Shemos 3:18 · EXTRA 1 — they will listen to your voice EXTRA

Parashas Shemos · Side page (no TT primary unit)

The Complete Passuk

וְשָׁמְע֖וּ לְקֹלֶ֑ךָ וּבָאתָ֡ אַתָּה֩ וְזִקְנֵ֨י יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל אֶל־מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֗יִם וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֤ם אֵלָיו֙ יְהֹוָ֞ה אֱלֹהֵ֤י הָֽעִבְרִיִּים֙ נִקְרָ֣ה עָלֵ֔ינוּ וְעַתָּ֗ה נֵֽלְכָה־נָּ֞א דֶּ֣רֶךְ שְׁלֹ֤שֶׁת יָמִים֙ בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר וְנִזְבְּחָ֖ה לַֽיהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃

They will listen to you; then you shall go with the elders of Israel to the king of Egypt and you shall say to him, ‘The ETERNAL, the God of the Hebrews, became manifest to us. Now therefore, let us go a distance of three days into the wilderness to sacrifice to the ETERNAL our God.’

Chabad.org — 3:18

Source Citation

Shemos Rabbah 3:8 (and Rashi citing the same tradition) — EXTRA.

Core Text of Chazal / Classic Source

Core Text

ושמעו לקלך — מיד ישמעו לקולך. למה? שמסורת גאולה היא בידם, שכל גואל שיבוא ויאמר להם פקידה כפולה הוא גואל של אמת.

English: “And they will listen to your voice” — immediately they will listen. Why? Because a tradition of redemption is in their hands: any redeemer who comes and says to them a doubled expression of remembrance (pakod pakadeti) is a true redeemer.

On the midrash / in context: The midrash explains the certainty of Israel’s response: the doubled language of divine remembrance was the pre-arranged sign transmitted from Yaakov and Yosef. Recognition is therefore instant, not gradual persuasion.

Type of Learning

Custom

What Is Learned

Chazal teach that Israel possessed a fixed criterion for authentic redemption — the doubled “pakod” formula — and would therefore hearken at once.