Someone at the table asked why at the same time that Moshe refused to hit the river because of the gratitude that he had for it saving him, he did hurt Paroh, despite the fact that he had spent his childhood at his house. What about gratitude toward Paroh?
The Torah actually teaches us not to despise an Egyptian, for we were guests in his land. We do owe them gratitude. So why did Moshe harm them?
Perhaps this teaches us that gratitude has its limits. We are grateful, but that does not let us flout our obligations. When possible Moshe asked Aharon to hit the river, yet he was not able to avoid punishing the Egyptians altogether.
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