THE LORD SAID TO MOSES, "STRETCH FORTH YOUR HAND OVER THE LAND OF EGYPT FOR THE LOCUSTS, AND THEY WILL ASCEND OVER THE LAND OF EGYPT, AND THEY WILL EAT ALL THE VEGETATION OF THE EARTH, ALL THAT THE HAIL HAS LEFT OVER." SO MOSES STRETCHED FORTH HIS STAFF OVER THE LAND OF EGYPT, AND THE LORD LED AN EAST WIND IN THE LAND ALL THAT DAY AND ALL THE NIGHT. [BY THE TIME] IT WAS MORNING, THE EAST WIND HAD BORNE THE LOCUSTS.

(Shemot 10:12-13)

 

 

The Lord said to Moses, "Stretch forth your hand". Why did He bring the locusts upon them? Because they had made Israel sowers of wheat and barley; hence did He bring the locusts which devoured all that the Israelites had sown for them.

So Moses stretched forth his staff - Why did God fix a time for the plagues-to-morrow, and not bring them at once? So that they might feel remorse and do penitence.

The locusts ascended over the entire land of Egypt... They obscured the view of all the earth... Pharaoh hastened to summon Moses and Aaron... What is the meaning of: I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you? I have sinned against the Lord your God by not setting Israel free, and against you by driving you out from my presence. Also, because I intended to curse you when I said: "So be the Lord with you." But now, forgive now my sin... So he [Moses] left Pharaoh.

(Shemot Rabbah 13:6, based on Soncino translation)

 

A Trial for All Generations!

Shlomo Fox

One of the descriptions of the Hurban [destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple] tells of how the daughter of Nakdimon ben Gorion lost all of her property during that catastrophe. She went off to search for food in the excrement of animals, and in the course of her search she conversed with Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai. The Talmud (Ketuvot 66b-67a) attempts to contend with the injustice of her punishment:

Did not Nakdimon b. Gorion, however, practice charity? Surely it was taught: It was said of Nakdimon b.Gorion that, when he walked from his house to the house of study, woolen clothes were spread beneath his feet and the poor followed behind him and rolled them up!

If you wish I might reply: He did it for his own glorification.

And if you prefer I might reply: He did not act as he should have done, as people say, "In accordance with the camel is the burden." (Soncino translation)

The MaHaRaShA learns a practical halakhah from this story and writes:

Many in the present generation gather their wealth unfaithfully and by desecrating the Name, such as by robbing gentiles and latter contributing some of that money in order that they might be honored each year and receive the Mi shebeirakh blessing, granting them fame and glory, but this is nothing but a mitzvah achieved through a transgression, and such wealth has no endurance [literally, "salt"] or permanence.

It would appear that that this week's parasha offers an explanation of the practice of those "many" people. The parasha opens by stating that the King of Egypt's freewill was taken from him, and that God was tormenting Egypt: The Lord said to Moses: "Come to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, in order that I may place these signs of Mine in his midst... Later, a kind of discrimination is described: But to all the children of Israel, not one dog will whet its tongue against either man or beast, in order that you shall know that the Lord will discriminate between the Egyptians and between Israel (Shemot 11:7). This involved exploitation and deception; the Israelites borrowed goods without intending to return them: And the children of Israel did according to Moses' order, and they borrowed from the Egyptians silver objects, golden objects, and garments. The Lord gave the people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, and they lent them, and they exploited Egypt (Shemot 12:35-36).

Why is the redemption from Egypt described in this fashion? Is this the way to leave slavery for freedom? Are we supposed to learn from the Exodus story and behave that way today, in accordance with the dictum, "The acts of the fathers are a sign for the children"?

I propose to deal with these questions by way of a symbolic reading.

Our parasha says: This month shall be to you the head of the months; to you it shall be the first of the months of the year (Shemot 12:2).

Rashi, following the midrash, explains: "This - Moses found difficulty [determining] the [precise moment of the] renewal of the moon, in what size it should appear before it is fit for sanctification. So He showed him with His finger the moon in the sky and said to him, "You must see one [a moon] like this and sanctify [the month]" (Judaica Press translation).

Rabbi Akiva made a famous comment on the verse, Speak to the children of Israel and say to them: The Lord's appointed [holy days] that you shall designate as holy occasions. These are My appointed [holy days] (Vayikra 23:2). He read the phrase asher tikre'u otam mikra'ei kodesh [that you shall designate as holy occasions] as asher tikre'u atem mikra'ei kodesh [that you yourselves shall designate as holy occasions], the word otam ["them"] replaced by atem ["you"]:

He (Rabbi Akiva) then said to him (Rabbi Yehoshua): The text says, you [atem] (Vayikra 23:2), you (23:4), you (23:37), three times, to indicate that you [may fix the festivals] even if you err inadvertently, you, even if you err deliberately, you, even if you are misled. He replied to him in these words: "Akiva, you have comforted me, you have comforted me." (Rosh HaShanah 25a, Soncino translation)

According to R. Akiva, God points to the moon and says, "You must see one like this and sanctify," and his meaning is that you will decide when and why the month is to be sanctified, that is to say "Sanctify it!" - it is your job to interpret the command, that is to say, "You must see one like this and create something new!" [Translator's note - hadesh, "make new" a play on the word kadesh, "sanctify"].

In this spirit I shall attempt to understand what is to be learned from the essence of torment [of Egypt] via an understanding of the essence of the Ten Plagues.

The parasha begins with plagues: locust, darkness, and the death of the firstborn. Famously, R. Yehudah invented an acronym for the plagues: DeTzaKh, ADaSh, B'AHaV. The Rebbi from Slonim (Netivot Shalom, parashat Va'era) asks: What did R. Yehudah add with these acronyms? He explains: the Ten Plagues were divided into three categories - below the ground, on the ground, and above the ground in the air and sky.

Pharaoh rejected God's existence, and said, I did not know the Lord. Therefore God showed Pharaoh His existence in the three different parts of Creation via Ten Plagues, in order to show Pharaoh that his own human kingdom was limited like a human being.

The Ten Plagues are a foundation for faith, and Israel was redeemed from Egypt by faith's merit. There are three levels of faith: the mind's belief, i.e. that a person rationally understand that there is no other but Him; above that is the faith of the heart, when the mind's belief is also felt by the heart's emotions, and above that the faith of the limbs, when even the limbs feel that the Creator is aware of all human thoughts and deeds. The plagues in Egypt were not intended to affect the Egyptians, but rather to establish Israel's belief.

The Rebbe from Slonim builds upon the Ba'al Shem Tov's question (as reported by his grandson in his book Degel Mahane Efrayim): "It is very surprising that God would produce all the signs and wonders...so that the Egyptians would know that I am the Lord, and explains: ‘In my humble opinion it plainly seems that in truth it refers to Israel, to those who are "of the aspect of Egypt," who perform Egyptian practices. All of their deeds are false; all of their worship of God is all false...'"

That is to say: the plagues were designed symbolically to help people clarify the truths of their lives' meaning, beginning with desires and then on to emotion, and finally to the mind.

This line of interpretation guides a metaphorical reading of the Exodus story, and thus the terms hikhbadeti ["I made heavy"], hitalalti ["I tormented"], yifle ["will discriminate"] and vayinatzlu ["and they exploited"] also point to the problematic attitude towards the symbolic "Egypt." The choice of these words can bring the reader to become aware of a moral problem; they were meant to inspire people to undergo a self-accounting, to inspect their behavior, and to help each individual everywhere to leave "Egypt."

Now we can clarify the lesson of the command received by the Israelites to borrow silver objects, golden objects, and garments and to exploit Egypt.

We know what the people did with the gold. Midrash Rabbah (51:8) states:

Hence Moses rebuked them with And Laban, and Hazeroth, and Di-zahab (Devarim 1:1). It can be compared to a young man who came to a city and found the people thereof collecting money for charity, and when they asked him also to subscribe, he went on giving until they had to tell him that he had already given enough. Further on his travels, he lighted on a place where they were collecting for a theatre, and when asked to contribute towards it, he was also so generous that he had to be told, Enough! [Hebrew: Di].

Israel, likewise, contributed so much towards the Golden Calf that they had to be told Enough, and they also contributed gold so generously towards the construction of the Tabernacle that they again had to be told Enough, as it is said, For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much (Shemot 36:7).

The Holy One, blessed be He, thereupon said: "Let the gold of the Tabernacle atone for the gold they brought towards the making of the Golden Calf." Further did God say to Israel: "When you made the Calf, you provoked Me to anger by exclaiming: This is (eleh) your god (Shemot 32:4), but now that you have built the Tabernacle, with the word eleh I have become reconciled unto you." Hence, These are (eleh) the accounts of the Tabernacle. (Soncino translation)

Or, as the Talmud states (Berakhot 32a):

The school of R. Yannai learnt it from here: And Di-Zahav (Devarim 1). What is And Di-Zahav? They said in the school of R. Yannai: Thus spoke Moses before the Holy One, blessed be He: "Sovereign of the Universe, the silver and gold [zahav] which You showered on Israel until they said, Enough [dai], that it was which led to their making the Calf.

They said in the school of R. Yannai: A lion does not roar over a basket of straw but over a basket of flesh.

R. Oshaia said: It is like the case of a man who had a lean but large-limbed cow. He gave it lupines to eat [a high-quality food] and it commenced to kick him. He said to it: What led you to kick me except the lupines that I fed you with?

R. Hiyya b. Abba said: It is like the case of a man who had a son; he bathed him and anointed him and gave him plenty to eat and drink and hung a purse round his neck and set him down at the door of a bawdy house. How could the boy help sinning?

...Or, if you prefer, I can say from here. But Jeshurun waxed fat and kicked (Devarim 32).

R. Samuel b. Nahmani said in the name of R. Yonatan: Whence do we know that in the end the Holy One, blessed be He, abjured and agreed with Moses? Because it says, And multiplied unto her silver and gold, which they used for Baal (Hoshea 2). (Based on Soncino translation).

According to the plain meaning of this passage, the Gemara is telling us that God is responsible for having placed temptations in the people's path and therefore He bears responsibility for their sins, as the darshan seems to be saying in the concluding statement. However, we might also say that the acquisition of wealth and economic profit are potentially destructive but also pose a great challenge - that they be positively employed. Temptations exist in order to make choice possible and not in order to excuse wrong choices. They warn against the refusal to take responsibility. From here springs the demand made of the individual and of the nation to contend with temptations and desires - and to admit mistakes. God wants the free-willed human to ponder, decide, and, in case of error, to see to the rectification of the error.

The command regarding the borrowing of objects from the Egyptians should be understood in this way: God commands the exploitation of Egypt as a test of the people's morals. God places a dilemma before them: there are many reasons why you deserve these goods, after all, you were enslaved, you received no payment for your work - it is coming to you. Will you take that which you deserve through trickery, hiding behind the divine command? Or will you say: "We will demand that which we deserve through international law."

Rabbi Nahman (Likutei Hilkhot Avodat Elilim 4-6) makes another reading possible. Rabbi Nahman explains the bondage in Egypt as a metaphor for the enslavement of human beings to matter. The Exodus from Egypt becomes the process of learning that this can and should be rectified through the commandment of charity. Understanding the essence and power of giving can bring about an Exodus from the "inner Egypt". He writes:

The main rectification of the Egyptian exile is through the aspect of Joseph, as the words of our Sages of blessed memory make clear in various places that essence of the redemption from Egypt was brought about by Joseph, as it is said: And Moses took Joseph's bones with him, etc. That is to say that Joseph is the aspect of charity given to the honest poor, as it is said, And Joseph sustained his brothers. That is why Joseph is called "The Righteous" in the aspect of a righteous man who is graceful and giving...

That is why they did not leave from there until they were commanded to borrow silver objects, golden objects, and garments, in order to bring out the property and wealth from the illusory realm, from Pharaoh and Egypt and to return it to the sacred, i.e., to Israel...

Rabbi Nahman teaches us a symbolic reading in which the commandment to borrow objects becomes a challenge which allows the individual to learn how he is able to rectify and contend with the temptations of matter.

In the Passover Haggadah we read, "In every generation a person is required to see himself as if he had left Egypt." Therefore, when the Exodus story is read from the Torah, and on every Seder night, a person is required to clarify from what he must make his exodus that year, what is the form of servitude with which he must contend, and how he is to leave Egypt.

Later at Mount Sinai the people were commanded, Do not covet. Does covetousness intrinsically involve the argument, "I deserve it, because..."? How can we tell when that argument is just an excuse, when will we finally leave Egypt?

Shlomo Fox teaches at Hebrew Union College, at Beit Shemuel, and at Kollot.

 

The Many Meanings of Darkness

People could not see one another because the light of a lamp or torch was insufficient.

(Seforno Shemot 10:1)

 

People could not see one another: By daylight, but they may have been able to see by lamplight.

(Ibn Ezra Perush Hakatzar 10:23)

 

You will find the word "darkness" three times in this passage: that there may be darkness, a darkness that could be touched, there was a thick darkness. These allude to three kinds of darkness: alata, afela, and arafel.

Alata is the darkness of the Covenant of the Cut Pieces [Brit ben Habetarim], for it is said: and there was alata (Bereishit 15).

Afela is the darkness of Egypt, for it is said, there was a thick darkness [hoshekh afela].

Arafel is the darkness of the giving o the Torah, for it is said: and Moses entered the arafel [darkness/fog].

(Rabbeinu Behayeiy Shemot 10:21)

 

"Mixed Multitude": Two Views

Your people have acted basely (Shemot 32:7) - It does not say the people but rather, your people: a mixed multitude that you decided to take in and convert of your own initiative, without consulting Me, and you said it would be good to bring converts close to the Divine Presence. Now they have become debased and debase others.

(Rashi on Shemot 32: 7)

 

Lover, indeed, of peoples (Devarim 33:3). Including the nations of the world such as the mixed multitude and those of the nations who converted and came to accept the Torah together with Israel - These, too, are beloved of God, He accepted them and His presence rested upon them.

(RaShBaM Devarim 33:3)

 

[Now when Pharaoh let] the people [go...] (Shemot 13: 17): The numerical value of the people [et ha'am] is equivalent to that of also a mixed multitude [ve'gam erev rav] (12: 38).

(Ba'al Ha'Turim on Shemot 13: 17)

 

Why was Hametz [Leavened Bread] Prohibited only for One Day of the Passover of the Exodus?

Rabbi Yossi Ha-Galili says: From where do we learn that leavened bread was prohibited for only one day on the Passover of the Exodus? It is learnt from the verse: no leavened bread shall be eaten (13:3), and immediately afterwards [it is written]: This day you go free (13:4).

(Pesahim 96b)

 

[The prohibition of] hametz was only observed for one day of the Passover of the Exodus, and so they wrote that it was not observed as a festive day of rest. In my opinion, this came to tell them something of value for future generations as well, to demonstrate the perfection of His commandments, may He be blessed. For all of the nations make the day of victory, the day of their enemies' downfall, into a victory-holiday. Not so for Israel! They do not rejoice over their enemies' downfall. They will not celebrate that joy, as it says If your enemy falls, do not exult; if he trips, let your heart not rejoice. Lest the Lord see it and be displeased, and avert His wrath from him. (Proverbs 2:17-18). A superior man does not rejoice at his enemy's downfall, since such rejoicing is evil in the eyes of the Lord, and one should hate that which is evil in the Lord's eyes. That is why it is not mentioned in connection to the Passover, the Festival of Matzot, that He afflicted the Egyptians, but rather only that he took the Israelites out of Egypt. However, there is no festival or holiday in Israel celebrating the downfall of enemies.

(R. Meir Simha Mi-Dvinsk's Meshekh Hokhmah on Shemot 12:16)

 

 

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