What will Mitzrayim hear?
Rashi: They will hear that Hashem massacred the whole of Yisrael.
What exactly will Mitzrayim then say? How does "Vesham'u ... ki He'elisa be'Chochacha ... " fit into the picture?
Rashi: Having seen how Hashem took Yisrael out of Egypt with great strength, they will therefore draw the conclusion that, although He was able to defeat the Egyptians, he subsequently killed Yisrael - not because they sinned to him, but - because He was not capable of defeating the Cana'anim. 1
Rashi: In fact, this theme repeats itself in the following three Pesukim in a more detailed fashion, as we will now explain.
?Ve?e?eseh osch le?Goy Gadol ? Vesham?u Mitzrayim ? ?. Is it feasible that, if not for what the Egyptians would say, Moshe would have accepted Hashem?s offer to destroy Yisrael and builtd a new ntion from him? Had he not already been Moser Nefesh on their behalf when he declared ?Mecheini Na mi?Sifr?cha asher Kasavta?
R. Bachye (citing his Rebbe the Rashba): What Moshe meant was that, if Hashem would destroy Yisrael, the Egyptians, misconstruing Hashem?s intentions, would conclude that, although Hashem was stronger than their gods, He was not stronger than the gods of the Cana?anim (Chas ve?Shalom), and it is due to the Chilul Hashem ? that people would believe that Kevayachol there is a Power that is stronger than Hashem, that Moshe declined to accept Hashem?s suggestion. 1
See R. Bachye.
