וַיֵּ֨לֶךְ מֹשֶׁ֜ה וַיָּ֣שָׁב ׀ אֶל־יֶ֣תֶר חֹֽתְנ֗וֹ וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לוֹ֙ אֵ֣לְכָה נָּ֗א וְאָשׁ֙וּבָה֙ אֶל־אַחַ֣י אֲשֶׁר־בְּמִצְרַ֔יִם וְאֶרְאֶ֖ה הַעוֹדָ֣ם חַיִּ֑ים וַיֹּ֧אמֶר יִתְר֛וֹ לְמֹשֶׁ֖ה לֵ֥ךְ לְשָׁלֽוֹם׃

Moses went and returned to Yeter his father-in-law, and he said to him: Many years have passed since I fled from Egypt. Please, let me go and return to my brethren who are in Egypt and see if they are still alive. In explaining his return to Egypt, Moses offered personal reasons instead of revealing anything to Yitro regarding his divine mission to redeem his people. Perhaps Moses was hesitant to reveal his mission before he could successfully carry it out, or maybe he was concerned that Yitro would not believe him. Yitro said to Moses: Go in peace.

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֤ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה֙ בְּמִדְיָ֔ן לֵ֖ךְ שֻׁ֣ב מִצְרָ֑יִם כִּי־מֵ֙תוּ֙ כָּל־הָ֣אֲנָשִׁ֔ים הַֽמְבַקְשִׁ֖ים אֶת־נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃

Moses originally fled from Egypt as a fugitive accused of murder. With regard to Moses’ delay in returning to Egypt due to this accusation, the Lord said to Moses, while he was still with Yitro in Midyan: Go, return to Egypt, as all the men who seek your life have died. The situation in Egypt has changed, and you can now return to Egypt without worry.

וַיִּקַּ֨ח מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶת־אִשְׁתּ֣וֹ וְאֶת־בָּנָ֗יו וַיַּרְכִּבֵם֙ עַֽל־הַחֲמֹ֔ר וַיָּ֖שָׁב אַ֣רְצָה מִצְרָ֑יִם וַיִּקַּ֥ח מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶת־מַטֵּ֥ה הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים בְּיָדֽוֹ׃

Moses took his wife and his sons and mounted them on the donkey, and they returned to the land of Egypt. Presumably, Moses walked alongside the donkey. Moses also took the staff of God in his hand.

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוָה֮ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה֒ בְּלֶכְתְּךָ֙ לָשׁ֣וּב מִצְרַ֔יְמָה רְאֵ֗ה כָּל־הַמֹּֽפְתִים֙ אֲשֶׁר־שַׂ֣מְתִּי בְיָדֶ֔ךָ וַעֲשִׂיתָ֖ם לִפְנֵ֣י פַרְעֹ֑ה וַאֲנִי֙ אֲחַזֵּ֣ק אֶת־לִבּ֔וֹ וְלֹ֥א יְשַׁלַּ֖ח אֶת־הָעָֽם׃

The Lord said to Moses: When you go to return to Egypt, see all the wonders that I have placed in your hand, the various signs you have been provided, and perform them before Pharaoh. That is, these signs are not meant solely for the children of Israel, but for Pharaoh as well. And be aware that I will harden his heart, and he will not send forth the people, despite your rhetoric and these miraculous signs.

וְאָמַרְתָּ֖ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֑ה כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה בְּנִ֥י בְכֹרִ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

You shall say to Pharaoh: So said the Lord: My firstborn son is Israel.

וָאֹמַ֣ר אֵלֶ֗יךָ שַׁלַּ֤ח אֶת־בְּנִי֙ וְיַֽעַבְדֵ֔נִי וַתְּמָאֵ֖ן לְשַׁלְּח֑וֹ הִנֵּה֙ אָנֹכִ֣י הֹרֵ֔ג אֶת־בִּנְךָ֖ בְּכֹרֶֽךָ׃

And I say to you: Send forth My son, and he will serve Me in the wilderness, and if you refuse to send him forth, behold, I will slay your firstborn son in retribution for your refusal to free My firstborn.

וַיְהִ֥י בַדֶּ֖רֶךְ בַּמָּל֑וֹן וַיִּפְגְּשֵׁ֣הוּ יְהוָ֔ה וַיְבַקֵּ֖שׁ הֲמִיתֽוֹ׃

It was on the way, in the lodging, where Moses and his family rested on their way to Egypt, an angel of the Lord encountered him and sought to kill him. Moses was in critical condition, and may have appeared to be dying.

וַתִּקַּ֨ח צִפֹּרָ֜ה צֹ֗ר וַתִּכְרֹת֙ אֶת־עָרְלַ֣ת בְּנָ֔הּ וַתַּגַּ֖ע לְרַגְלָ֑יו וַתֹּ֕אמֶר כִּ֧י חֲתַן־דָּמִ֛ים אַתָּ֖ה לִֽי׃

Tzipora, wife of Moses, was certain that this experience was due to some flaw in their behavior. Therefore, she took a flint and she cut her son’s foreskin, and touched it to his feet, Tzipora placed the foreskin beside the angel’s feet, or Moses’, or her son’s; and she said to the child: For you are a bridegroom of blood to me. That is, now that I have circumcised you, there is a new connection between us. Alternatively, Tzipora said to Moses: You are a bridegroom of blood to me, as the merit of this circumcision saved you from death and atoned for your transgression, thus renewing the covenant between us.

וַיִּ֖רֶף מִמֶּ֑נּוּ אָ֚ז אָֽמְרָ֔ה חֲתַ֥ן דָּמִ֖ים לַמּוּלֹֽת׃ (פ)

After Tzipora circumcised the child, he, the angel, released him, Moses. Then she said: A bridegroom of blood because of circumcision.

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֔ן לֵ֛ךְ לִקְרַ֥את מֹשֶׁ֖ה הַמִּדְבָּ֑רָה וַיֵּ֗לֶךְ וַֽיִּפְגְּשֵׁ֛הוּ בְּהַ֥ר הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים וַיִּשַּׁק־לֽוֹ׃

The Lord said to Aaron: Go toward Moses to the wilderness. He went and he met him at the mountain of God, and Aaron greeted Moses with love and he kissed him.

וַיַּגֵּ֤ד מֹשֶׁה֙ לְאַֽהֲרֹ֔ן אֵ֛ת כָּל־דִּבְרֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר שְׁלָח֑וֹ וְאֵ֥ת כָּל־הָאֹתֹ֖ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוָּֽהוּ׃

Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord: That He sent him, and all the signs that He commanded him, since they would now be required to carry out the mission together.

וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ מֹשֶׁ֖ה וְאַהֲרֹ֑ן וַיַּ֣אַסְפ֔וּ אֶת־כָּל־זִקְנֵ֖י בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Moses and Aaron went, and they assembled all the elders, the leaders, of the children of Israel.

וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר אַהֲרֹ֔ן אֵ֚ת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיַּ֥עַשׂ הָאֹתֹ֖ת לְעֵינֵ֥י הָעָֽם׃

Aaron, who was a skilled orator and was known to the people, spoke all the words that the Lord spoke to Moses, and he, Aaron, performed the signs that Moses received in order to validate his prophecy, in the sight of the people.

וַֽיַּאֲמֵ֖ן הָעָ֑ם וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֡וּ כִּֽי־פָקַ֨ד יְהוָ֜ה אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וְכִ֤י רָאָה֙ אֶת־עָנְיָ֔ם וַֽיִּקְּד֖וּ וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲוּֽוּ׃

The people trusted and heard that the Lord remembered the children of Israel and that He saw their affliction. Moses’ concern that the people would react toward this declaration with skepticism was thus confuted. Although they were not personally acquainted with Moses, they believed him because of his personality, or because of the signs. And they bowed and prostrated themselves to God in gratitude for the news that the time for their redemption had arrived.