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.
In Shemos 6:6 the Torah gives the first three of the Leshonos Shel Geulah stating - לָכֵ֞ן אֱמֹ֥ר לִבְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֘ אֲנִ֣י יְהֹוָה֒ וְהֽוֹצֵאתִ֣י אֶתְכֶ֗ם מִתַּ֨חַת֙ סִבְלֹ֣ת מִצְרַ֔יִם וְהִצַּלְתִּ֥י אֶתְכֶ֖ם מֵֽעֲבֹֽדָתָ֑ם וְגָֽאַלְתִּ֤י אֶתְכֶם֙ בִּזְר֣וֹעַ נְטוּיָ֔ה וּבִשְׁפָטִ֖ים גְּדֹלִֽים . R' Frand observed that the first two Leshonos - "וְהֽוֹצֵאתִ֣י אֶתְכֶ֗ם מִתַּ֨חַת֙ סִבְלֹ֣ת מִצְרַ֔יִם" and "וְהִצַּלְתִּ֥י אֶתְכֶ֖ם מֵֽעֲבֹֽדָתָ֑ם" seem to be very similar.
To explain the difference in the Leshonos, R' Frand quoted the Sfas Emes who writes that the word Sivlos should be construed like the word Savlanus - they tolerated the slavery that they were in. The first step to break out of slavery is to say - "I don't want to take this anymore."
R' Frand quoted R' Gedalya Shore who quoted Chazal which state that not a single slave ever escaped from Egypt. But how is this possible? People break out of prison and the slaves in this country utilized the "Underground Railroad." So why were there no slaves who ran away from Egypt? Because the slaves had a psychological mindset that they were in a good position and did not need to leave.
This is the difference between the first two Leshonos - the first was to break out of the mentality of accepting being a slave. The second was that Hashem saved us from the physical slavery itself.
R' Frand then said a second vort related to Moshe showing HaKaras HaTov for the water as he did not strike the water for the plagues of Blood and Frogs. Similarly, Moshe was not sent to strike the sand because it had covered the Mitzri after Moshe killed him.
R' Frand noted that the water and the sand as inanimate objects cannot feel they are appreciated, so why is it that Moshe did show his HaKaras HaTov for them? He answered that HaKaras HaTov is meant to have an impact on the person showing gratitude so that he will be more aware and appreciative of what others do for him.
R' Frand quoted the Sefer Yechi Reuven in which the author discussed the famous picture of R' Elya Lopian ZTL giving milk to a cat [the picture was taken by my FiL!]. The author came to Kfar Chassidim years later and asked whether R' Elya was a cat lover. He was then told the back story.
The boys in the yeshiva used to take their meals in a hut and there was a terrible mouse problem. So they got a cat to kill the mice. But once all the mice were gone, the boys wanted to get rid of the cat. R' Elya refused, telling them that since the cat got rid of the mice they need to show their appreciation for the cat. And in order to do so, he gave the cat its meal.
The cat of course did not know that it was being fed by a Gadol, but it was important for him to show his appreciation for the cat.
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