The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.
R' Frand began the vort by repeating a central concept of his that in every parsha we can see the middah of HaKaras HaTov. He gave an example in this week's parsha which related to Pharaoh. Although Pharaoh did many evil things, the Torah introduces us to Pharaoh in Shemos 1:8, it is with the statement וַיָּ֥קָם מֶֽלֶךְ־חָדָ֖שׁ עַל־מִצְרָ֑יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־יָדַ֖ע אֶת־יוֹסֵֽף - that Pharaoh was not makir tov for what Yosef did. Or as one mefaresh explains - he acted as if he did not what Yosef did to save Egypt.
What Chazal are pointing out that if someone is not a makir tov and is instead is kafoi tov, he can come to do horrible things as the result was that he bathed in the blood of Jewish babies.
R' Frand also observed that Pharaoh claimed in Shemos 1:10 that הָ֥בָה נִתְחַכְּמָ֖ה ל֑וֹ פֶּן־יִרְבֶּ֗ה וְהָיָ֞ה כִּֽי־תִקְרֶ֤אנָה מִלְחָמָה֙ וְנוֹסַ֤ף גַּם־הוּא֙ עַל־שׂ֣נְאֵ֔ינוּ וְנִלְחַם־בָּ֖נוּ וְעָלָ֥ה מִן־הָאָֽרֶץ - he was concerned that the Jews would desert Egypt in a battle and would not show HaKaras HaTov. (This despite that the Torah has specific rules that still requires us to show favor to Egyptians because we were geirim in their land).
R' Frand used an adage was Peter says about Paul, says more about Peter than it does about Paul. Pharaoh's concern for the Jews not being loyal was born out of his lack of HaKaras HaTov for what Yosef did for Egypt.
R' Frand quoted a Gemara in Avodah Zarah where a person said that Jews can't keep Shabbos, because if they are walking on the street and see a wallet on Shabbos they would not be able to walk away from it. This is because he was too attached to money. Another Gemara quoted a person who said that he does not think Jews can live in the same house with their wife when she is a Niddah. Why? Because he himself had no self control.
R' Frand next mentioned a Medrash Tanchuma in which Moshe tells Hashem - I can't take the Jews out of Egypt without getting permission from Yisro. Yisro took me into his house and treated me as a son and fed me and employed me.
R' Frand asked - who owes who? Yisro could not find a shidduch for his daughter and welcomed Moshe because Moshe did not know about Yisro's history. But Moshe treated him as if Yisro had done him a favor. R' Frand quoted the Chovos HaLevavos which explains that when someone does you a favor, you should see that it comes from Hashem and the person is just a conduit.
R' Frand then quoted R' Chaim Friedlander who observed about this story that when an opportunity comes for you to do a Mitzva, you cannot step over someone else or do something wrong to someone to do what you need to do. He gave the example of coming late to shul and blocking someone else in the parking lot. Being in shul does not give someone the right to hinder someone else.
This is the lesson of Moshe asking Yisro for permission - because even doing a great Mitzva like taking the Jews out of Egypt did not supplant Moshe;s need to recognize the good that Yisro had done for him.
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