Will you say to yourself in your heart, "These nations are more numerous than I; how will I be able to drive them out"? You shall not fear them. You shall surely remember what Hashem did to Pharaoh and to all of Egypt: (7:17-18)
There is a difficulty in this phrase: Why does it say the word ½L §a ́ ̈a §l ¦a to yourself, It would have been logical to say i¦p®¤n ¦n d¤l−¥` ̈d m¬¦i eB©d mi²¦a ©x ,Æx ©n` z i³¦k Will you say "These nations are more numerous than I”? Besides we speak with our mouth and not our heart! Another question is, why does Hashem have to say m®¤d¥n `− ̈xi ¦z `¬ l You shall not fear them. It should only have said: You shall surely remember what Hashem did?
We can understand this phrase based on a beautiful insight from Rav Levi Yitzchok of Barditchev in his Sefer Kedushas Levi Parshas Shlach: When the Yidden acted foolish and wanted to rebel, Hashem was ready to punish them severely. Moshe was their rescuer and pleaded with Hashem to forgive them. Hashem said to Moshe Rabbeinu L «¤x ̈a §c ¦k i ¦z §g−©l ̈q 'd x¤n` ́ i©e: (f z rcsnc) "And Hashem said, 'I have forgiven, according to your words." (Bamidbar 14:20) And Rashi explains "L «¤x ̈a §c ¦k" according to your words, as referring to what Moshe had said earlier, d² ̈Y ©n«¥d§e c® ̈g¤` Wi ́¦` §M d−¤G©d m¬ ̈r ̈dÎz¤` :x «n`¥l −L£r §n ¦W z¤` E¬r §n« ̈W x¤W£` m½¦i eB©d ÆEx §n« ̈`§e :m®¤d ̈l r ́©a §y¦p x¤y£` u ¤x− ̈` ̈dÎl¤` d½¤f©d m ́ ̈r ̈d z¤` Æ`i ¦a ̈d §l 'd z¤l ́ k§i iº¦z §l ¦a ¦n sh) (zy- uy and if You kill this nation like one man, the nations who have heard of Your reputation will say as follows: 'Since the Lord lacked the ability to bring this nation to the Land which He swore to them, He slaughtered them in the desert.'
At first glance, it is difficult to understand what Rashi is teaching us. But, upon deeper reflection, it seems that Rashi's intention is: Moshe prayed to Hashem, for the sake of Yisrael with the argument that a Chilul Hashem/desecration of Hashem's Name, G-d forbid, be avoided, as it says in the verse: "m½¦i eB©d ÆEx §n« ̈`§e" the nations will say! But this argument is difficult to understand, because all the thoughts of men are under the control of the Hashem, Who can direct the course that people should follow. If so, Hashem could overturn the thoughts of the nations, that they would not say, "Because Hashem lacked the ability..." and there would not occur, G-d forbid, a desecration of Hashem's Name!
But the fact of the matter is: it is written in Sefer Iyov (22:28) ,K® ̈l m8w ́ ̈i§e x¤n † ` x©f§b ¦z§e "You shall also make a decree..."(The posuk continues) "...and they will be fulfilled..." Chazal teach us miiwn d"awde xfeb wicv (Sota 12a Taanis 23b) that the word of the righteous makes an impression above and below. Therefore, since Moshe alluded to the fact in his prayer that there would, G-d forbid, be a desecration of Hashems's Name if Klal Yisrael were to be destroyed, then certainly there would, be a desecration of Hashem's Name. Now this is what Rashi meant when he explained "L «¤x ̈a §c ¦k", according to “to your words” as referring to: “Your words made an impression”, and because of your words, they would certainly say! But if not for your words m½¦i eB©d ÆEx §n« ̈`§e "they will say," the nations would not say those things. But since you, Moshe, said that they would say, they will certainly say those things! With these beautiful words we understand the difference between saying words outright versus saying it in the heart: In our Parsha, Moshe is stressing to the Yidden, since you only thought the decree ½L §a ́ ̈a §l ¦a in your hearts, and not in words, it is not a decree, and Hashem can change the minds of the people. Therefore, m®¤d¥n `− ̈xi ¦z `¬ l You shall not fear them! There is also the concept of l ©`, o ̈h ̈V©l d¤R g ©Y §t ¦Y “Don't open your mouth to the satan” Hold it in your heart and not in your mouth.
