Parshas Vaera
This is in the merit of my grandmother Esther bat Mazal. May she have a speedy and complete recovery.
A note: Comments within double brackets, [[abc]], are notes I write for myself so that when I look back later on the topics I discussed, I see all the sources I looked at and how I understood them. Readers are encouraged to skip them.
Question:
"Pharaoh sent word and discovered that among the Israelites' livestock, not a single [animal] had died. But Pharaoh remained obstinate and would not let the people leave" (Exodus 9:7).
Why should Pharaoh care if the Jews' livestock were spared the plague?
Slavery and Freedom
"And Hashem spoke to Moses and Aaron and commanded them regarding the Children of Israel and Pharaoh, King of Egypt, to take out the Children of Israel from the land of Egypt" (Exodus 6:13).
This verse seems quite strange; what can it mean to command the Jews to free the Jews from Egypt?
Rav Baruch HaLevy Epstein in his Torah Temimah cites the Jerusalem Talmud:
"Rav Shmuel son of Rav Yitzchak said, 'On what were they commanded? On the section [of the Torah dealing with] releasing servants'" (Jerusalem Talmud, Rosh HaShana 3:5).
It is clear that Pharaoh is being commanded to free the slaves and our Sages understand that this same command was given to the Jews. If we say the Jews had slaves, one could say that it is not just to demand Pharaoh release his slaves while the Jews keep their own. And even if we say that no Jews had slaves, Pharaoh could not be ordered to free slaves who, once free, will acquire and oppress slaves.
On a deeper level, I think this Medrish also relates to the purpose of our slavery in Egypt. G-d commanded us:
"Do not hurt the feelings of a foreigner or oppress him, for you were foreigners in Egypt" (Exodus 22:20)
Nechama Leibowitz (Studies in Shemot, volume 1, p 5-8) cites many verses where we are told to remember our servitude in Egypt and not to oppress others and to go out of our way to help people. We must become models of freedom and kindness to the entire world.
Food for thought and discussion:
What can we do to apply these ideas every day on a personal level, not solely by attending rallies (which are very important), but also in our daily life?
Information about Rav Baruch HaLevy Epstein
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baruch_Epstein
Have a good Shabbas and Rosh Chodesh,
Mordechai
This is in the merit of my grandmother Esther bat Mazal. May she have a speedy and complete recovery.
A note: Comments within double brackets, [[abc]], are notes I write for myself so that when I look back later on the topics I discussed, I see all the sources I looked at and how I understood them. Readers are encouraged to skip them.
Question:
"Pharaoh sent word and discovered that among the Israelites' livestock, not a single [animal] had died. But Pharaoh remained obstinate and would not let the people leave" (Exodus 9:7).
Why should Pharaoh care if the Jews' livestock were spared the plague?
Slavery and Freedom
"And Hashem spoke to Moses and Aaron and commanded them regarding the Children of Israel and Pharaoh, King of Egypt, to take out the Children of Israel from the land of Egypt" (Exodus 6:13).
This verse seems quite strange; what can it mean to command the Jews to free the Jews from Egypt?
Rav Baruch HaLevy Epstein in his Torah Temimah cites the Jerusalem Talmud:
"Rav Shmuel son of Rav Yitzchak said, 'On what were they commanded? On the section [of the Torah dealing with] releasing servants'" (Jerusalem Talmud, Rosh HaShana 3:5).
It is clear that Pharaoh is being commanded to free the slaves and our Sages understand that this same command was given to the Jews. If we say the Jews had slaves, one could say that it is not just to demand Pharaoh release his slaves while the Jews keep their own. And even if we say that no Jews had slaves, Pharaoh could not be ordered to free slaves who, once free, will acquire and oppress slaves.
On a deeper level, I think this Medrish also relates to the purpose of our slavery in Egypt. G-d commanded us:
"Do not hurt the feelings of a foreigner or oppress him, for you were foreigners in Egypt" (Exodus 22:20)
Nechama Leibowitz (Studies in Shemot, volume 1, p 5-8) cites many verses where we are told to remember our servitude in Egypt and not to oppress others and to go out of our way to help people. We must become models of freedom and kindness to the entire world.
Food for thought and discussion:
What can we do to apply these ideas every day on a personal level, not solely by attending rallies (which are very important), but also in our daily life?
Information about Rav Baruch HaLevy Epstein
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baruch_Epstein
Have a good Shabbas and Rosh Chodesh,
Mordechai
posted by Mordechai18 at 12:31 AM
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