Parshat Shmos
In 4:18, after Hashem gives Moshe instructions about going back to Egypt and talking to Pharoah, etc... Moshe goes back to his family and Yisro and he tells them he has to go back to Egypt to see how they are doing there....
Why did he not tell them the truth? Was he afraid they would not believe him? would they try to talk him out of it? would they think he was crazy?
This shows us that when a person has a plan, when he is working on a big project, don't tell people what you are doing. Even those close to you. They will steal your thunder, they will try to talk you out of it, they will ruin it somehow. Get the project rolling and then tell them when they can no longer ruin it for you.
Anybody?
Showing posts with label Shmot. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shmot. Show all posts
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Shmos: gotta know when to hold 'em
Parshat Shmos
Moshe was given a series of three signs (previously mentioned as tricks, or magic tricks) with which to convince the people of Israel to trust in him and follow him. First he would use one sign, and of they still do not believe then the second, then the third.
If the third sign was the mother load and that was so strong it would do the job the first two could not do, why not just use the third sign right away? Why bother with the first two at all?
You never reveal your best hand until it is necessary. Sign #3 represented a very powerful message. It carried a very strong threat to the Egyptians and represented a very bold move by the Hebrews. You do not want to give that away unless it is absolutely necessary.
First try other things, then if it is still necessary, go for the nuclear attack.
Moshe was given a series of three signs (previously mentioned as tricks, or magic tricks) with which to convince the people of Israel to trust in him and follow him. First he would use one sign, and of they still do not believe then the second, then the third.
If the third sign was the mother load and that was so strong it would do the job the first two could not do, why not just use the third sign right away? Why bother with the first two at all?
You never reveal your best hand until it is necessary. Sign #3 represented a very powerful message. It carried a very strong threat to the Egyptians and represented a very bold move by the Hebrews. You do not want to give that away unless it is absolutely necessary.
First try other things, then if it is still necessary, go for the nuclear attack.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Shmos: attacking a national symbol
Parshat Shmos
In 4:9 we find Hashem had just performed two signs for Moshe for him to relate to the people to gain their trust. Now the passuk says, and if they still do not believe you here is a third trick, as He explains to Moshe to turn some water from the Nile to blood in front of them.
if they do not believe after the first two, why would they believe after the third?
And anyways, why would any "magic trick" help to gain their trust - they are living in Egypt. Egypt is the center of the world for magic and black arts. Why should they be impressed just because Moshe can pull off a couple of stunts?
I would say it was not the magic that was important to sway the people. Anybody could do magic. It was the symbols and meanings behind it that were important. The third trick is one where Moshe takes water from the Nile and turns it to blood.
Moshe, by doing that, is openly and brazenly attacking the national symbol of Egypt. Rashi goes further and says Hashem was sending a message by this trick that He would attack and destroy the gods of Egypt first (the Nile was respected as a god).
The idea si that the specific action had meaning and was not just a simple magic trick. Each of the three tricks had increasingly powerful messages, so someone who had more faith might be swayed at the first trick, someone else at the second, and those who still did not believe after two tricks, would definitely be swayed by the third, with the most powerful message. No matter how stubborn they were, they could not ignore message #3.
Moshe being brazen enough to attack Egypt at its national symbol is a powerful message.
In 4:9 we find Hashem had just performed two signs for Moshe for him to relate to the people to gain their trust. Now the passuk says, and if they still do not believe you here is a third trick, as He explains to Moshe to turn some water from the Nile to blood in front of them.
if they do not believe after the first two, why would they believe after the third?
And anyways, why would any "magic trick" help to gain their trust - they are living in Egypt. Egypt is the center of the world for magic and black arts. Why should they be impressed just because Moshe can pull off a couple of stunts?
I would say it was not the magic that was important to sway the people. Anybody could do magic. It was the symbols and meanings behind it that were important. The third trick is one where Moshe takes water from the Nile and turns it to blood.
Moshe, by doing that, is openly and brazenly attacking the national symbol of Egypt. Rashi goes further and says Hashem was sending a message by this trick that He would attack and destroy the gods of Egypt first (the Nile was respected as a god).
The idea si that the specific action had meaning and was not just a simple magic trick. Each of the three tricks had increasingly powerful messages, so someone who had more faith might be swayed at the first trick, someone else at the second, and those who still did not believe after two tricks, would definitely be swayed by the third, with the most powerful message. No matter how stubborn they were, they could not ignore message #3.
Moshe being brazen enough to attack Egypt at its national symbol is a powerful message.
Shmos: a land filled with bowling alleys
Parshat Shmos
In 3:8 Hashem contacts Moshe from the Burning Bush and tells him that He hears the cries of the people, and He sees their pain and he will take them out of Egypt. He says "I will bring you to a good land, flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Cnaani, Hiti, Emori, Prizi, Hivi, and Yevusi."
Why mention that it is a place of these people -if he is trying to entice them to follow His lead, he should keep quiet about these nations living there and only tell them later. These nations were hostile - them being in the land means the people know in advance there will be conflicts, wars, and problems as they will try to uproot nations already living there. So why mention it here? It seems counterproductive! This would just scare them off!
Maybe Hashem is mentioning it to show them that He is not bringing them to an empty, desolate land. He is bringing them to an inhabited place. There are homes, there are shopping malls, bowling alleys, baseball fields, everything a person could want. So saying people already live there should not scare them off, but make it even more desirable for them.
In 3:8 Hashem contacts Moshe from the Burning Bush and tells him that He hears the cries of the people, and He sees their pain and he will take them out of Egypt. He says "I will bring you to a good land, flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Cnaani, Hiti, Emori, Prizi, Hivi, and Yevusi."
Why mention that it is a place of these people -if he is trying to entice them to follow His lead, he should keep quiet about these nations living there and only tell them later. These nations were hostile - them being in the land means the people know in advance there will be conflicts, wars, and problems as they will try to uproot nations already living there. So why mention it here? It seems counterproductive! This would just scare them off!
Maybe Hashem is mentioning it to show them that He is not bringing them to an empty, desolate land. He is bringing them to an inhabited place. There are homes, there are shopping malls, bowling alleys, baseball fields, everything a person could want. So saying people already live there should not scare them off, but make it even more desirable for them.
Shmos: big brother government
Parshat Shmos
In 2:12-14 we find Moshe going out from the palace to see the people. He sees an Egyptian man striking a Jew. The passuk says, "ויפן כה וכה וירא כי אין איש....כאשר הרגת את האיש" Moshe turned this way and that, saw there was no person around and he smote the Egyptian... Then he bumps into 2 jews fighting with each other. When he attempts to break up the fight, they ask if he is going to kill them like he killed the Egyptian.
What happened - we know Moshe looked all around to make sure nobody was in sight before he did anything, so how did they know about it?
You can never be sure nobody is looking. If you are going to do something sensitive, unless you are in the privacy of your own home, you have to act with the assumption that somebody might be watching. Even if you look around and take all the protection you possibly can, chances are reasonable that somebody might be watching.
Act accordingly. A person should always be aware that somebody is watching. That somebody might only be Hashem, and you should act appropriately, but even if you are doing nothing wrong, that somebody watching might be not just Hashem but someone human as well.
In 2:12-14 we find Moshe going out from the palace to see the people. He sees an Egyptian man striking a Jew. The passuk says, "ויפן כה וכה וירא כי אין איש....כאשר הרגת את האיש" Moshe turned this way and that, saw there was no person around and he smote the Egyptian... Then he bumps into 2 jews fighting with each other. When he attempts to break up the fight, they ask if he is going to kill them like he killed the Egyptian.
What happened - we know Moshe looked all around to make sure nobody was in sight before he did anything, so how did they know about it?
You can never be sure nobody is looking. If you are going to do something sensitive, unless you are in the privacy of your own home, you have to act with the assumption that somebody might be watching. Even if you look around and take all the protection you possibly can, chances are reasonable that somebody might be watching.
Act accordingly. A person should always be aware that somebody is watching. That somebody might only be Hashem, and you should act appropriately, but even if you are doing nothing wrong, that somebody watching might be not just Hashem but someone human as well.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
time to move on
Parshat Sh'mot
In 1:8 we are told a new king arose who did not know Yosef.
Rashi brings two opinions as to what that might mean. One, that it was actually a new king and he did not know Yosef. The second, that after Yosef's death the old king simply changed his decrees and acted as if he did not know Yosef.
How could the Pharoah ignore Yosef like that? Even if it was a new king, how could he have been unfamiliar with Yosef - the guy who ran Egypt for so many years and saved it from famine and was responsible for it becoming a great empire? He had to know Yosef!
And if it was the same old king, how could he ignore Yosef? After all that Yosef had done for him, he simply wipes it all away as if it never happened?
Yosef died. He was no longer a political force. He was not someone to be reckoned with any longer. Once Yosef died, the attitude seems to have been that all previous alliances, all deals, all favors owed, etc.. are no longer relevant.
As soon as it was necessary, the (maybe new) Pharoah simply made all his new alliances with others and his new decrees. Nothing from history mattered, as it was time to move on.
In 1:8 we are told a new king arose who did not know Yosef.
Rashi brings two opinions as to what that might mean. One, that it was actually a new king and he did not know Yosef. The second, that after Yosef's death the old king simply changed his decrees and acted as if he did not know Yosef.
How could the Pharoah ignore Yosef like that? Even if it was a new king, how could he have been unfamiliar with Yosef - the guy who ran Egypt for so many years and saved it from famine and was responsible for it becoming a great empire? He had to know Yosef!
And if it was the same old king, how could he ignore Yosef? After all that Yosef had done for him, he simply wipes it all away as if it never happened?
Yosef died. He was no longer a political force. He was not someone to be reckoned with any longer. Once Yosef died, the attitude seems to have been that all previous alliances, all deals, all favors owed, etc.. are no longer relevant.
As soon as it was necessary, the (maybe new) Pharoah simply made all his new alliances with others and his new decrees. Nothing from history mattered, as it was time to move on.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
