A Thought On Parshas Shmos
A Thought on Parshas Shmos
"...v'gam R'isi es ha la'chatz..."
"...and I have also seen the oppression..." (3:9)
HaShem describes to Moshe the events which had befallen the Jewish people in Egypt over years of slavery. Moshe Rabbeinu had lived in Egypt, had been aware of what was going on in the kingdom from his position as adopted member of the royal family, and had even secretly intervened on behalf of his brethren. In fact, it was such an intervention, which had been witnessed by other Jews, which led to his having to flee his birthplace when word got to Pharaoh that Moshe had obstructed official orders by saving a Jewish slave.
It seems confusing, then, that our verse has HaShem recounting to Moshe the history which he was so well aware of. It seems difficult, too, to understand the words "I have seen", since we know that HaShem sees and knows everything anyway, as the verse says earlier (2:25) "ve'yaida Elokim" - it was all known to G-d.
The Bechor Shor explains that the reason HaShem reviewed for Moshe the history and the events of the slavery and the suffering was because He knew that Moshe only had a limited grasp of the facts. Moshe Rabbeinu had grown up in the palace of Pharaoh and in a sense, he was estranged from his people and their experience. His early encounter with their suffering (v'yar b'sivlosam" - and he saw their burdens - 2:11) resulted in his striking out, which led to his predicament and loss of royal protection and trust. He had to run into hiding and exile for years.
By reviewing the history, HaShem better acquainted Moshe with the traumatic and grim details. He sensitized his faithful servant to the realities and intricacies of the Egyptian bondage. Lastly, by HaShem saying "I too have seen the suffering", He was resonating with Moshe's own earlier experience of "and Moshe saw their suffering", to trigger in Moshe a shocking memory of what he had witnessed, but now framed against the backdrop of understanding the entire saga of issues and conditions facing the Jews.
This disclosure, writes the Bechor Shor, was to initiate in Moshe Rabbeinu the motivation to return to Egypt and this time, to engage in a Divinely planned systematic intervention.
I am sending this out early because I will be leaving for Jerusalem iy'H where I will reside for a number of weeks, to my great joy and spirited excitement. I hope to continue these Parsha Thoughts from the Holy City. Good Shabbos. D Fox
"...v'gam R'isi es ha la'chatz..."
"...and I have also seen the oppression..." (3:9)
HaShem describes to Moshe the events which had befallen the Jewish people in Egypt over years of slavery. Moshe Rabbeinu had lived in Egypt, had been aware of what was going on in the kingdom from his position as adopted member of the royal family, and had even secretly intervened on behalf of his brethren. In fact, it was such an intervention, which had been witnessed by other Jews, which led to his having to flee his birthplace when word got to Pharaoh that Moshe had obstructed official orders by saving a Jewish slave.
It seems confusing, then, that our verse has HaShem recounting to Moshe the history which he was so well aware of. It seems difficult, too, to understand the words "I have seen", since we know that HaShem sees and knows everything anyway, as the verse says earlier (2:25) "ve'yaida Elokim" - it was all known to G-d.
The Bechor Shor explains that the reason HaShem reviewed for Moshe the history and the events of the slavery and the suffering was because He knew that Moshe only had a limited grasp of the facts. Moshe Rabbeinu had grown up in the palace of Pharaoh and in a sense, he was estranged from his people and their experience. His early encounter with their suffering (v'yar b'sivlosam" - and he saw their burdens - 2:11) resulted in his striking out, which led to his predicament and loss of royal protection and trust. He had to run into hiding and exile for years.
By reviewing the history, HaShem better acquainted Moshe with the traumatic and grim details. He sensitized his faithful servant to the realities and intricacies of the Egyptian bondage. Lastly, by HaShem saying "I too have seen the suffering", He was resonating with Moshe's own earlier experience of "and Moshe saw their suffering", to trigger in Moshe a shocking memory of what he had witnessed, but now framed against the backdrop of understanding the entire saga of issues and conditions facing the Jews.
This disclosure, writes the Bechor Shor, was to initiate in Moshe Rabbeinu the motivation to return to Egypt and this time, to engage in a Divinely planned systematic intervention.
I am sending this out early because I will be leaving for Jerusalem iy'H where I will reside for a number of weeks, to my great joy and spirited excitement. I hope to continue these Parsha Thoughts from the Holy City. Good Shabbos. D Fox
posted by Rabbi Dr. Fox at 7:40 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home