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Why was Aharon commanded to strike the Nile during the first plagues instead of Moshe? The Midrash says the waters that saved Moshe when he was cast into the Ye'or shouldn't be struck by him. The shiur struggles with profound questions: what exactly did Moshe owe the water, how is bringing frogs a "strike" against water, and why didn't Aharon—who drank Egyptian water for 85 years—have the same obligation?
This shiur represents an intensive struggle with a Midrash Rabba on Parshas Vaeira regarding why Aharon, not Moshe, was commanded to strike the Nile to bring the first plagues. The Midrash states that the waters that protected Moshe when he was cast into the Ye'or should not be struck by him—it would be improper (ein din) for Moshe to do so. The discussion opens multiple profound questions that remain unresolved throughout the shiur. The first major difficulty is understanding what exactly Moshe "owed" the water. If the principle is hakaras hatov (gratitude to an inanimate object), why didn't Aharon have an equal or greater obligation? Aharon lived in Egypt for 85 years, drinking and benefiting from Egyptian water, while Moshe was only there for 20 years before fleeing to Midian. Furthermore, all the Jewish people—including Aharon's children and grandchildren—survived because of Egyptian water. Why should Moshe's specific moment of being placed in the Nile create a unique obligation?
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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.
Parshas Vaeira, Midrash Rabba
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