Vaeira 6:12 · EXTRA 1 — uncircumcised lips EXTRA

Parashas Vaeira · Side page (no TT primary unit)

The Complete Passuk

וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר מֹשֶׁ֔ה לִפְנֵ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר הֵ֤ן בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לֹֽא־שָׁמְע֣וּ אֵלַ֔י וְאֵיךְ֙ יִשְׁמָעֵ֣נִי פַרְעֹ֔ה וַאֲנִ֖י עֲרַ֥ל שְׂפָתָֽיִם׃ {פ}

But Moses appealed to GOD, saying, “The Israelites would not listen to me; how then should Pharaoh heed me, me—who gets tongue-tied!”dwho gets tongue-tied Lit. “uncircumcised of lips.”

Chabad.org — 6:12

Source Citation

Shemos Rabbah 6:2 — EXTRA.

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text

ואני ערל שפתים —\ldots כבד פה וכבד לשון.

English: “And I am of uncircumcised lips” — \ldots heavy of mouth and heavy of tongue.

On the midrash / in context: Moshe revisits the speech difficulty of 4:10; the midrash keeps the physical limitation in view even after the mission has begun.

Type of Learning

Custom

What Is Learned

Chazal connect the phrase to Moshe’s ongoing difficulty of speech.