Parsha Partner

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Parsha Perspectives

by RABBI BINYOMIN ADLER

וירא בסבלתם וירא איש מצרי מכה איש עברי מאחיו ויפן כה וכה וירא כי אין איש ויך את המצרי ויטמנהו בחול

“And he (Moses) saw an Egyptian man striking a Hebrew man, of his brethren. He turned this way and that and saw that there was no man, so he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.” (Exodus 2:11)

The Torah records how Moses went out to his brothers and witnessed an Egyptian hitting one of his fellow Jews. Moses looked both ways and then struck the Egyptian, killing him. The Midrash states that when Moses witnessed the Egyptian striking the Jew, he looked into the future to see if there would be any descendants who would be able to justify keeping the Egyptian alive. After Moses came to the realization that the Egyptian would bear no such descendants, Moses killed him.

The Egyptian was guilty of engaging in an affair with the Jew’s wife, sinning with idolatry, and committing murder and persecution. Why was it necessary for Moses to pause and contemplate whether the Egyptian deserved to be put to death? Could there be no better indictment than the Egyptian’s own actions? Why would Moses have needed to consider the Egyptian’s descendants? Wasn’t his indiscretion egregious in its own right to deserve this punishment?

Rabbi Yaakov Bender, Dean of Yeshiva Darchei Torah, was once addressing parents regarding the dangers of the internet. With the intention of imparting to parents that their children’s spirituality was at stake, Rabbi Bender related the following incident involving the late dean of the Mir Yeshiva, Rabbi Shmuel Birinbaum of blessed memory.

One of the students at the Mir became addicted to gambling. A group of older students were concerned about the boy’s potentially negative influence on them and believed that it would be prudent to ask Rabbi Birnbaum to expel that student. “I will never forget Rabbi Birnbaum’s response. After hearing us out, he had one question: ‘Did you fast for forty days? ‘Prior to making such a critical decision, you must realize that if we expel this boy, we may be the catalyst for his complete abandonment of Judaism. One who could fathom making such an essential decision would surely fast for forty days!’”

Subsequent to this discussion, Rabbi Birnbaum relayed that his personal intervention was necessary. Rather than expelling the student, Rabbi Birnbaum took him on as a personal study partner. The warmth that the rabbi demonstrated had a profound impact on him. With time, a complete transformation took place. That student eventually became an accomplished Torah scholar and a teacher of note.

“The story doesn’t end here,” continued Rabbi Bender. “I related this incident while eulogizing Rabbi Birnbaum at his funeral. Months after the funeral, a woman with a son in our yeshiva, who had been having a very rough time, received a call from the principal to inform her of her son’s considerable improvement. The mother proudly explained what she thought was the cause of the dramatic turn-around.

“‘After hearing the incident with Rabbi Birnbaum and the troubled boy,’” the mother said, “‘I realized that one should never despair. I took it upon myself to fast for forty days and prayed for his success. It certainly was not simple, and I had to refrain from eating at luncheons and on a long airplane flight. Nevertheless, I saw it through and feel that G-d has answered my prayers.’”

This incident might shed light on why the Midrash finds it necessary to inform us that Moses looked into the future to see if the Egyptian would have any worthy descendants. While it is easy to jump to condemn someone for his wrongdoing, we must always contemplate the potential future of that person. Though his actions may not warrant special consideration right now, his future can be most promising.

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Parsha Talking Points

by RABBI ELAZAR MEISELS

1. ONE GOOD TURN

“A long time passed and the king of Egypt died and the Children of Israel groaned because of their enslavement, and they cried and their cries about their enslavement went up to G-d.” 2:23

The king of Egypt died – Thus it was now possible for Moses to return to Egypt since his persecutor was no longer alive. – Ibn Ezra

The king of Egypt died – Interestingly, it does not say that Pharaoh died, only “The king of Egypt.” This is because it refers to the Heavenly Angel who represents Egypt in the heavenly spheres. This Angel prevented the cries of the Jewish people from ascending before the Almighty until He was “slain,” and therefore “their cries ascended before the Almighty.” – Zohar

Their cries about their enslavement – This term implies that their cries were not motivated by repentance, but they were simply expressions of pain over their backbreaking burden. Nevertheless, the Almighty allowed them to come before Him and advocate on behalf of His children. – Or HaChaim

From the simple reading of the verse, it appears that the Children of Israel did not actually start to groan and cry out to the Almighty until after the death of the Egyptian monarch. Why would they have waited until then when their pain had been so great throughout his lifetime? Riva”h explains that until he passed, they reassured themselves that their enslavement was a reflection of his personal animus toward them, but that the minute a new king would arise, they would be emancipated. Only once he passed and the situation continued to deteriorate did they finally accept that it wasn’t about him, but it was a Divine decree and the only One to turn to was the Almighty.

2. MOUNTAIN MEN

“And Moses said to the Almighty, ‘Who am I that I shall go before Pharaoh and that I should take the Children of Israel out of Egypt?’ The Almighty said, ‘For I will be with you, and this will be your sign that I sent you; when you take the nation out of Egypt, they will serve the Almighty on this mountain.’” 3:11

Who am I – Who am I that I should speak to kings? – Rashi

That I should take the Children of Israel out of Egypt – Even if somehow I am worthy of speaking to kings, what merits do the Children of Israel possess to be able to have miracles performed on their behalf to help them leave Egypt? In response, the Almighty explained that indeed, they do not currently possess sufficient merits, but since they will serve the Almighty in the future by accepting the Torah on Mt. Sinai, it is on that basis that they will now be redeemed. – Rashi

Pardes Yosef asks that the Almighty seems not to have responded to Moses’ question of “Who am I” by giving him a sign of how they will later serve Him by the mountain. Ateres Yehoshua explains that Moses, in stating this, was acting out of humility, as was his practice. However, even while practicing humility, one must still possess a small kernel of self-acclaim. This can be seen from the fact that the Torah was given on Mt. Sinai, the smallest of all mountains and a symbol of humility. Yet, if the point was to emphasize the importance of humility, wouldn’t a valley have been a more appropriate location? The answer is that a small mountain was chosen to teach that even while behaving humbly, one must still have some measure of haughtiness to him. This then, was the essence of the Almighty’s response. The Children of Israel will later serve Me on this mountain in order to demonstrate that total humility is not appropriate. Instead, even while retaining your humble approach, you must still be strong and haughty enough to face Pharaoh and plead on behalf of the Children of Israel.

3. SELF-SACRIFICE

“The Israelite foremen, whom Pharaoh’s administrators had appointed, were whipped. They were told, ‘Yesterday and today you did not complete your quotas. Why didn’t you make as many bricks as before?’” 5:14

The Israelite foremen – The officers (who were Israelites) took pity on their fellow Jews and did not pressure them when they tallied the bricks for the taskmasters (who were Egyptians) and they fell short of the quota. The Egyptians would beat them for not pressuring the workers more. It is for this reason that these officers later merited to become members of the Sanhedrin, and some of the Divine spirit which was on Moses was set aside and placed on them. – Rashi

These foremen were not the first set of Elders. Rather, after the passing of the original Elders, this group was selected and they merited a portion of the Divine spirit that their predecessors had not merited. – Maskil L’David

Being selected later as leaders was measure for measure for their sacrifice on behalf of the people while in Egypt. A true leader is one who is willing to sacrifice on behalf of his flock, rather than an individual who personally enjoys a high standard, while mandating that those beneath him make do with the bare necessities. Having proven themselves in Egypt, they were later entrusted with the highest and most powerful positions among the Jewish people.

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Partner Talk

KEEPING UP

by RABBI ELAZAR MEISELS

Dear Rabbi,

Neither my wife nor I was raised as an observant Jew, but each of us has grown increasingly more interested in our heritage over the past few years. We both attend classes on Judaism, I read a lot of Jewish books, and she likes to listen to lectures online, so in this sense, we’re growing at an equal pace. The problem is that while I am eager to further increase my level of observance, my wife is reluctant to go beyond our current commitment. She definitely feels pressured when I bring this up, and I certainly don’t want this to affect our shalom bayit. Help!

Name Withheld

Dear Withheld,

This scenario is actually fairly common with couples who begin to explore their Jewish heritage after being married for some time. Let me share with you some thoughts that come to mind, and perhaps they’ll give you some perspective and assist you in coming to a solution that will work for both of you.

1. Try to have an open and honest conversation with your wife regarding your interest in growing Jewishly. Direct communication must serve as the foundation for resolving any issues that come up.
2. The fact that a husband and wife are growing at different paces is not necessarily problematic – as long as neither unduly pressures the other and neither tries to impede the other’s progress. Being at different levels for an extended period of time can cause an unnecessary strain on the marriage and needs to be addressed. It’s okay however on a short-term basis, if the relationship is otherwise healthy and strong.
3. You must make it clear that you do not intend to pressure your wife to grow at a pace with which she is uncomfortable. These words must be conveyed with absolute sincerity.
4. As you begin to observe new mitzvot, start with those that primarily affect your lifestyle, rather than hers. Increasing your observance in this way will hopefully take off the pressure she’s feeling to keep up with you. In the course of becoming more observant, you will eventually take on more mitzvot that will invariably impact her lifestyle as well. If her concern pertains to your pace- rather than to the idea of making very gradual changes – being at two different levels should not be a problem.
5. It would be advisable, strongly so, to find and speak to a local competent rabbi who can advise you along the way. Having a knowledgeable but neutral third party can reduce any friction between you and your wife, and perhaps eliminate it entirely.

I wish you both many years of continued Jewish growth in an atmosphere that is happy and mutually supportive!

Sincerely,
Rabbi Elazar Meisels

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Table Talk

FOR DISCUSSION AROUND THE SHABBAT TABLE

by RABBI LABEL LAM

Moses replied to G-d, “Please my Lord, I am not a man of words…for I am heavy of mouth and heavy of speech.” Then G-d said to him, “Who makes a mouth for a man, or who makes one dumb or deaf or blind? Is it not I, G-d? So now, go! I shall be with your mouth and teach you what to say.” He replied, “Please, my Lord, send through whomever You will send!” The wrath of G-d burned against Moses, and He said, “Is there not Aaron your brother, the Levite? I know that he will surely speak…and when he sees you, he will rejoice in his heart. You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I shall be with your mouth and with his mouth and teach both what you are to do. He shall speak for you to the people; and it will be that he will be your mouth and you will be his leader…” (Shemos 4:10-16)

Moses is known for all time as the one who maximally taught and obeyed the Torah. Here we find him fighting, as it were, his first assignment, thwarting the will of the Almighty.

א) As G-d wanted Moses to serve as His emissary, despite any impediments he may have had, why would Moses consider it appropriate to thwart G-d’s will and allow the Jewish people to languish for a moment longer than necessary? More perplexing is why G-d would, so to speak, play along and engage in this debate!

ב) G-d was surely aware of Moses’ speech impediment. Why then would Moses, G-d’s devoted servant, use this to challenge the Almighty’s decision?

ג) If Moses was concerned that he was physically unfit, how does the fact that G-d would place the words in his mouth assuage his concerns?

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Parsha Summary

The small family of seventy souls became a multitude. The Egyptian government planned, first secretly, later openly, to reduce the Jewish population. It began with voluntary civic projects, then forced labor, and then decrees to murder Jewish infants. The Jewish midwives, at the risk of their lives, refused to cooperate with Pharaoh. Yocheved, the wife of Amram, Jacob’s great-grandson, gave birth to a premature boy, whom she hid. When this became too dangerous, she consigned the baby to a basket, which she set afloat in the rushes of the Nile. Pharaoh’s daughter rescued the baby and adopted him, hiring his mother to care for him. When the child, Moses, grew up, he sought ways to help his own people, and even killed an Egyptian who was beating a Jewish slave. He escaped Pharaoh’s police in Midian. There he assisted some girls tending their flocks and was invited to their home. He married one of them, Tzipora, daughter of Yisro. A son, Gershom, was born to them.

A new Pharaoh ruled Egypt. The situation of the Jews worsened. Moses, shepherding flocks in the desert, saw a bush burning, but not being consumed. Approaching the area, he was called by Hashem and told that the ground on which he stands is sacred. Hashem proposed to Moses that he take the Jewish nation out of Egypt. Moses was reluctant.  Hashem assured him that He would be with him, and told him how to convince B’nei Yisrael, whose skepticism Moses feared. Moses could also call upon the elders for assistance. Hashem predicted that Pharaoh would be stubborn, but that he would finally yield in the face of national disasters. B’nei Yisrael would leave Egypt with wealth, as was promised to Abraham. Hashem instructed Moses in the use of the “matteh,” a staff which he would employ to demonstrate miracles to Pharaoh. Moses, still unconvinced that he was the right person, cited his speech handicap. Hashem dismissed this objection also, and expressing anger, insisted that Moses go. He could share the task with his older brother Aharon.

Moses took leave of Yisro and set out with his wife and two sons. On the road, he was punished and nearly killed for delaying the circumcision of his infant son. Tzipora performed that circumcision, saving her husband’s life. Moses, announced his mission to the Jewish nation, and they expressed gratitude for their impending rescue. However, Moses and Aharon met with stern resistance on the part of Pharaoh. He would not hear of B’nei Yisroel leaving Egypt even temporarily. He increased the work burden drastically, causing anguish among the people, and even additional suffering for the Jewish supervisors. Moses complained bitterly to Hashem that he had caused his people more trouble. Hashem advised patience: “Pharoah will chase them from his land!”

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