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Monday, December 31, 2012
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Why can't Moshe hit the water?
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| from the Golden Haggadah, Spain, 1300s |
As a kid I learned that Moshe wasn't allowed to hit the water because it saved him when he was a child and he had to show hakaras hatov (similar answer for why he couldn't hit the sand that saved him by hiding the body of the mitzri he killed). But the water didn't save him, the little basket, the Egyptian lady who yanked him out or even the sister who watched him might have saved him, the water didn't do anything. If someone was in a car accident an survived unharmed they would say the seat belt saved them, not the road. How can we make sense of this ma'amar chazal?
I think that just as you can't ask a kasha on a maaseh, you often can't ask a kasha on a midrash.
On a peshat level, the reason it is Aharon who hits the water and the sand is that Hashem established Aharon as a spokesperson for Moshe, in the 4th perek of Shemot:
and later in perek 7:
Still, it is irregular that sometimes Moshe takes action, and sometimes Aharon takes action, but there are surely peshat resolutions to this issue.
The Midrash is derash and derush. By derush, I mean that it is meant to teach a moral / ethical lesson. On a practical level, on which normal and sane people conduct themselves, people don't need to show gratitude to inanimate objects, which did not mean to assist in any way, and have no senses such that they would be hurt by being hit. And the river was hit anyway, whether by Moshe's direct action or by his command.
But the midrash is highlighting these actions by Aharon as a homiletic way to highlight the important trait of gratitude. And perhaps even gratitude for unintended side effects of other people's actions. Someone did not directly intend to benefit you, but they still effectively helped you out -- you should show, and feel, gratitude. Even if someone benefited you in a limited, transitory way, you should show, and feel, gratitude.
However, in terms of the challenges posed by the question, I think that they are readily surmounted. The sand hid the slain Egyptian. The water hid baby Moshe, such that the Egyptians did not find him. And it kept him their until he was found by the daughter of Pharaoh.
Further, there is a midrash that the astrologers told Pharaoh of one, soon to be born, who would challenge his power, but that that person would die by water. (Think of Moshe hitting the rock and as a result dying in the midbar.) Therefore, Pharaoh commanding casting all infants into the Nile. The midrash continues that as soon as Moshe was cast into the water, the astrologers informed Pharaoh that they had sensed that this usurper had been cast into the Nile. And immediately, Pharaoh rescinded his decree. Thus, one could say that it was the water itself which had saved Moshe.
Thursday, December 27, 2012
posts so far for parshas Vayechi
Dec 2012
1. YUTorah on parashat Vayechi.
2. Why is Vayechi setuma? Ibn Caspi suggests that a parsha break is required here for reasons of reading length, rather than on logical grounds.
January 2012
1. Vaychi sources, even further expanded.
2. Three reasons for Yaakov to avoid being buried in Egypt -- R' Yonasan Eibeshitz explains why each is necessary. These three reasons are:
in the end, its dust would become lice
that the dead of chul laAretz only live via the pain of underground rolling
so that the Egyptians should not make him a deity.
3. YUTorah on parashat Vayechi.
4. Chasam Sofer on מִטֶּרֶף בְּנִי עָלִיתָ -- Parsing it as referring to tarof toraf yosef, he interprets it in a consistent, positive, manner. That Yehuda has moved out from under the chashad of offing Yosef.
5. What nekitas chefetz was there, if Yaakov was nolad mahul? So asks Rav Chaim Kanievsky, further exploring the path set by Mizrachi. By Avraham, it was nekitas chefetz on the milah, and Avraham's very first mitzvah. Not so for Yaakov, on two counts. Rav Kanievsky's answer, and then I explore further.
2010
Jan 2009
1. YUTorah on parashat Vayechi.
2. Why is Vayechi setuma? Ibn Caspi suggests that a parsha break is required here for reasons of reading length, rather than on logical grounds.
January 2012
1. Vaychi sources, even further expanded.
2. Three reasons for Yaakov to avoid being buried in Egypt -- R' Yonasan Eibeshitz explains why each is necessary. These three reasons are:
3. YUTorah on parashat Vayechi.
4. Chasam Sofer on מִטֶּרֶף בְּנִי עָלִיתָ -- Parsing it as referring to tarof toraf yosef, he interprets it in a consistent, positive, manner. That Yehuda has moved out from under the chashad of offing Yosef.
5. What nekitas chefetz was there, if Yaakov was nolad mahul? So asks Rav Chaim Kanievsky, further exploring the path set by Mizrachi. By Avraham, it was nekitas chefetz on the milah, and Avraham's very first mitzvah. Not so for Yaakov, on two counts. Rav Kanievsky's answer, and then I explore further.
2010- Vaychi sources -- further expanded.
. - Is חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת a hendiadys? I don't know. But I think that this is what Rashi, following the midrash, is suggesting as a matter of peshat.
. - Does Rashi predict moshiach in 2011? No. He cites Rav Saadia Gaon who predicts it in 1405, or rather, 1399. Of course, if you want to kvetch it, you can make Rashi or any sources say anything you want it to. But this shows only your own creativity and ability to distort Jewish sources. Also, a nice tie-in to this week's parasha, Vaychi.
. - Darshening El Yisrael as Eil Yisrael -- Is this a revocalization for the sake of derash, or does it reflect their actual vocalization?
. - Reuven and Bilhah -- In Midrash Rabba, Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi takes a peshat-approach to the incident.
. - Parsha questions -- From Junior's school parsha sheet, questions on the parsha for Shabbos table discussion. Coupled with my answers.
. - The incident with Reuven and Bilhah, in light of Divrei Hayamim and the Code of Hammurabi -- The Torah's recording of the incident in Vayishlach is terse, and Chazal interpret it in two ways. And the seeming reference to the incident in Yaakov's blessing in Vaychi is cryptic. But Divrei Hayamim expands upon it. Plus, there is a fascinating parallel in the Code of Hamurabbi that sheds excellent light on the matter.
. - A blessing for Yosef, or for his sons? Rumors of a popular variant have been greatly exaggerated. And in fact, contextcan support a blessing for Yosef alone. Update: I am wrong about the Peshita on this post. I was misled by a mislabeled Targum.
. - Salvation -- nothing to sneeze at! Why the sudden interjection in Yaakov's blessings?
Dec 2009
- Vaychi sources -- more than 100 meforshim on the parsha and haftora.
. - For how long does Binyamin consume his prey? A Chizkuni on Vaychi, where he parses apasuk apparently against its trup, past the etnachta, as baboker yochal ad la'erev. With the same justification he offered in last week's parsha..
- The trup on va`ani -- A variant trup has revii on Bereishit 48:22 instead of gershayim. What would be the difference, in terms of the parse of the pasuk?
. - Ibn Caspi on the "calling" of Yehuda -- Once again, Ibn Caspi interprets the trup, which informs us of meaning. This time the revii on Yehuda of Yehuda ata yoducha achecha. Also, a clarification of what Ibn Caspi means when referring to the gaaya -- namely, a zakef gadol, which is a disjunctive accent..
- The yetiv on ad ki yavo Shilo -- According to Rabbenu Bachya's rebbe, the trup on ad ki yavo Shilo led Onkelos to renderad as forever, such that it is "forever once mashiach comes", rather than "until mashiach comes". This is a good response to Christians. But Shadal doesn't find it compelling.
. - The possible double entendre of Lo Yasur Shevet Miyhuda -- namely, until Shelah comes.
- Vayechi sources -- online sources, of a Mikraos Gedolos, and a plethora of meforshim, useful for preparing the sedra.
. - Rashbam vs. Zohar on deviating from parsha divided by Moshe, where Rashbam clames the communities changed the place of parsha division. A look at Aruch Hashulchan on the matter, based on Zohar.
. - Parallels between Vaychi and its haftarah -- maybe broadly thematic, and one point in language, but otherwise, the connection (and post) seems quite weak.
. - Yaakov wanted to reveal the ketz -- a Daat Zekeinim centered look at the midrash, and what it means. I disagree.
. - Yaakov's maggid -- and he told to Yaakov. But who was he?
- The Missing Parsha Break
- and how it aids in stressing the parallelism to the previous verse, at the end of Vayigash.
- HaMelech HaGoel Oti
- and different approaches to dealing with the theological difficulties of asking an angel to bless.
- Mind The Gap: Is Vayechi Unique In Not Being Introduced With A Gap?
- Or is this true as well for parshat Vayeitzei, within Ben Naftali manuscripts?
- Was Gad, Son of Yaakov, Named After The deity?
- Or does it mean "with luck," or "luck has come?" Or does it mean that a troop has come, as it means in Yaakov's blessing in parshat Vayechi? Also, a Karaite promotes the krei reading as the correct pronunciation of the ketiv.
- How big a gap between Vayigash and Vaychi? (pt i, ii, iii).
. - Minchas Eluzer's Teshuvah on the gap (pt i, ii, iii, iv)
. - My own thoughts on the gap issue
. - From 2008, about Vayeitzei being setuma.
. - Shadal mentions how Rashbam follows the trup in explaining Miteref Beni Alita, in the course of his discussion of the age of trup in his Vikuach al Chochmat haKabbalah.
- An Open Canon Vs. Changing The Truth
- Did Yaakov really command the brothers to tell Yosef to forgive his brothers their transgression. This hooks into the question of whether Yaakov ever found out about the sale of Yosef. Now, the brothers relate this command to Yosef, but we never see Yaakov command this. And a gemara in Yevamot, 65b, states that this was a changing of the truth for the sake of peace, as a precedent for doing the same. It is also a closed-canon approach. An open canon approach would allow otherwise unknown event to occur. And an example from Yona where something happens without being previously mentioned.
- The Trup On "Asher Kana Avraham"
- and why on such similar words across pesukim, the trup shifts over. A Wickes-based explanation, featuring trup charts and Prepositional Phrases.
- The Count of Pesukim in Sefer Bereishit
- Understanding the extended gematria in a masoretic note. Plus, ד appears to stand for shem haShem here!
- Yaakov Avinu Didn't Die
- We consider the famous midrash, and discussion in Taanit that Yaakov Avinu did not die. Was Rav Yitzchak going for a spit-take? What are the implications of this statement? How exactly is this deduced midrashically from the pasuk in Yirmiya, and how does that pasuk work on a peshat level, from the perspective of poetic parallelism?
- Can Mashiach Return From the Dead?
- A source that he clearly cannot.
- Maaseh Avot Siman LaBanim
- To Eliezer's oath to Avraham. An oath to a dying man, a theme of staying rooted in Eretz Yisrael. Also, where they differ.
- Why Did Yaakov Bow? And Did Yaakov Bow?
- I recommend this one. In it, I suggest that vayishtachu does not mean "bowed" but rather "lied prostrate," because he was weak and sick. This is in contrast to later, when the pasuk relates that he became strengthened and sat on the head of the bed.
- Further Maaseh Avot Siman LaBanim
- A striking similarity between the presentation of Ephraim and Menashe to Yaakov, and the earlier meeting of Esav and Yaakov.
- A Final Maaseh Avot Siman LaBanim
- In which Yaakov seemingly recreates his theft of Yitzchak's blessing when he blesses Ephraim and Menashe.
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