שמות, פרק ו׳, פסוק כ״ט

After a brief pause to trace the family lineage of the tribes, the narrative returns to its main focus. God renews His command to confront the ruler of Egypt, highlighting the direct and exclusive bond between Him and His prophet. The primary approach among commentators is that this moment does not introduce a new prophecy, but rather returns to a command God had already given Moses. Because the story was interrupted to detail the family origins, the narrative simply repeats the instruction to get the plot back on track [רש״י, שד״ל, קאסוטו]. Another perspective suggests that the text is summarizing the original conversation from the Burning Bush, placing it here to concentrate all the events leading up to the confrontation with Pharaoh into a single, cohesive storyline [בכור שור].

However, a different view argues that this is actually a completely new command. Initially, Moses assumed that he and his brother Aaron would share the burden of the mission equally, as is typical when two messengers are sent together. Now, God clarifies that Moses alone has been chosen as the central messenger to carry His word to Pharaoh [הכתב והקבלה]. When God declares His identity and absolute authority, the statement carries a dual purpose. On one hand, it serves as an empowering promise. God assures Moses that He is the one worthy to send him, possessing the absolute power to fulfill and execute the mission [רש״י]. At the same time, it acts as a reminder of the great promise of redemption that God had delivered to Moses earlier [קאסוטו].

God emphasizes His full presence by instructing Moses to pass along the exact divine message to Pharaoh precisely as it is received. Aaron is then tasked with explaining and interpreting those words. Because of this arrangement, Moses's earlier worry about his speaking difficulties becomes irrelevant. The Divine Presence itself will speak directly from his throat, ensuring the words emerge pure and refined [העמק דבר].

There is an even deeper reason for Moses's struggle with speech. His difficulty stems directly from his immense spiritual greatness. Having experienced a clearer and higher level of divine revelation than any other prophet, Moses transformed his mouth into a sacred vessel. As a result, his mouth is no longer suited for ordinary use, especially not to converse with a wicked king like Pharaoh. Because Aaron's prophecy remains at a standard level, he is able to serve as the spokesman. Meanwhile, Moses's capacity for direct speech is preserved for the ultimate moment of the giving of the Torah, where his lips will utter only words of pure holiness [שפתי כהן].