Tuesday afternoon

[cellio]

Continuing with the early history of Moshe and people influential in his life, we spent much of the afternoon looking at Exodus Rabbah 1:26 and its sources. The torah tells us that Paro's daughter retrieved Moshe from the river, that he was beautiful, that she knew he was a Hebrew, and that she raised him as her own anyway. The midrash says that he was a real magnet; people were overcome with his beauty, and even Paro had a soft spot for him. Paro's magicians warned him, when they saw him playing with Paro's crown and putting it on his own head, that this might be the one they'd warned him about, the one who would take away his kingdom. They proposed killing him, but Yitro (!) said no, he's a child and doesn't understand, so how about a test: bring out a gold coin and a glowing coal. If he goes for the coin then ok, you can kill him; if he goes for the coal then leave him alone. They do this, Moshe goes for the coin, and the angel Gavriel pushes his hand to the coal instead. Moshe puts it in his mouth, which is why he is later "slow of speech".

Ok, lots there. Some thoughts:

First, Paro's daughter. How did she pull this off? Was she the only one who knew Moshe's origin? How did she explain suddenly showing up with a child? (What'd she do, fake a pregnancy?) I'm willing to assuume that she could silence her hand-maidens. Or was she thumbing her nose at her father, but the child was oozing so much cuteness that he didn't care?

Paro's daughter paid the wet-nurse, who was a slave and presumably didn't need to be paid? Compassion, or something else?

I'd previously heard midrashim that Yitro was in Paro's court (also Job and Bila'am). I'm still puzzled by it. How much does Yitro know -- is he just proposing a test of an anonymous child, or does he see something of the future? While we're on personnel, I'm mildly curious about the significance of Gavriel in particular being the angel who shows up. I don't have a strong argument for anyone else, but I just wonder where else Gavi shows up.

This is the second time that Paro has heard "there there, it's just a child and can't mean anything by that". By the way, note that this argument is among Paro's advisors; Paro himself doesn't offer an opinion.

One effect of the coal is as stated -- to support the speech issue recorded by the torah for Moshe. Another might be to disfigure this beautiful child so people will stop paying so much attention to him. (The midrash says that Paro's daughter wouldn't let the child leave the palace, but later Moshe (age unknown but closer to adulthood for sure) goes out and kills the Egyptian. Did this incident help him to move more freely? (Is the killing of the Egyptian also a killing of Moshe's identity as an Egyptian?)

Moshe went for the gold (the wrong answer) initially.

Things pointed out by the rabbi: This is the only place in torah (in tanakh?) where a child cries; the others are adults. (Hint of Moshe's maturity?) The introduction of Moshe is with a cry (speech); his undoing is also related to speech (hitting the rock instead of speaking to it, and yelling at the people). There are echos of B'reishit in Moshe's early story; the phrase translated as "handsome" is "ki tov", the same description applied to the days of creation, and he is placed in a "teva" (same word as the ark built by Noach).

"Moshe" doesn't mean "I drew him out of the water" like the torah tells us; it's an active participle. Moshe does the drawing out; he's not being drawn out. (I think I mentioned this yesterday.)

After we'd talked about this for a while we started to look at a text from the S'fas Emet, a 19th-century Chassidic writer. I might be reaching the conclusion that I'm not a fan of the S'fas Emet, but it's possible that we just didn't allow enough time for a difficult text. Maybe I'll write more later.

Comments

[chaos-wrangler.livejournal.com]

Was she the only one who knew Moshe's origin?

The explanation I've heard is that is was obvious he was a Hebrew and not an Egyptian because he was circumcised, so she knew where he was from as soon as she knew he was a he and not a she... and that's why she was so open to the idea of a Hebrew wet nurse for him.

This is the only place in torah (in tanakh?) where a child cries; the others are adults.

There's implied child crying, and definately unhappy noise making, with Hagar and Yishmael (bereshit 21:17): the angel tells her not to worry because god has heard the voice of the child - the term used is na'ar, which usually means not of legal age, although the text gives his age as 13 a bit earlier (17:25).

[cellio]

Whoops -- checked my notes, and what the rabbi actually said was "infant", not "child". I had forgotten about Yishmael.

[msmemory.livejournal.com]

Paro's daughter paid the wet-nurse

Would there be a nuance if Moshe had been nursed by a slave instead of an employee? Paid wet-nurse is presumably a respectable if unglamorous hired position, and I'd expect it's not so very uncommon for a woman of status to engage one. Would a slave's breast milk have transferred some kind of inferior status to Moshe, or created some kind of bond of obligation between Moshe and his nurse?

[cellio]

That's a good question. I had been thinking in terms of "why pay when this person is already a slave and has to do what you say?", but it would create a different situation. There is also a midrash that Moshe had to be nursed by a Hebrew and not an Egyptian wet-nurse because the latter would either create a bond with someone he's going to destroy later or transmit "Egyptian badness" via the milk. (I don't have a source for this; it was mentioned in passing.)

[indigodove.livejournal.com]

Hmmm...I am assuming that Gavriel is the angel I'd call Gabriel. If so, in Catholic tradition he is the "messenger" angel -- shows up with important messages from God.

Just a thought.

It sounds like you're really enjoying the classes -- I am so glad!

[cellio]

Same angel, yes. Messenger as opposed to protector?

Yes, definitely enjoying this!

[jerusha.livejournal.com]

Yes. In Catholic tradition, Gabriel was the herald angel who announced to Mary that she was with child, and by Whom.

[magid.livejournal.com]

How did she explain suddenly showing up with a child?
I'd always assumed that she just said she wanted to adopt a child, or foster a child, something like that.

[cellio]

Ah, that could be.

(Hey, are you back? I was going to call you tomorrow but maybe I'll call tonight. Short form: full day of classes tomorrow (I mis-remembered), so motzi Shabbat is probably our best bet, or Sunday between the wrap-up here and when I have to be at the airport, but we'll be less constrained if we do Saturday night.)

[magid.livejournal.com]

(I'm back, but I'm going out tonight. Motza'i Shabbat works for me; where would you like to meet?)

[cellio]

Can you suggest a place I can walk or take the T to? I'll be coming from Hebrew College. (I'll call you Friday afternoon if we don't work this out before then.)

[magid.livejournal.com]

Hrm. I hadn't really thought. Do you want to get food (read: I could pick you up at Hebrew College and we could go to the Newton Taam China), or ice cream/coffee/tea (there must be places around near where you are), or just hang out (somewhere on campus? There must be other places that would work, but I'm not thinking of anything in particular.)?

[cellio]

We're getting se'udah shlishit -- don't know how substantial, but I assume that snacks/ice cream/coffehouse will be more fitting than full dinner. We could meet on campus and then decide (if you'll be driving), or meet at the foot of the hill (if you'll be T-ing). I'll call you.

(Could I perhaps also impose on you to print my boarding pass for me before you leave Saturday night?)

[magid.livejournal.com]

Snacks/ice cream/coffeehouse it is, then. I'll be driving, so it's easy enough to meander around and find something. Would you like me to see whether Tapuz is available?

I'd be happy to print your boarding pass, except that I have no printer at home. :-(

[cellio]

Sorry I didn't see this until too late. Inviting Tapuz would have been just fine.