Ten Minutes of Torah

with

Rabbi Chaim Weiner

 

 

Shemot – 5767

 

 

שמות ו:ב

 

(ב) וַיְדַבֵּר אֱלֹהִים אֶל מֹשֶׁה וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אֲנִי ה':

Exodus 6: 2

 

2 God spoke to Moses and said to him, "I am the LORD. 

 

 

 

 

 

Be’er Yitzchak:

 

The opinion of the Rabbis is that this verse:  God spoke to Moses and said to him, "I am the LORD” [6:2] – does not stand by itself, but rather is attached to the verse that comes before it -  Then the LORD said to Moses, "You shall soon see what I will do to Pharaoh: he shall let them go because of a greater might; indeed, because of a greater might he shall drive them from his land."  [6:1].

 

And so also the chapter divisions, for the verse “ Then the LORD said to Moses, "You shall soon see …”, which comes at the very end of the previous Parasha, was placed at the beginning of the new chapter. … According to this theory, both of these prophesies were spoken at the same time …

 

 

 

QUESTIONS

 

1. If Ha’amek Davar is right, why was verse 1 placed at the end of Parshat Shemot if it belongs at the beginning of Parshat Va’era?

 

2. If this theory is correct, then both verses 1 and 2 are answers to the question that Moses asked at the end of Parshat Shemot: O Lord, why di you bring harm upon this people? Why did You send me? What 2 answers is God giving to Moses’ questions?

 

 


 

ANSWER TO LAST WEEK’S QUESTION:

 

How in each case does the commentary provide justification for Moses’ action?

 

Shemot Rabbah: Moses could see that this person was a total failure and that no good would ever come to him. Moses killed him because of the evil he would do in the future.

 

Ramban: Moses identified with his Hebrew brethren. He killed the Egyptian because he identified with his enslaved people.

 

HaEmek Davar: Moses saw the Egyptian beating a Jew for no reason – just because he was a Jew. Moses killed the Egyptian because could not stand the injustice of racism.

 

 

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Ten Minutes of Torah was prepared by Rabbi Chaim Weiner, based on the methods of Prof. Nechama Leibowitz. Rabbi Weiner studied and corresponded with Prof. Leibowitz for several years.

 

 

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