Moshe said to Hashem, "Then the Egyptians will hear it; for you brought up this people in your might from among them,
The Ohr Hachaim asks multiple questions. 1 – why does Moshe Rabbeinu’s claim begin with the letter וי"ו? What is this argument in addition to? He could have merely said that the Mitzrim will hear. 2 – why did Moshe Rabbeinu say that Hashem brought up Klal Yisroel? The Mitzrim saw much more than that, they saw Hashem’s great miracles and wonders, they suffered His wrath and plagues. Why did he fixate on the uplifting of Klal Yisroel? 3 – what is the connection between Klal Yisroel’s destruction and the hearing of Mitzrayim? Why were they contradicted to each other? If the purpose is to tell us which Mitzrayim is being discussed, as though there was place for confusion and the suggestion that there were two Mitzrayims, what would cause someone to make this mistake? Why would someone think it is the other one and not the default one? And even if there was, why would someone think it is the other one and not the default one?
The Ohr Hachaim explains with a comparison between this aveira and the one with the golden calf. When Moshe davened to save Klal Yisroel from their aveira at the golden calf, he evoked the merits of our forefathers, which he did not do at the story of the Meraglim. Why did he not add that merit with the claims he made here?
The Ohr Hachaim explains that Moshe was alluding to that claim in this possuk. Besides the original claim of the merits of their forefathers, he added a new claim that the Mitzrim would hear about it. This is the purpose of the letter וי"ו. This sentence is in addition to the claims of Parshas Ki Sisa, which Moshe Rabbeinu connected with the letter וי"ו.
He then explained that Mitzrayim will certainly hear about this. He proved this from the fact that Hashem removed Klal Yisroel from Mitzrayim with great power. It is obvious that the remnants of Mitzrayim made sure to keep informed about the activities of their former slaves, and they would love to hear about their successes.
The Ohr Hachaim offers another explanation why Moshe Rabbeinu was only worried about Mitzrayim hearing and not about other nations. He said ‘the nation that you brought up from them’ because they knew that it was impossible to leave Mitzrayim. The Egyptian sorcerers had built a strong system of protection, based on their advanced levels of sorcery and magic, and nobody could leave Mitzrayim without permission. No slave had ever escaped from Mitzrayim, and when Klal Yisroel left Mitzrayim, the impossible took place. Hashem removed us from Mitzrayim, thereby displaying His great powers.
If Klal Yisroel were destroyed in the desert, even if the family of Moshe Rabbeinu would survive and enter Eretz Yisroel, the Mitzrim would say that one family must have been strong enough to overcome the sorcerers of Mitzrayim and their trickery. They would say that Moshe’s family was stronger than the rest, and that is how they survived the treachorous trip through the desert when the others didn’t. Klal Yisroel needed Hashem’s help to leave Mitzrayim, and Hashem’s powers were limited; only Moshe’s family had greater powers. The entire Kidush Hashem of the exodus from Mitzrayim would be nullified and a great Chilul Hashem would emerge.
The possuk reads now כִּּי הֶעֱלִּיתָ בְכֹחֲךָ – that You uplifted with Your powers, אֶת הָעָם הַזֶה – this specific nation. This nation that left, without any power other than Divine assistance, would be the problem. The replacement nation, the descendants of Moshe Rabbeinu, would not serve as an adequate substitute, because they would not show Hashem’s powers.
Only Mitzrayim knew the limitations of Klal Yisroel, only they knew how there was no way to leave Mitzrayim without Divine intervention. The chilul Hashem would be to them alone.
The Ohr Hachaim summarizes that there were two reasons Mitzrayim were special in this chilul Hashem; because they would be the ones interested in the outcome of Klal Yisroel’s exodus, and because they knew Klal Yisroel’s powers and limitations.
