The beginning of this week's Parsha tells us something that would seem to contradict what we learned last week. At the end of Shemos, we were told that B'nei Yisrael fully believed in Moshe Rabbeinu and his guarantee to take them out of Mitzrayim (Shemos 4:31). In a surprising statement, the pasuk tells us this week that "they did not listen to Moshe due to their shortness of breath and their hard work" (6:9) when he spoke to them about being saved.
What happened between these two events that would illicit the opposite response from B'nei Yisrael?
The Netziv (Rav Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin) points out that what Moshe said each time was different. As opposed to last week, where Moshe merely assured them their freedom from slavery, this week he added one more thing for B'nei Yisrael. Not only will they be taken out (v'hotzeiti), saved (v'hitzalti) and redeemed (v'ga'alti), they were also to be taken as Hashem's nation (v'lakachti). Here lies the difference.
It is one thing to be taken out of a bad situation and allowed to be free from that. B'nei Yisrael were reluctant, however, to commit themselves to something else, to Hashem and His Torah. It is easy to take freedom by means of no responsibility, but one may not actually be free until he fulfills his or her role in this world.
"There is no free man except he who toils in Torah" (Avos 6:2)
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