daf bit: Menachot 85

[cellio]

The g'mara, in discussing from where to bring choice offerings, relates the following story: Yohana and Mamre, two of Paro's magicians, said to Moshe: would you carry straw to Hafaraim? (Straw was plentiful there; this is the talmudic equivalent of "coals to Newcastle".) By this they meant: we have many fine magicians here in Mitzrayim; why do you bring your tricks here? (For that is how they viewed the miracles.) Moshe replied: there is a common saying: bring herbs to Herbtown, meaning that many merchants gather there and the demand for herbs is great. (85a)

I read this as Moshe saying to the magicians that his "herbs" are superior to theirs, so of course he should bring them. This is in contrast to our usual view of Moshe as being extremely humble, and I think that's telling: he's standing up for God to God's enemies. Of course, the rabbis of the g'mara might have intended something completely different with this story...

Comments

[530nm330hz.livejournal.com]

Rav Steinsaltz's site pulls the same sugya today in a post titled "Carrying coals to Newcastle":

In Midrash Rabbah (Bereishit Rabbah 76:5) the Sages relate a similar story regarding Yosef, who was seen performing miracles in the house of his Egyptian master, Potiphar. From the text in Bereishit Rabbah it appears that this expression is one of a list of examples of things that are commonplace in a given locale and are, therefore, inappropriate to bring there. Aside from grain to Aforayim the list includes bringing earthenware pots to Kfar Hanina (apparently there was excellent and plentiful clay there), bringing wool to Damascus (where flocks of sheep were common) and sorcery to Egypt.

[cellio]

Thanks! Interesting article.

[siderea]

I've clearly been hanging around too many libertarian blogs, because it immediately seemed to me to read as, "Let the market decide", aka, "May the best miracle win" -- neither humble nor arrogant, just a classily calm response to the kind of demoralizing joshing the reigning champ gives the new competitor.

[cellio]

"Let the market decide, and I have superior goods so of course I'm going to go to the marketplace", perhaps? :-) (Versus, sometimes, libertarians and others saying "let the market decide" without necessarily having a personal stake in it.)

[dvarin.livejournal.com]

It may not necessarily be that his herbs are better, but just that he prefers a large, interested audience. Herbtown has many herbs, but also more than anywhere else it has more merchants _seeking_ herbs, so even subpar herbs would get more sales there than anywhere else.

[cellio]

That's a good point.