Moses insisted that the Jews would not believe that G-d had sent him, so G-d gave him the power to perform some miracles that would prove that he was on a Divine mission. Finally, Moses argued that his speech impediment prevented him from being an effective leader. To this, G-d replied that Moses’ older brother Aaron was a gifted speaker and would do the talking in his stead. G-d then informed Moses that Pharaoh would refuse to release the Jews, and that only after suffering miraculous plagues would he do so. G-d therefore instructed Moses to take his staff, with which he would perform these miracles..
The Staff of G-d
וַיִּקַּח מֹשֶׁה אֶת מַטֵּה הָאֱלֹקִים בְּיָדוֹ:
(שמות ד:כ)
Moses took the staff of G-d in his hand.
Exodus 4:20
Even though, as we will see, Moses gave Pharaoh the honor
due a king and spoke to him respectfully, he made no compromises in his demands
concerning the people’s spiritual and physical needs. He spoke with “the staff
of G‑d in his hand,” i.e., with authority and determination.
The lesson for us here is that whenever we are confronted with an
“Egyptian king,” i.e., someone who seeks to impose upon us elements of a
lifestyle that goes against our values and principles – whether through
kindness or force – we must recognize the inherent danger in succumbing to such
pressure. In the end, this Pharaoh will tell us to drown ourselves (or our
children) in material culture. We must therefore respectfully but resolutely
insist on living according to the Torah’s values.1
