Beshalach Answers

BeShalach 5718
Alef.

שמות פרק טז

(א) וַיִּסְעוּ מֵאֵילִם וַיָּבֹאוּ כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל מִדְבַּר סִין אֲשֶׁר בֵּין אֵילִם וּבֵין סִינָי בַּחֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר יוֹם לַחֹדֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִי לְצֵאתָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם:

(ב) וילינו וַיִּלּוֹנוּ כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל מֹשֶׁה וְעַל אַהֲרֹן בַּמִּדְבָּר:

(ג) וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֲלֵהֶם בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִי יִתֵּן מוּתֵנוּ בְיַד יְקֹוָק בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם בְּשִׁבְתֵּנוּ עַל סִיר הַבָּשָׂר בְּאָכְלֵנוּ לֶחֶם לָשֹׂבַע כִּי הוֹצֵאתֶם אֹתָנוּ אֶל הַמִּדְבָּר הַזֶּה לְהָמִית אֶת כָּל הַקָּהָל הַזֶּה בָּרָעָב: ס

(ד) וַיֹּאמֶר יְקֹוָק אֶל מֹשֶׁה הִנְנִי מַמְטִיר לָכֶם לֶחֶם מִן הַשָּׁמָיִם וְיָצָא הָעָם וְלָקְטוּ דְּבַר יוֹם בְּיוֹמוֹ לְמַעַן אֲנַסֶּנּוּ הֲיֵלֵךְ בְּתוֹרָתִי אִם לֹא:

(ה) וְהָיָה בַּיּוֹם הַשִּׁשִּׁי וְהֵכִינוּ אֵת אֲשֶׁר יָבִיאוּ וְהָיָה מִשְׁנֶה עַל אֲשֶׁר יִלְקְטוּ יוֹם יוֹם: ס

(ו) וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן אֶל כָּל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עֶרֶב וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי יְקֹוָק הוֹצִיא אֶתְכֶם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם:

(ז) וּבֹקֶר וּרְאִיתֶם אֶת כְּבוֹד יְקֹוָק בְּשָׁמְעוֹ אֶת תְּלֻנֹּתֵיכֶם עַל יְקֹוָק וְנַחְנוּ מָה כִּי תלונו תַלִּינוּ עָלֵינוּ:

1.  All three sources are addressing how literally to take the claim that the Jews made in v. 3, i.e., that they ate relatively well in Egypt, as compared to their current situation in the desert.

2.  Mechilta: They were able to eat all things including meat.

     Shemot Rabba: They ate bread while they watched the Egyptians eat meat.

     Chemdat HaYamim: They ate poorly and this was only a means by which they tried to achieve for themselves better food at this moment in the desert.

3.  R. Eliezer HaModai, cited in the Mechilta, could perhaps cite in support of  his position the complaint of the people in BaMidbar 11:5 “We remember the fish, which we were wont to eat in Egypt for nought; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic.” Whereas the statement in Shemot 16:3 is very general and perhaps could be understood as exaggeration, the very precise inventory that appears in BaMidbar 11 suggests true recall of a reality.

4.  Even if according to Shemot Rabba the people did not actually eat meat, by sitting in proximity of others cooking and eating it, they could benefit from the aroma, they fantasized about what it would taste like, and perhaps they were given the scraps for which the Egyptians had no  use.

5.  Perhaps since the Jews were fieldworkers, they would be more likely to be surrounded by animals living in the wild than farm animals. We also are told that since the Egyptians worshipped domesticated animals—this is why the Jews who described themselves as herders of domesticated animals were allowed to live in Goshen and why they argued they had to offer up their sacrifices three days journey into the desert since otherwise the Egyptians would take deep offense—they were not likely to eat these animals. Consequently if they did eat meat (Ibn Ezra suggests that the Egyptians were actually vegetarians and for this reason PotiPhera did not put Yosef in charge of his “bread”, i.e., kitchen because Yosef was from a culture of meat-eaters and could not be trusted to maintain the proper standards in a vegetarian kitchen), they would eat undomesticated animals like antelopes and deer.

6.  Since in BaMidbar 11 they don’t mention meat but only fish, it is likely that the source in Shemot Rabba is the most accurate.

Beit.

The verse suggests that the people were preoccupied with thoughts of death. Why are they considering death at all once they are freed? The Sephorno therefore points out that the quality or agony associated with one’s death is also of concern, with people preferring to be put immediately out of their misery rather than lingering, the latter clearly associated with death by starvation.

Gimel.

HaEmek Davar points out that the people are dramatizing their situation by calling attention to the fact that it is not individuals per se who are in danger of dying, but rather this vast mass of humanity, which makes the situation that much more desperate from the point of view of the people, and that much crueler from the point of view of Moshe who led the people to this place and circumstance.

Daled.

1.  Ibn Ezra apparently believes that the verb “Himtir” has to be reserved for only rain and not other materials that might fall like rain, but inherently are not rain. RaShi’s comment on Beraishit 19:24 seems to take a similar tack by insisting that what fell from the sky at least began as rain, thereby legitimizing the use of the word “Himtir”.

בראשית פרק יט

(כד) וַיקֹוָק הִמְטִיר עַל סְדֹם וְעַל עֲמֹרָה גָּפְרִית וָאֵשׁ מֵאֵת יְקֹוָק מִן הַשָּׁמָיִם:

רש"י

המטיר וגו' גפרית ואש - בתחלה מטר ונעשה גפרית ואש:

2.  Ibn Ezra, by expanding the range of substances that can be called “Lechem” legitimizes what the people say they ate in BaMidbar 11:5 “We remember the fish, which we were wont to eat in Egypt for nought; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic.” According to a literal reading of Shemot 16:4, at best they were given only bread to eat.

Heh.

1.  Ibn Ezra understands the defense of Moshe and Aharon as saying they are Shlichim following orders, so to complain to them is meaningless because their hands are tied.

     RaMBaN says that Moshe and Aharon are saying that they are inherently and existentially powerless. They are mere mortals and if there is a complaint to be lodged, it is with HaShem Himself.

2.  I would think that Ibn Ezra makes more sense from the point of view that if indeed Moshe and Aharon are Shlichim, then they are the correct address for directing complaints. They are the middle-men between HaShem and the people and just as they carry out HaShem’s Directives, they should be prepared to convey the pushback of the people as well. RaMBaN suggests that they are claiming that they are powerless and insignificant. But if that is so, then why did HaShem Choose them to Represent Him?