כלי יקר — ואתה ועבדיך ידעתי כי טרם תיראון

Q — Why does Moshe pause specifically at the end of barad to tell Pharaoh 'ואתה ועבדיך ידעתי כי טרם תיראון' — and what about this plague's resolution prompted the remark?

A — Kli Yakar's careful read: Pharaoh requested only that the קולות (thunder) and ברד (hail) stop — never the מטר (rain), since Mitzrayim depends on rain more than other lands. Moshe promised the rain would also cease, which it did ('ומטר לא נתך ארצה'). Moshe foresaw that Pharaoh might later mock him as a 'בדאי' — claiming Moshe had over-promised. The pre-emptive 'טרם תיראון' tells Pharaoh: had you been God-fearing, I would have given you exactly what you asked for; since you're not, the additional cessation of rain is a mercy you don't deserve and won't appreciate.