What were the two instructions that Hashem issued to Moshe; (which he would query in the next Pasuk, 3:11)?
Rashi, Seforno and Rashbam: a. To go to Pharaoh and convey Hashem's request; b. To take Yisrael out of Egypt.
Ramban: a. To go to Pharaoh and request an end to the slavery; b. To take Yisrael out of Egypt.
?ve?Atah L?chah ? :. Why is the a ?Hey? in ?L?chah??
R. Bachye #1: It hints at the five days that Yisrael were destined to encamp in front of Har Sinai before the Torah was given. 1
R. Bachye #2: It refers to the last letter (?Hey?) in Hashem?s Name Havayah
And when Hashem said to Moshe in Pasuk 12 ?ve?Zeh l?cha ha?Os?, he was referring to the letter ?Hey? ? those five days - in the current Pasuk, that preceded Matan Torah. See R. Bachye and R. Chavel?s footnotes.
Why did Hashem tell Moshe at this early stage that he should take Yisrael out of Egypt, since that was only destined to occur a year later?
Rashi: The Shibud was destined to get worse before it got better, and many hurdles had yet to be overcome before Yisrael would be ready to leave Egypt. Hence, Hashem reassured him already now that he should not be put off by those hurdles, because, in the end, he would succeed in his mission and take Yisrael out of Egypt.
QUESTIONS ON RASHI
Rashi writes: "Now go, and I shall send you to Pharaoh - ... And if you say, what will that accomplish? 'You shall bring out My nation' - Your words will be effective; you will bring them out of there." Why divide the statement into a dialogue of two parts?
Gur Aryeh: Hashem does not say, 'I shall send you to Pharaoh, to bring out My nation" (in the infinitive), but rather "... and bring out My nation." This implies an independent statement. 1
Gur Aryeh: Had the verse in fact said, '... [I will send you to Pharaoh] to bring out,' it would have implied; a. that Moshe was to initiate the mission, but someone else might ultimately bring them out; b. that Moshe was sent with the goal in mind to bring them out, but with no guarantee of success. Rashi's explanation negates both of these.
