...okay so - when we last left our heroes The Almighty had instructed Moshe to present himself to the King of Egypt as His messenger and request a three day escape into the wilderness for Bnei Yisroel to pray/sacrifice to G-D. This week the request is denied in triplicate and all manner of makkos ensues.
The thing is...Three Days? Really? Is that what the plan was? As best I recall when the nation ends up leaving they don't plan on coming back. So what's the deal? Is there a grand lie/subterfuge going on here? And if so why? (Also, why at some point does the request change to the more common "let my people go", as in forever?)
The request was for a seven day trip. Three days out. One day to worship God. Three days back.
ReplyDeleteSee here: http://dovbear.blogspot.com/2010/12/parsha-notes-shmos-2010.html
ok, amounts to the same thing
ReplyDeleteSee Abarbanel end of ch 3 of Shmos. Hashem originally told Moshe to ask for a 3 day trip, but added that He knows that Pharoah is going to say no -- the whole point was to demonstrate Pharaoh's stubborness. Not only will Pharoah not free the Jews, but G-d said I'll prove the point that he won't even budge a little bit. (There are other answers as well.)
ReplyDeleteWhat R' Chaim said is what I was going to say. (Except without the sources, since I never remember who said these things.) :)
ReplyDeleteopen up your toras chayim chumash and see a debate between Rabeinu Chananel and Rashbam (as I recall) regarding exactly this question. One says it was a trick and they meant to go forever and the other says G-d planned a 3 day trip to ease them into freedom and mitzvos slowly. There would likely be other short trips to follow before the final departure.
ReplyDeleteThe trick idea is discussed at length by the Derashos haRan (end of derush #11). Pharoh had to be led to believe that there was a chance of BN"Y turning back so that he would willingly give chase and be led to drown in Yam Suf. (Abarbanel is very critical of this idea.)
ReplyDeleteThe important point is that according to both views the real plan was to escape forever.
Rav Kamenetsky (i think) said it WAS supposed to be just for 3 days as the jews were in need of a spiritual re'jew'nvination, and then they would survive till the end of 400.
ReplyDeleteAs things turned out Pharo didn't let, turned up the steam and pressure.
This week Bo moshe already notes to His majesty that their not gonna come back.
1. A simple reading of the text shows that Moshe Rabbeinu's mission was to deliver the Jews 100% from slavery in Egypt and take us out of there, too. His mission included bringing us to Har Sinai to receive the Torah. This all had to take place during Moshe's lifetime.
ReplyDelete2. The best explanation I've heard about the subterfuge (3 days, etc.) was that this was payback for the Egyptian subterfuge (Pharaoh luring Jews into construction projects by appeals to their Egyptian patriotism) that led to their slavery in the first place.
When floods do occur, The North Face Sale the water, though turbid for the time, subsides rapidly and soon becomes clear again. Below Hertford, floods are liable to act injuriously, the water remaining longer on the adjoining marsh lands. Mr. Beardmore stated that heavy floodings had taken place in May 1824, in November 1852, and in October 1857, and that at such times large areas of land were, laid under water for several days. Skechers Shoes The marsh-lands on both sides of the lower Thames are not subject to such flooding, as the embankments are found to be sufficient to shut out the tides, and the primitive sewers, marsh-ditches, and tidal outlet-sluices regulate the delivery of flood waters so as to prevent injury to land. The marsh districts on both sides of the lower Lee are now subject to the double evil of flooding and droughts; during long continued dry weather the surface cracks until there are fissures several feet in depth. Flood water is passed much more rapidly down the valley of the Lee in consequence The North Face Sale of the improvements made of late years in the navigation by dredging the channels. Much, however, remains to be done which would improve the conditions of the marsh-land and the health of the people.The evidence as to the water-mills proves that in many instances the dams and ponds act injuriously by preventing land drainage and impeding floods. However useful Discount G Star Sale water-power may have been in former times, when these mills were first established, that use has now been greatly reduced in relative value, and, wherever there is sufficient trade to The North Face Sale make grinding corn a profitable occupation, steam-power has to be brought in as an auxiliary, the improved navigation and railway accommodation facilitating the delivery of coals so as to give an advantage to steam over the constantly alternating and uncertain flow of water. Water-power having diminished in commercial value, and land for agricultural purposes having greatly increased in value, injury to the adjoining lands may be shown to cause an annual money loss to the district Shape Ups Boots. To this money loss must be added injury to health by the retention of large areas of undrained land. Water-mills and mill-dams are proved to be injurious to local properties, but we have no evidence as to any serious pollutions being caused by these mills, other than so far as they cause a partial stagnation in the water and accumulations of mud by ponding.
ReplyDelete