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Why did Moshe demand that Pharaoh provide animals for sacrifices, yet never actually accept them after the tenth plague? The Ramban (רמב"ן) questions whether such an offer was serious, since "the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination." The shiur proposes that had Pharaoh released the Jews before Makas Bechoros—submitting to God's authority through choice rather than terror—his sacrifices would have constituted genuine teshuvah and been acceptable.
The shiur analyzes a puzzling exchange between Moshe and Pharaoh after the ninth plague. Pharaoh agrees to let the Jews leave but wants them to leave their livestock behind. Moshe responds not only that they will take their own animals, but that Pharaoh himself will provide animals for sacrifices: "V'gam atah titen b'yadeinu zevachim u'olaos la'asos l'Hashem (ה׳) Elokeinu" (Shemos 10:25). However, there is no evidence in the Torah (תורה) that Pharaoh ever actually provided such animals. The Ramban (רמב"ן) asks a fundamental question: Why would Moshe propose accepting sacrificial animals from Pharaoh at all? The principle of "zevach reshaim to'eivah"—the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination—should preclude accepting or offering sacrifices on behalf of a wicked person like Pharaoh. The Ramban therefore concludes that Moshe's statement was not a serious request but rather a rhetorical way of saying, "You'll be so desperate to save yourself that you would even offer us animals if we asked."
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Why does the Midrash connect Pharaoh's expulsion of the Jews to the mitzvah of shiluach hakan? The shiur develops a chiddush that Pharaoh's sin wasn't only drowning the children, but the insensitivity of expelling the parents afterward. The deeper analysis reveals that Pharaoh may have valued the Jews greatly and wanted to control them—making his expulsion an act of tremendous cruelty, not liberation.
Why does Moshe respond to the splitting of the sea with shirah rather than praise or thanksgiving? Rashi's use of "al libo" reveals that shirah is an emotional expression—a response of love to love. When Hashem shows personal care, the only adequate response is "I love You too," not mere gratitude or praise, and this principle applies to all relationships.
Shemos 10:25-26, 12:31
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