Why did go Pharaoh go each morning to the Nile?
Rashi: He made himself out to be a god who did not need to relieve himself; so he would go early in the morning (before anybody was around) to defacate (as he swam or paddled in the water - Oznayim la'Torah).
Ramban (to 8:15) and Rashbam: He went for a morning stroll, as is the way of kings.
Targum Yonasan: He went there regularly to practice witchcraft. 1
This is also the opinion of the Gemara in Mo'ed Katan 18a - See Torah Temimah, note 4.
Why did Hashem pick specifically that moment for Moshe to confront Pharaoh?
Oznayim la'Torah #1: It was the ideal time to confront Pharaoh - because that was when he would be somewhat humiliated and less vain than at other times of the day when he claimed to be god.
Oznayim la'Torah #2: The Egyptians got up in the morning to bow down to the Nile their god which sustained them, and to Pharaoh who 'created' the Nile, and who was therefore the god of the Nile and of Egypt. That was when Moshe confronted him, to inform him that there was a G-d of the Heaven above - the G-d of all powers that exist, and the Master of all Masters, who would strike him with the staff of anger, with a series of plagues.
We find that for the Makos of Dam, Arov (8:16), and Barad (9:13), Moshe was to arise early and confront Pharaoh at the water. Why? (Then, in the Makos of Tzefarde'a, Dever, and Arbeh, Moshe warned Pharaoh at the palace; whereas Kinim, Shechin and Choshech came without warning. Why did the Makos follow this pattern?)
Ramban (to 8:15): For Makas Dam, because it was the first Makah, and Hashem wanted Moshe to confront him fearlessly as he made his way there in a show of strength - to perform the Makah in front of him. 1 As for Arov and Barad, which caused widespread death, 2 Hashem wanted Moshe to warn Pharaoh in front of the many people (who customarily would accompany the king on his stroll), to give them the opportunity to prevail upon Pharaoh to submit to Moshe's demands. 3
Da'as Zekenim and Hadar Zekenim (to 7:26): Because Dam, Arov, and Barad were new warnings, which were preceded by a Makah about which Pharaoh was not warned. 4
Maharal: Refer to 7:14:8:2, regarding the grouping of the Makos as De'tzach, A'dash, Be'achav.
See Ramban there, DH 'v'Amar b'Miktzas ha'Makos.'
Ramban (ibid.): Whereas in connection with the Makos that did not directly cause death - the frogs (7:26), pestilence (of the animals - 9:1), and the locusts (10:1) - the Torah wrote "Bo El Pharaoh," because it would suffice for Moshe and Aharon to warn him in his palace.
Ramban: As this Pasuk and the following one indicate - and if they did not, they would have only themselves to blame for the consequences.
Da'as Zekenim (to 7:26, citing R. Yitzchak), Moshav Zekenim (to 10:1): "Bo" implies that the Shechinah will go with Moshe. This is not applicable to warnings at the river, where Pharaoh went to defecate. (Hadar Zekenim rejects this. It does not say "Bo" for the warning for hail, even though it did not take place at the river! Da'as Zekenim - Moreover, Moshe did not Daven in the town, since it was full of idols. Nor did the Shechinah refrain from going to the palace.)
What are the implications of the phrase, "v'Nitzavta Likraso"?
Zevachim 112a #1 (citing Resh Lakish): Since Pharaoh is a Rasha, go and greet him with Chutzpah. 1
Zevachim 112a #2 (citing R. Yochanan): He is a king; therefore go and greet him civilly.
See Torah Temimah, note 5.
According to those who maintain that Aharon's staff was not synonymous with that of Moshe (see 7:9:3), why did Hashem instruct Aharon to take specifically Moshe's staff, which had turned into a snake (in front of Bnei Yisrael - see 4:3 and 4:30), rather than his own (which had turned into a Tanin, in front of Pharaoh - 7:10)?
Oznayim la'Torah: Because it was on Moshe's staff that was engraved "De'tzach, A'dash, Be'achav' 1 - hinting at the ten plagues in the order that they would come upon the Egyptians. 2
Refer to 7:26:1:2 and 7:26:1:2 2
; also to 7:14:8 at length. The Oznayim la'Torah adds that by each of these three groups, the first warning took place when Pharaoh went down to the Nile ("Lech El Pharaoh"); and by the second, Moshe went to him in his palace ("Bo El Pharaoh"). See Oznayim la'Torah to 7:17 (DH 'Hinei Anochi Makeh').
See Oznayim la'Torah for a second explanation. Refer also to 7:17:151:2.
QUESTIONS ON RASHI
Rashi writes: "Behold, he goes out to the water - ... Pharaoh had made himself out to be a god, saying he has no need to relieve himself; so he would arise early and go out to the Nile, and relieve himself there." But surely a king does not go out alone, and the servants who accompanied him would see that he is human!
Gur Aryeh #1: The Nile was the Egyptians' deity. Pharaoh would say that he wished to confer privately with the Nile.
Gur Aryeh #2: The text of the Midrash implies (slightly differently than Rashi), that Pharaoh's claim was to some godly aspect, that he needed to relieve himself only once daily, in the morning (unlike most people who need throughout the day). 1
Gur Aryeh: This is actually normal for one who takes a walk in the morning; one can then relieve oneself fully and remain clean the rest of the day. (Members of a royal court must train themselves to do this, e.g. Daniel and his colleagues (see Sanhedrin 93b). All the more so the king himself! - CS).
