation.] And the Lord will work wonders between the flocks of Israel and the flocks of the Mizraee, that not any of those which belong to the sons of Israel shall die. And the Lord set a time, saying, To‑morrow will the Lord do this thing in the land. And the Lord did that thing the day after, and all the cattle of the Mizraee died; but of the cattle of the sons of Israel died not one. And Pharoh sent certain to look; and, behold, not one of the cattle of the sons of Israel had died, not even one. But the disposition of Pharoh, heart was aggravated, and he would not release the people.

And the Lord said to Mosheh and to Aharon, Take with you hands‑full of fine ashes from the furnace, and let Mosheh sprinkle them towards the height of the heavens in the sight of Pharoh. And the dust shall be upon all the land of Mizraim, upon man and upon beast, for a boil, producing tumours in all the land of Mizraim [JERUSALEM. Tumours.] And they took ashes of the furnace, and arose to meet Pharoh; and Mosheh sprinkled them towards the height of the heavens; and there came a boil multiplying tumours upon man and beast. And the astrologers could not stand before Mosheh, on account of the boil; for the plague of the boil was upon the astrologers, and upon all the Mizraee. And the Lord hardened the design of Pharoh's heart, and he would not hearken to them, as the Lord had said to Mosheh.

And the Lord said to Mosheh, Arise in the morning, and place thyself before Pharoh, and say to him, Thus saith the Lord, the God of the Jehudaee, Emancipate My people, that they may worship before Me. For at this time I will send upon thee a plague from the heavens, and all My plagues Wherewith I have plagued thee thou wilt cause to return upon thy heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, (plagues) which have been sent from before Me, and not from the magic of the sons of men, that thou mayest know that there is none like Me in all the earth. Now could I send the plague of My strength by judgment (or, with justice) to strike thee and thy people with death, and destroy thee from the earth; but verily I have spared thee alive, not that I may benefit thee, but that My power may be made manifest to thee, and that My Holy Name may be made known in all the earth. Hitherto hast thou tyrannized over My people, instead of releasing them. [JERUSALEM. Relentlessly.] Behold, at this time tomorrow I will cause to come down from the treasures of the heavens a mighty hall, the like of which hath never been in Mizraim since the day when men were settled upon it until now. But now send, gather together thy flocks, and all that thou hast in the field (for) upon all men and cattle that are found in the field, and not gathered together within the house, will the hail come down, and they will die. Hiob, (Job,) who reverenced the word of the Lord, among the servants of Pharoh, gathered together his servants and his flocks within the house. But Bileam, who did not set his heart upon the word of the Lord, left his servants and his flocks in the field.

And the Lord said to Mosheh, Uplift thy hand towards the height of the heavens, and there shall be hail on all the land of Mizraim, upon men, and upon beasts, and upon every herb of the field in the land of Mizraim. And Mosheh lifted up his rod toward the height of the heavens, and the Lord gave forth thunders and hailstones with flaming, fire upon the ground; the Lord made the hail descend upon the land of Mizraim. And there was hail, and fire darting among the hail with exceeding force: unto it had never been the like in all the land of Mizraim ever since it was a nation and a kingdom. And the hail smote in all the land of Mizraim whatsoever was in the field, of men and of cattle, and all the herbage of the field the hail smote, and every tree of the field it shattered and uprooted. Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, there was no hail. And Pharoh sent certain to call Mosheh and Aharon; and he said to them, This time I have sinned. I know that the Lord is a righteous God, and that I and my people have deserved every one of these plagues. Intercede before the Lord, that with Him it may be enough, and there may be no more maledictory thunders nor hail from the presence of the Lord; and I will release you, and no longer hinder. And Mosheh said to him, When I have gone out from thee into the city, I will outspread my hands in prayer before the Lord, and the thunders shall cease, and there shall be no more hail; that you may know that the earth is the Lord's. But I know that thou and thy servants release the people, they will have to be afraid before the Lord God. And the flax and the barley were beaten down, because the barley was in the ear, and the flax was making pods. [JERUSALEM. The flax was (making) pods, for it had cast its flowers.] But the wheat and the spelt were not smitten, because they are later. And Mosheh and Aharon went out from Pharoh to the suburb, and he stretched out his hands in prayer before the Lord, and the thunders of the curse were withheld, and the hail and rain that were descending came not on the earth. And Pharoh saw that the rain and hail and the thunders of the curse had ended, and he added to sin, and made strong the design of his heart, both he and his servants. And Pharoh's heart was made obstinate, and he would not release the children of Israel, as the Lord had said through Mosheh.



[1] Or, "in the face of My Shekinah."

[2] Chive chureman.

[3] Churemana.

[4] Yistra, "disposition," or "design."

[5] Kalma, "genus fornicae."- Castel. Heb. text, kinnim, "gnats."