This week, we begin the new sefer of
Shemos. It is also called the Sefer Hageulah since in it we were
redeemed from slavery and built the Mishkan for Hashem’s Shechinah to rest.
According to the Ramban, though Eretz Yisrael is the only place where we can be
called completely redeemed, if we have a set place for the Shechinah, then
there is a certain amount of redemption in that as well.
The story of Moshe’s growing up in the
house of Paroh is well-known, maybe most for the irony of Paroh raising the one
who would lead the charge against him! But after Moshe kills an Egyptian for
beating a helpless Jew, Paroh turns against him and tries to have him killed. A
pasuk later in the parsha, during Moshe’s famous conversation with Hashem by
the burning bush, gives us the details.
“וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹוָ֜ה
אֵלָ֗יו מִ֣י שָׂ֣ם פֶּה֘ לָֽאָדָם֒ א֚וֹ מִֽי־יָשׂ֣וּם אִלֵּ֔ם א֣וֹ חֵרֵ֔שׁ א֥וֹ
פִקֵּ֖חַ א֣וֹ עִוֵּ֑ר הֲלֹ֥א אָֽנֹכִ֖י יְהֹוָֽה” “And Hashem said to
him (Moshe), ‘Who gave man a mouth, or made him mute or deaf or seeing or
blind? Is it not I, Hashem!” (Shemos 4:11). Rashi brings a medrash that
explains that this refers to when Paroh decided to have Moshe executed, he
tried to shout out to the guards to grab him, but Hashem made him mute.
Additionally, Hashem made the guards deaf so they couldn’t hear Paroh tell them
to grab Moshe, and He made the executioner blind so he couldn’t see Moshe while
he ran off the stage.
I had a question on this medrash which I
was happy to see is asked by the Sifsei Chachamim. Once, Hashem made Paroh
mute, why did He have to do anything else? Once Paroh can’t say anything, there
is no danger of anything happening to Moshe! He explains that Paroh became deaf
long enough to allow Moshe to run away. Once Moshe escaped, Paroh tried to
command his guards to chase after him, but Hashem made them deaf, and all they
knew was that Paroh needed something done quickly. So they went and starting running
around without any clue of what they were supposed to be doing. But Paroh didn’t
realize that they hadn’t understood him, so he assumed that they had chased
after Moshe without success.
This still doesn’t answer why Hashem
made the executioners blind; in fact, I believe it only strengthens the
question! At this time, I don’t have an answer.
The Sifsei Chachamim continues with his
explanation of the Rashi. How come the pasuk needs to tell me that Hashem gives
people sight? If the whole pasuk is representing what He did to Paroh and his
servants, why does it include that Moshe retained all his senses? He explains
that the word used here for sight, “פִקֵּ֖חַ”,
is also used to mean someone who keeps his eyes open, someone who pays
attention to his surroundings and to details. Specifically in this case, it
means someone who was expecting something to happen, someone who was expecting
Hashem to be there for him.
Moshe did not know
what was going to happen while he was being brought to the executioner’s stand,
but he did know that he needed to be ready for any opportunity afforded to him.
He was not walking with his head down in despair or held high with pride, he
walked with purpose; observing the situation to see if Hashem would provide an
opportunity for him. He noticed right away, even before anyone else, when the
executioner went blind and couldn’t see him, so he was able to jump off the
stage and into the desert before anyone had a chance to move. The pasuk tells
us that this was a direct inspiration from Hashem, and Hashem was confirming to
Moshe that He would always be looking out for him.
And so begins Sefer
Shemos.
Shabbat Shalom!
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