It states (2:23) מלך וימת ההם הרבים בימים ויהי אל שועתם ותעל ויזעקו העבדה מן ישראל בני ויאנחו מצרים העבודה מן האלקים, "During those many days, it happened that the king of Mitzrayim died, and Bnei Yisrael moaned because of the work and they cried out. Their outcry because of the work went up to Hashem."
Why did they cry out to Hashem specifically now? The answer is, until now, they thought that Pharaoh was their problem. They figured that when Pharaoh died, their lives would improve. But Pharaoh died, and they were still enslaved. They still needed a yeshuah. That is when they realized that their problems weren't from Pharaoh but from Hashem's decree, and their salvation would come when they shouted out to Him.
When one believes that everything is from Hashem, he knows that the natural rules of logic don't necessarily apply. Logic told them that matters would be better for them when a new king ascended the throne, but when there was no improvement, they discovered that the decree came from Hashem. And when it is from Hashem, it is logical that the problem will remain even after Pharaoh dies.
ארצה השליכהו ויאמר ,מטה ויאמר בידך מזה 'ה אליו ויאמר לנחש ויהי ארצה וישלכהו (4:4-5), "Hashem said to Moshe 'What is in your hand?' and he said, 'a staff.' Hashem said, 'Cast it on the ground.' He cast it on the ground, and it became a snake..."
A מטה, a staff, represents something one relies on and leans on. People rely on various things: money, talent, wisdom, mazal, etc. Moshe's staff became a snake to indicate that when you rely on anyone or anything that isn't Hashem, the matter you depend on will harm you like a snake. You think it will help you, but you will be disappointed. The only one to rely on is Hashem.
Hashem told Moshe to do this miracle before the Jewish nation so they would know to rely solely on Him.
Hashem told Moshe to perform a second miracle before the Jewish nation to help them believe in Hashem. It states. (4:6-7) ויאמר ידו והנה ויוצאה בחיקו ידו ויבא בחיקך ידך נא הבא ,עוד לו 'ה חיקו אל ידו וישב חיקך אל ידך השב ויאמר ,כשלג מצרעת כבשרו שבה והנה מחיקו ויוצאה, "Hashem said further to Moshe, 'Bring your hand to your bosom.' He brought his hand to his bosom, then he withdrew it, and behold, his hand was leprous, like snow. Hashem said, 'Return your hand to your bosom.' He returned his hand to his bosom; then he removed it from his bosom, and behold it reverted to be like his flesh."
The Chofetz Chaim zt'l asks, to heal Moshe, why did Hashem tell Moshe to place his hand back into his bosom? Hashem could have healed Moshe without him needing to return his hand to his bosom.
The Chofetz Chaim answers that Hashem wanted to show that the same deed that brought about illness can create the cure. It defies logic. How can a bosom create illness and a cure? But this is because it isn't the bosom that afflicted Moshe's hand with tzaraas; it was Hashem's decree, and Hashem can heal him the same way he became ill.
It states (3:21-22) מצרים בעיני הזה העם חן את ונתתי ומגרת משכנתה אשה ושאלה ,ריקם תלכו לא תלכון כי והיה ושמלת זהב וכלי כסף כלי ביתה, "I shall grant this people favor (chen) in the eyes of Mitzrayim, so that it will happen that when you go, you will not go empty-handed. Each woman shall request from her neighbor and from the one who lives in her house silver vessels, golden vessels, and garments..."
These pesukim are discussing a scenario that indeed occurred, but totally defies worldly logic. At the beginning of the parashah, the Mitzrim hated the Jewish nation. (1:12) ישראל בני מפני ויקצו, "They became disgusted from Bnei Yisrael." Rashi explains that ויקצו means they became disgusted with their lives. The Mitzrim's lives had no meaning to them whenever they thought of Bnei Yisrael. Another explanation, Rashi says, is that they considered the Jewish nation to be like thorns (קוצים) in their eyes.
This is how much they hated the Jewish nation. Now, after the Yidden caused them to suffer ten makos, we would assume that the Mitzrim would hate the Jewish nation so much more! But it was the opposite. את ונתתי מצרים בעיני הזה העם חן, Hashem granted chen to the Jewish nation in the eyes of the Mitzrim. Now, they wanted to give them gold, silver, and more. Suddenly, they wanted to help the Jewish nation, and this was after they suffered so much from them! It defies all logic!
But the answer is that everything is in Hashem's hands, and therefore, when Hashem takes away the chen, they are hated, and when Hashem gives them chen, they are loved. If the Jewish nation would work with logic, they would ask, "How can I ask them for favors? They hate me!" But at this point, they discovered that everything is in Hashem's hands, and Hashem can turn it all around. Because with emunah that everything is from Hashem, logic doesn’t play a role; only what Hashem desires occurs.
It states (105:37) וזהב בכסף ויוציאם, "He took them out with silver and gold..." The Malbim explains, "They should have hated the Yidden because their first-born children had just died. Nevertheless, Hashem gave chen to the Yidden, and the Mitzrim were prepared to lend them anything they asked for."
This shouldn't surprise us because also the hatred came from Hashem, as it states (Tehilllim 105:25) עמו לשנוא לבם הפך, "He turned their hearts to hate His nation..." Rashi writes, "Hashem caused them to hate His nation." Therefore, Hashem can also turn it around and cause them to love the Jewish nation, even after the ten plagues occurred.
Some people trust in their wisdom and abilities to attain chen by others, but it will not work. It is in Hashem's hands, and no matter what you do, you can't attain chen on your own. And even when you do something that according to logic should take away your chen, it can increase it, if that is what Hashem wants at this time.
This is as the Midrash states (regarding Yosef's brothers), "When You wanted, you placed hatred in their hearts, and when You wanted, you placed love in their hearts." Everything is in Hashem's hands.
The Kli Yakar explains the pasuk (1:8) ויקם יוסף את ידע לא אשר מצרים על חדש מלך, "A new king arose over Mitzrayim who did not know of Yosef." "This means Pharaoh didn't know what happened to Yosef. The brothers tried with all their efforts to destroy Yosef, so his dreams wouldn't materialize, but all their attempts didn't help because Hashem wanted to make Yosef great and Hashem's plan will always transpire. Similarly, Pharaoh's plan of (1:10) ירבה פן, to prevent the growth of the Jewish nation was contrary to Hashem's plan of (1:12) ירבה כן that they should increase. Pharaoh made plans, but they didn't succeed, as Yosef's brothers failed. Whatever he did to go against Bnei Yisrael, that itself returned to be negative for the Mitzrim."
He didn’t know the story of Yosef, which showed that it is impossible to go against Hashem's plan. And if you try, Hashem will take your attempts and use them to bring about His will. The brothers sold Yosef to Mitzrayim so he wouldn't become king, and Hashem used this situation to make Yosef king. Similarly, Pharaoh initiated the slavery to stop the increase of the Jewish nation, and that only caused a greater increase in the Jewish people. Rashi writes that six children were born at one time. And this is because it is impossible to go against Hashem's plan. Logic might be on your side, but when Hashem wants otherwise, rules of logic do not apply.
The Gemara (Shabbos 119.) tells that there was a man called Yosef Mokir Shabbos (Yosef who honors the Shabbos). His neighbor, a non-Jew, was extremely wealthy. An astrologist told the neighbor, "All your wealth is destined to go to Yosef Mokir Shabbos." To prevent this, the neighbor sold all his properties, bought a very expensive diamond, and inserted the diamond in his hat. Rashi writes, "He made himself a cloth hat, and he decorated it with [small] boxes (משבצות) of gold, and in those boxes, he inserted diamonds. This precious diamond was placed there together with the others."
He planned to keep his eyes on his wealth, so Yosef Mokir Shabbos shouldn’t be able to get it. Once, as he crossed a bridge, a wind picked up the hat from his head and blew it into the river. A large fish swallowed the hat. Fishermen caught the fish and brought it ashore to sell. It was late Friday afternoon; everyone had already bought and prepared their Shabbos meals. The fishermen were disappointed. "Who will want to buy this fish now?" they asked.
They were advised to go to Yosef Mokir Shabbos's home and ask him if he wanted to buy it. The fishermen did so, and Yosef Mokir Shabbos purchased the fish. As he cut open the fish to prepare it for Shabbos, he found the diamond. He sold the diamond for an enormous amount of money. (Thirteen flights filled with gold coins.) Yosef Mokir Shabbos met an old person who told him, "When one borrows money to buy for Shabbos, Shabbos will pay back his debts."
The Ben Ish Chai (Ben Yehoyada) asks that it seems that the purpose of this Gemara is to teach that when one honors Shabbos, he will earn wealth and success. If this is the case, the Gemara could have been written in a far shorter manner, starting from the fact that Yosef Mokir Shabbos bought a fish late Friday afternoon and found a diamond in it.
The Ben Ish Chai answers that the Gemara's elaboration teaches us that when something is bashert, there is nothing one can do to prevent it from occurring. The wealthy man’s money was destined to go to Yosef Mokir Shabbos, and all his attempts to avoid it just helped it happen.
