Parshat Shmot:

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Parshat Shmot
Let My People Go A Hoax or a Mission?
Shiur by Menachem Leibtag
Presentation by Ronni Libson
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Burning Bush Moshe receives his mission
concerning what he must tell Pharaoh
No request for freedom from slavery!
Moshes initial confrontation with Pharaoh
Requests only to worship God in the desert
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Moshe and Aharon claim
It is in the best interests of the Egyptians to
allow Bnei Yisrael this short trip to worship
their God in the desert
Pharaoh denies request
Purpose of ten plagues
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Warnings before the plagues
No hint that Bnei Yisrael plan to leave for good
only request three-day journey to worship God
in the desert
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Negotiations between Moshe and Pharaoh
Round 1 Place of worship (821-28)
Pharaoh agrees to let them worship, but in Egypt
Moshe refuses Egyptians would stone them seeing
them sacrifice Pharaoh agrees to let them journey
to the desert, but not too far away Later
hardens his heart
Round 2 Who may worship (108-12)
Pharaoh agrees to let the men sacrifice in the
desert Moshe insists women and children come
along too all family members are needed to
worship God
Round 3 What possessions may be taken (1024-26)
Pharaoh agrees to allow women and children to
join, but not sheep and cattle Moshe insists all
animals must come along they do not know what
animal they will need to sacrifice to God
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• Moshe rejects any concession or compromise

• Never suggests that they plan to leave for good

After makkat bchorot Pharaoh realizes original
warning of dever or cherev has come true
Pharaoh Agrees to Bnei Yisraels three-day
journey and requests they pray on his behalf
Egyptians want Bnei Yisrael to go worship their
God to bring an end to the plagues
Lend Bnei Yisrael their finest wares to
encourage them to leave as quickly as possible
(only going on a short journey and will return)
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Only makes sense if Pharaoh had not granted them
total freedom
Bnei Yisrael dont go to desert
Pharaoh concludes theyve run away
Declares war on Bnei Yisrael, rebellious nation
of slaves
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Moshes mission at the burning bush
Doesnt tell how!
Moshe has been a fugitive from Egypt for many
years why should Pharaoh even allow him an
audience? Moshe has been away from his people for
most of his adult life why would they accept
him as their official leader?
Moshes response to this command

• Who am I that I can go to Pharaoh?

• How can I take Bnei Yisrael out of Egypt?

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Gods answer to Moshe
Doesnt answer Moshes question!!!
2 Possibilities

• Reinterpret Moshes question to fit Gods answer
  
• Reinterpret Gods answer to fit Moshes question

Rashi
Q Why am I (and/or Bnei Yisrael) worthy of being
taken out of Egypt?
A Merit of receiving the Torah (purpose of
Yetziat Mitzraim) renders them worthy to be taken
out
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Rashbam
2 parts to Gods answer, corresponding to 2 parts
of original command and 2 parts of Moshes
question
Part I
310 Command Go, I have sent you to
Pharaoh! 311 Question Who am I, that I can go to
Pharaoh? 312 Answer For I will be with you, and
this the sneh is the sign that I have sent
you
Part II
310 Command Take Bnei Yisrael out of
Egypt! 311 Question How can I take them out of
Egypt? 312 Answer In order to take them out
of Egypt, tell Pharaoh that this nation
must worship their God on this mountain
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Rashbam
Reinterprets Gods answer to fit Moshes question
Interprets pshat to be that Moshe never asked
Pharaoh for freedom, only to go on a short
journey to worship God
Supports for Rashbams interpretation

• God specifies this later

• Moshe never asks for freedom, rather for a
  three-day journey to worship God in the desert

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Questions on Rashbams interpretation

• Moshes mission included telling Bnei Yisrael of
  the plan

Is it possible for all of Bnei Yisrael (over a
million people) to know the real plan and
Pharaoh not to find out?

• What does Moshe have to gain by not telling the
  truth?

• Is God not powerful enough to bring plagues
  capable of forcing Pharaoh to grant Bnei Yisrael
  total freedom? Is it better to deceive Pharaoh
  rather than tell him the truth?

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• Bnei Yisrael in Egypt for over 200 years - view
  it as their home

• Population over 2 million

Difficult to provide food and water for so many
people (in Egypt, Nile provided)
Survival of nation in desert, even for a few
weeks - impossible

• Even if survived desert, would not be able to
  conquer land with fortified cities and armed
  enemies

Bnei Yisrael have no realistic alternative other
than staying in Egypt
Cry of Bnei Yisrael
Oppressed working class who desire a lighter
workload and better living conditions
Not yearning for Zion
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Emigration of entire nation to Canaan - unfeasible
Had Moshe gone to Pharaoh requesting to leave
with the entire nation to Eretz Canaan, Pharaoh
would have dismissed him as insane!
God instructs Moshe to make a reasonable request
to allow his afflicted brethren to worship
their God
Answers question How would all Bnei Yisrael know
real plan without Egyptians finding out?
If Egyptians found out, would scoff at idea
Physically impossible!
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What worries Pharaoh?
Original reason for enslaving Bnei Yisrael
Fear that Bnei Yisrael may take over his country
Reluctant to allow entire nation to leave with
their belongings
Nature guarantees they will return to Egypt No
guarantee they will return to servitude
Pharaoh imposes limits Not traveling too far,
leaving women and children behind, leaving
livestock behind
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Two independent issues in Moshes mission
1) To redeem Bnei Yisrael from Egypt to fulfill
Brit Avot 2) To teach Pharaoh and his country
the lesson of ANI HASHEM that the God of
Israel exists
Critical element of Gods plan Confrontation
with Pharaoh about religious freedom
Pharaoh rejects request
Acts as if he himself is a god!
Needs lesson of vyadu Mitzraim ki ANI Hashem
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Sefer Breishit Goal of Nation of Israel is to
establish a model society which can bring all
mankind to recognize God
Yetziat Mitzraim
Israel becomes a nation Egypt recognizes God
Significant that these occur at the same time

• Initially goal must be achieved through force
  (plagues)

• Eventually, when Israel becomes a nation in its
  own land, this goal can be achieved peacefully,
  through education, if Bnei Yisrael follow the Ten
  Commandments and mitzvot

Link between Ten Plagues and Ten Commandments