Shemot Answers

Shemot 5716.
Alef.

1. א. The basic difference between RaShI and RaShBaM is the second issue which Moshe raises as to why he is not an appropriate person to appear before Pharoah.

  RaShI—Why do the Jewish people deserve to be redeemed from Egypt—this parallels his Midrashic comment on Shemot 2:14:

רש"י שמות פרק ב פסוק יד

אכן נודע הדבר - כמשמעו. ומדרשו נודע לי הדבר שהייתי תמה עליו, מה חטאו ישראל מכל שבעים אומות להיות נרדים בעבודת פרך, אבל רואה אני שהם ראויים לכך:

        It is also independent of the first answer Moshe gives, i.e., whether he is worthy or not for the mission has nothing to do with whether the mission should be undertaken by anyone.

  RaShBaM—The second answer is a continuation of the first, i.e., what standing do I have to enter into Pharoah’s precincts, even if all that I wanted to do was bring him a gift. And seeing that on the contrary, I want him to release a massive number of slaves, why should he listen to me even if I merit being in his presence?

ב. Towards the end of the Alon HaDeracha (found at the end of the Gilayon), Nechama points out that it is premature to bring up the strategy by which Moshe will try to cause Pharoah to the let the people go completely (as opposed to their merely wordhiping HaShem in the desert) during his initial response to God’s Command. We see in the story that Moshe first asks (Shemot 5:1) for the people to be released to worship God in the desert. This is followed by (5:9) Pharoah’s increasing the work-burden of the Jews.  Moshe and Aharon then temporarily cease their efforts, until recalled by HaShem to go to Pharoah once again. This time (7:9 ff.) they are instructed to perform miracles in Pharoah’s court. Then the plagues begin (7:16) with Moshe still requesting only that the people be allowed to worship HaShem in the desert.  It is only at 14:5, after all of the plagues are completed when Pharoah is told that the Jewish people had no intention to return  after worshipping in the desert. So for Moshe to say at the outset that he did not expect Pharoah to listen when he would request that the people be completely freed from servitude is not relevant since he never actually makes such an explicit request of Pharoah.

ג . See the additional source that I cited in my answer to question 1. above.

2.     In the first two responses to God’s Command to go to Egypt and redeem the Jewish people, Moshe was essentially expressing his lack of confidence in his own ability. But in the third comment, he is impugning the people to whom he will be sent. He claims that their skepticism will prevent them from taking seriously anything that he might tell them, in effect rendering his efforts futile. Such an idea appears to be in keeping with the intial RaShI who defined the second part of Moshe’s question having to do with what makes the people worthy of redemption. Not only will their past actions disqualify them, but the manner in which Moshe anticipates they will greet the news of an impending redemption will also hinder the effort.

3.  א. Shemot 4:10 is full of redundant words, leading to the interpretation that the discussion between HaShem and Moshe was a protracted one extending over several days.

שמות פרק ד

(י) ויאמר משה אל יקוק בי אדני לא איש דברים אנכי גם מתמול גם משלשם גם מאז דברך אל עבדך כי כבד פה וכבד לשון אנכי:

ב. It would appear that HaShem Appreciated that Moshe would at least initially be reticent to undertake this mission. Consequently He was “Prepared” to engage him for a prolonged period, Expecting that eventually Moshe would accept his assignment. There was a readiness for allowing a learning curve to run its course, but after a week of cajoling, God became more Autocratic in his dealings with Moshe, and at the same time, lowered the bar by allowing Aharon to serve as the “public speaker.”

ג. Why do the words גם מתמול גם משלשם have to refer to the time that HaShem and Moshe were interacting? Obviously מאז דברך אל עבדך refers to the interchange at the burning bush; however, as for Moshe feeling that he was either figuratively or literally tongue-tied could have been for a long period of time, and that is what he is referring to when he says that it has been so “ both yesterday and the day before.” Such an interpretation is supported by the Midrash that takes literally Moshe’s speech impediment (instead of simply assuming that it was psychological and part of his overall humility) and asserts that it was due to a test to which he was submitted when he was a very young boy:

שמות רבה (וילנא) פרשת שמות פרשה א סימן כו

כו ויגדל הילד, כ"ד חדש הניקתהו ואתה אומר ויגדל הילד, אלא שהיה גדל שלא כדרך כל הארץ, ותביאהו לבת פרעה וגו', היתה בת פרעה מנשקת ומחבקת ומחבבת אותו כאלו הוא בנה ולא היתה מוציאתו מפלטרין של מלך, ולפי שהיה יפה הכל מתאוים לראותו מי שהיה רואהו לא היה מעביר עצמו מעליו, והיה פרעה מנשקו ומחבקו והוא נוטל כתרו של פרעה ומשימו על ראשו כמו שעתיד לעשות לו כשהיה גדול... והיו שם יושבין חרטומי מצרים ואמרו מתייראין אנו מזה שנוטל כתרך ונותנו על ראשו, שלא יהיה זה אותו שאנו אומרים שעתיד ליטול מלכות ממך, מהם אומרים להורגו מהם אומרים לשורפו, והיה יתרו יושב ביניהן ואומר להם הנער הזה אין בו דעת אלא בחנו אותו והביאו לפניו בקערה זהב וגחלת, אם יושיט ידו לזהב יש בו דעת והרגו אותו, ואם יושיט ידו לגחלת אין בו דעת ואין עליו משפט מות, מיד הביאו לפניו ושלח ידו ליקח הזהב ובא גבריאל ודחה את ידו ותפש את הגחלת והכניס ידו עם הגחלת לתוך פיו ונכוה לשונו, וממנו נעשה כבד פה וכבד לשון, ותקרא שמו משה, מכאן אתה למד שכרן של גומלי חסדים, אף על פי שהרבה שמות היו לו למשה לא נקבע לו שם בכל התורה אלא כמו שקראתו בתיה בת פרעה ואף הקדוש ברוך הוא לא קראהו בשם אחר