Transcript מצגת של PowerPoint

Parshat Shmot:
Let My People Go –
A Hoax or a Mission?
Shiur by Menachem Leibtag
Presentation by Ronni Libson
Burning Bush
Moshe receives his mission concerning what he must tell Pharaoh:
No request for freedom from slavery!
Moshe’s initial confrontation with Pharaoh:
Requests only to worship God in the desert
Moshe and Aharon claim:
It is in the best interests of the Egyptians to allow Bnei Yisrael
this short trip to worship their God in the desert
Pharaoh denies request:
Purpose of ten plagues:
Warnings before the plagues:
No hint that Bnei Yisrael plan to leave for good – only
request three-day journey to worship God in the desert
Negotiations between Moshe and Pharaoh
Round 1: Place of worship (8:21-28)
Pharaoh agrees to let them worship, but in Egypt; Moshe refuses –
Egyptians would stone them seeing them sacrifice
Pharaoh agrees to let them journey to the desert, but not too far
away; Later hardens his heart
Round 2: Who may worship (10:8-12)
Pharaoh agrees to let the men sacrifice in the desert; Moshe
insists women and children come along too – all family members
are needed to worship God
Round 3: What possessions may be taken (10:24-26)
Pharaoh agrees to allow women and children to join, but not
sheep and cattle; Moshe insists all animals must come along –
they do not know what animal they will need to sacrifice to God
 Moshe rejects any concession or compromise
 Never suggests that they plan to leave for good
After “makkat bchorot” Pharaoh realizes original warning of
“dever” or “cherev” has come true
Pharaoh Agrees to Bnei Yisrael’s three-day journey and
requests they pray on his behalf
Egyptians want
Bnei Yisrael to go
worship their God
to bring an end to
the plagues
“Lend” Bnei Yisrael their finest
wares to encourage them to
leave as quickly as possible
(only going on a short journey
and will return)
Only makes sense if Pharaoh had
not granted them total freedom
Bnei Yisrael don’t go to desert:
Pharaoh concludes
they’ve run away
Declares war on Bnei Yisrael, rebellious nation of slaves
Moshe’s mission at the burning bush:
Doesn’t tell how!
Moshe has been a fugitive from Egypt for many years – why
should Pharaoh even allow him an audience?
Moshe has been away from his people for most of his adult life –
why would they accept him as their official leader?
Moshe’s response to this command:
 Who am I that I can go to Pharaoh?
 How can I take Bnei Yisrael out of Egypt?
God’s answer to Moshe:
Doesn’t answer Moshe’s question!!!
2 Possibilities:
 Reinterpret Moshe’s question to fit God’s answer
 Reinterpret God’s answer to fit Moshe’s question
Rashi:
Q: Why am I (and/or Bnei Yisrael) worthy of being taken out of
Egypt?
A: Merit of receiving the Torah (purpose of Yetziat Mitzraim)
renders them worthy to be taken out
Rashbam:
2 parts to God’s answer, corresponding to 2 parts of
original command and 2 parts of Moshe’s question
Part I:
3:10
Command
Go, I have sent you to Pharaoh!
3:11
Question
Who am I, that I can go to Pharaoh?
3:12
Answer
For I will be with you, and this [the sneh] is
the sign that I have sent you…
3:10
Command
Take Bnei Yisrael out of Egypt!
3:11
Question
[How] can I take them out of Egypt?
3:12
Answer
[In order to] take them out of Egypt, [tell
Pharaoh that] this nation must worship their
God on this mountain
Part II:
Rashbam:
Reinterprets God’s answer to fit Moshe’s question
Interprets “pshat” to be that Moshe never asked
Pharaoh for freedom, only to go on a short journey to
worship God
Supports for Rashbam’s interpretation:
 God specifies this later:
 Moshe never asks for freedom, rather for a three-day
journey to worship God in the desert
Questions on Rashbam’s interpretation
 Moshe’s mission included telling Bnei Yisrael of the plan:
Is it possible for all of Bnei Yisrael (over a million people) to
know the ‘real’ plan and Pharaoh not to find out?
 What does Moshe have to gain by not telling the truth?
 Is God not powerful enough to bring plagues capable
of forcing Pharaoh to grant Bnei Yisrael total freedom? Is
it better to deceive Pharaoh rather than tell him the truth?
 Bnei Yisrael in Egypt for over 200 years - view it as their home
 Population
over 2 million
Difficult to provide food and water for so
many people (in Egypt, Nile provided)
Survival of nation in desert, even for a few weeks - impossible
 Even if survived desert, would not be able to conquer land with
fortified cities and armed enemies
Bnei Yisrael have no realistic alternative
other than staying in Egypt
Cry of Bnei Yisrael:
Oppressed working class who desire a
lighter workload and better living conditions
Not yearning
for Zion
Emigration of entire nation to Canaan - unfeasible
Had Moshe gone to Pharaoh requesting to leave with the entire
nation to Eretz Canaan, Pharaoh would have dismissed him as
insane!
God instructs Moshe to make a reasonable request – to allow his
afflicted brethren to worship their God
Answers question: How would all Bnei Yisrael know ‘real
plan’ without Egyptians finding out?
If Egyptians found out, would scoff at idea –
Physically impossible!
What worries Pharaoh?
Original reason for enslaving Bnei Yisrael:
Fear that Bnei Yisrael may take over his country
Reluctant to allow
entire nation to
leave with their
belongings
Nature guarantees they
will return to Egypt; No
guarantee they will return
to servitude
Pharaoh imposes limits: Not traveling too far, leaving
women and children behind, leaving livestock behind
Two independent issues in Moshe’s mission:
1) To redeem Bnei Yisrael from Egypt – to fulfill Brit Avot
2) To ‘teach’ Pharaoh and his country the lesson of “ANI
HASHEM” – that the God of Israel exists
Critical element of God’s plan:
Confrontation with Pharaoh about religious freedom
Pharaoh rejects request
Acts as if he himself is a god!
Needs lesson of “v’yadu Mitzraim ki ANI Hashem”
Sefer Breishit
Goal of Nation of Israel is to establish a model society which
can bring all mankind to recognize God
Yetziat Mitzraim
Israel becomes a nation
Egypt recognizes God
Significant that these
occur at the same time
 Initially goal must be achieved through force (plagues)
 Eventually, when Israel becomes a nation in its own land,
this goal can be achieved peacefully, through education, if
Bnei Yisrael follow the Ten Commandments and mitzvot
Link between Ten Plagues and Ten Commandments