"These were the marches of the Israelites who [asher] started out from the land of Egypt, troop by troop, in the charge of Moses and Aaron". This can be understood according to our sages, of blessed memory: In His great mercy He took us out sooner, and Moses needed ten plagues for Pharaoh and Egypt so that they would release us. It is already known that DZ"K AD"SH BAH"B [the acronym of the ten plagues] in gematria [alphanumeric value] equals asher [501]. They, of blessed memory, also said, that the reason Pharaoh refused to release them [the Israelites] was because Pharaoh was wishing that the Holy One blessed be He would release them Himself, and that the owner of the pledge would arrive to take his pledge. But since it was through Moses and Aaron, this was the reason he had for refusing to let them go. This is what is meant by 'These were the marches of the Israelites who [asher] started out from the land of Egypt', that he brought plagues upon the Egyptians in Egypt according to the count of "asher", as previously mentioned. Should you ask what reason they had to refuse to release them until it was necessary to bring the plagues, asher [501] in number, upon them, it provides a reason by saying: 'in the charge of Moses and Aaron' – who were G-d's emissaries, but Pharaoh wanted that the Holy One, blessed be He, in all His splendor and glory release them Himself, and not an emissary…