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Why did Moshe wait until Makkas Barad to leave the city before praying, when he prayed during earlier plagues inside Egypt? The shiur distinguishes between two forms of prayer: asking God for help (permitted anywhere) versus surrendering in His presence through Shemoneh Esrei or perisas kapayim. Only prayers that bring God's presence—like lifting one's hands in surrender—cannot be performed in a place filled with idolatry.
The shiur analyzes a Rashi (רש"י) on the plague of Barad (hail) in Parshas Va'eira. When Moshe tells Pharaoh he will remove the plague, he says "k'tzeis min ha'ir"—when I leave the city, I will pray to Hashem (ה׳). Rashi explains that Moshe had to leave the city because it was filled with idols, and he would not pray in such a place. The Rama in Shulchan Aruch quotes the Terumas Hadeshen, ruling that one should not daven in a hotel or place filled with idols. The Ramban (רמב"ן) raises a critical question on Rashi: Why did Moshe wait until now—the seventh plague—to make this distinction? During the six earlier plagues, Moshe also prayed to remove them. Why didn't he leave the city then?
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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 9:29 (Parshas Va'eira)
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