How did Pharaoh know Moshe and Aharon's names?
Ramban: He asked them their names, and addressed with respect.
Whom was Pharaoh referring to when said, ''Lechu le'Sivloseichem"?
Rashi, Ramban #1 and Rashbam: He meant that Moshe and Aharon should return home to indulge in their personal work. 1 Shevet Levi was not enslaved.
Ramban #2: Since they came to him accompanied by all the people, Pharaoh simply rejected their request and dismissed them all, ordering the people to go back to the heavy work 2 that they were doing for him. 3
Ramban #3 citing the Ibn Ezra): Pharaoh was telling Moshe, who represented the people) to order them to go back to work.
Rashbam: He meant that they should neither be idle from their personal work, nor should they cause others to be idle from his (Pharaoh's) work. Refer to 5:4:3:1, and see also Ramban DH 'v'Rashi Piresh.'
Oznayim la'Torah: Interestingly, Pharaoh himself described their work as 'Sivlos,' and not just Avodah.
Later, Moshe and Aharon returned alone (see Shemos 7:10), and Pharaoh treated them with more respect. See Ramban.
Upon Pharaoh's refusal, why weren't Moshe and Aharon immediately commanded to perform a wonder before him (but only later, in 7:8-13)?
Maharal (Gevuros Hashem, beg. Ch. 30, p. 116): The Redemption had to come in two stages, two "reckonings" (as in the expression "Pakod Pakadti" (3:16)). Chazal write that Moshe returned to Midyan, out of sight for six months! That is why Moshe did not perform wonders before Pharaoh at this point. The greatness of the Redemption could not come all at once, but only in two stages. 1
Maharal (Ohr Chadash, p. 53): The redemption of Am Yisrael arrives bit by bit; it is impossible to reach such lofty levels at one time.
QUESTIONS ON RASHI
Rashi writes: "The slavery in Egypt did not apply to the Tribe of Levi." Was Levi exempt from Hashem's decree at the Bris Bein ha'Besarim?
Gur Aryeh: Yaakov had set Levi aside as Ma'aser from among his sons. 1 Thus, the Tribe of Levi belonged to Hashem, and was therefore excluded from the decree of, "the offspring that is yours will be strangers... and enslaved..." (Bereishis 15:13).
See Bereishis Rabah 70:7. When Yaakov vowed to separate Ma'aser from all that Hashem would give him, his children were included. Refer to Bereishis 28:22:2:2 and its notes; and Bereishis 32:25:3:2 and its notes.
Rashi writes that Shevet Levi was not enslaved. But why would the wicked Pharaoh exempt the Tribe of Levi from slavery?
Ramban: It was customary for every nation to designate their sages to teach the people their laws and customs. Consequently, Pharaoh exempted the tribe of Levi (by Divine design) from the slavery.
Hadar Zekenim (to Shemos 1:13) #1: When Pharaoh enticed Yisrael to work for pay (refer to 1:13:1:3 and note), Shevet Levi refused, 1 for they knew that they would carry the Aron Kodesh.
Hadar Zekenim (to Shemos 1:13) #2; Gur Aryeh #1: Pharaoh saw that Yaakov treated Levi with distinction, exempting him from carrying his coffin to Eretz Kena'an (Rashi to Bereishis 50:13). Pharaoh therefore treated Levi differently as well. 2
Gur Aryeh #2: Pharaoh was well aware of the next verse of the Bris Bein ha'Besarim, "And the nation that they will serve, I shall also judge!" (15:14); and he was afraid of its fulfillment. He planned to circumvent this prophecy by not enslaving the entire nation of Avraham; he excluded the important Tribe of Levi, and hoped that Hashem would be appeased by this. 3
Maharal #1 (Gevuros Hashem, beg. Ch. 30, p. 116): Yosef had exempted the tribe of Levi from taxes, just as the priests of all the nations were exempt (see Bereishis 47:26). This policy remained under subsequent Pharaohs.
Maharal #2 (ibid.): The materialistic Egyptians were incapable of subjugating the tribe of Levi's holiness. 4
Da'as Zekenim: They said, 'We do not know how to make bricks.' After that, Pharaoh had no claim against them.
Hadar Zekenim: Although Yosef, too, did not carry the coffin, that was because he was king. Now, he was no longer king.
