Chazal (Shemos Rabba 1:24, Sotah 12:) tell that Yocheved, Moshe's mother, made a חופת בתיבה נעורים, a chuppah in the teivah (casket) which she placed in the Nile.
But what was the purpose of making a chuppah? There was no chasunah happening now! It was a time of immense tzaar! A Jewish mother had to place her three-month-old baby into the Nile to face the danger of the water and the many bloodthirsty Mitzrim. Why was this time to make a chuppah?
The Ponovitzer Rav zt'l answers that Yocheved had bitachon. She was sure that her son would survive. So, she made a chuppah over the casket to remind herself that her son would certainly get married one day.
Miriam stood from the distance, to watch what was happening to Moshe, as it states (2:4) לוֹ ֶהָׂשיֵּע ַהמ ָהֵעלְד ָחֹקֵרמ ֲחֹתוֹא ַצַּבֵּתוַת, "His sister stood from afar, to know what would be done to him."
The Chofetz Chaim zt'l (al HaTorah) writes, "Miriam was certain that her brother would be saved, but she didn't know how, in which manner. And then she saw that Pharaoh's daughter came and saved Moshe. We learn from this that whenever there is a tzarah, salvation will eventually come, even if presently we don't know how. Every day, we should hope and trust that Hashem will save us from the tzarah."
It states (2:6) ֶהבֹּכ ַרנַע ִנֵּהוְה ֶדַיֶּלה ֶתא ֵהוִּּרְאוַת ַּחְתִּפוַת זֶה ִבְרִיםָעה ֵיִיַּלְדמ ֶרֹּאמוַת ָיוָלע ְמֹלַּחוַת, "[Basyah] opened [the casket] and saw the child, and behold, the lad was weeping. She had compassion on him and said, 'This is from the Jewish children.'"
The Meforshim ask, how did Basyah know this was a Jewish child? Also, from the pasuk, it seems that she realized it was a Jewish child only after she heard his crying and not initially when she saw the child. What was unique about his cry that convinced her that this was a Jewish child?
Reb Mordechai Chaim of Slonim zt'l answered that a Jew doesn't cry like a goy. A goy cries out of despair, but a Yid cries with hope that His Father in Heaven will save him. He never loses hope. Basyah heard the baby cry with hope, so she knew this was a Jewish child.
Rebbe Yitzchak of Vorke zt'l said, quoting his rebbe, Rebbe Dovid of Lelov zt'l that it is written in future tense because it is a rule for all generations. Whenever there is a gezeirah or a tzarah, something good will come from it.
Years later, Moshe was chosen to take the Yidden out of Mitzrayim. However, after his first attempt, their situation worsened. They now had to gather straw to make bricks, unlike previously, when the straw was provided.
Moshe complained (5:22) ַזֶּהה ָםָעל ָהֵעֹתֲרה ָהָמלָםָעל ַעֵרה ֶָךְׁמבִּש ַבֵּרלְד ַּרְעֹהפ ֶלא ִיבָּאת ָזֵאוּמ ,ָּנִיְתַחׁלְש זֶּה ָּהָמלֶָּךַמע ֶתא ִָּצַּלְתה לֹא ַצֵּלוְה ַזֶּהה, "Why have You harmed this people? Why have You sent me? Since I have come to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has harmed this people, and You have not saved Your nation."
Moshe’s point was that after Hashem sent him to Pharaoh to save the nation, things should have become easier for the Yidden. But the opposite occurred. Things were becoming worse than ever before.
Hashem replied (6:1) ֶהֱׂשֶעא ֶרֲׁשא ֶהִרְאת ָּהַתעַרְצוֵֹאמ ֵםׁיְגָרְש ָהֲזָקח וּבְיָד ֵםַלְּחׁיְש ָהֲזָקח בְיָד כִּי ַרְעֹהלְפ, "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh, for with a mighty hand he will send them out, and with a mighty hand he will drive them out of his land."
What is Hashem's answer? The question still seems valid. Why did matters become harder for the Jewish people when the steps of salvation had begun?
The Kli Yakar explains:
"It is known that every night, moments before daybreak, the darkness becomes even darker. And then the light of the morning arrives and shines through. Similarly, most ill people suddenly become stronger moments before their passing. They sit on their bed and request to eat something, although they are about to die. The same is true with winter. At the end of the winter, it becomes colder, and then, the sun wins. This is the rule of nature. When one feels that something or someone wants to terminate or destroy him, he will force himself to become stronger to fight it off. He refuses to give up. He does whatever he can do. But in the end, he loses because the power opposing him will overcome him."
The Kli Yakar explains that this is why the night becomes darker right before daybreak. It senses that morning is approaching, which will remove the darkness, so it fights back by becoming even darker. In the end, it doesn't succeed. The sun shines forth, and the night disappears, but it is the night's attempt before it is removed with the morning light.
The ill know when their end is approaching, so they fight harder to live and to survive. They become strong; they sit up and talk, although, before that moment, they couldn't. Also, the winter senses that its season will soon end, so it becomes even stronger. When something fears it will become extinguished, it becomes stronger than before.
The Kli Yakar concludes, "The same was with Pharaoh. Pharaoh became crueler than ever before. This was a clear sign that his end was near. This was the reason Pharaoh became stronger at this time.
"This is the meaning ofֶהִרְאת ָּהַתע, 'Now you will see.' With the word ָּהַתע, 'now,' Hashem answered Moshe's question. Moshe asked ָהֵעֹתֲרה ָהָמל, why have things become harder for the Jewish nation? Logic says that things should become easier for the nation at this time. But it was because Pharaoh had to send them out of Mitzrayim that he now fought against them with a mighty arm. This was actually a sign that salvation was imminent."
The Kli Yakar gives another explanation. Once again, Moshe Rabbeinu questioned the circumstances in Mitzrayim after he went to Pharaoh according to Hashem’s command that Pharaoh free the Jewish nation. Why were matters only becoming worse? Hashem replied that it was so he could redeem Bnei Yisroel sooner. They were destined to be in Mitzrayim for 400 hundred years, but only 210 years had passed. Therefore, slavery had to become harder for it to be considered that they were in Mitzrayim for 400 hundred years.
