출애굽기 8:22의 Chasidut
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֗ה לֹ֤א נָכוֹן֙ לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת כֵּ֔ן כִּ֚י תּוֹעֲבַ֣ת מִצְרַ֔יִם נִזְבַּ֖ח לַיהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ הֵ֣ן נִזְבַּ֞ח אֶת־תּוֹעֲבַ֥ת מִצְרַ֛יִם לְעֵינֵיהֶ֖ם וְלֹ֥א יִסְקְלֻֽנוּ׃
그 날에 내가 내 백성의 거하는 고센 땅을 구별하여 그곳에는 파리 떼가 없게 하리니 이로 말미암아 나는 세상 중의 여호와인 줄을 네가 알게 될 것이라
Kedushat Levi
One may be tempted to ask what was such a great miracle about this, so much so that a day has been “named” in commemoration of it? How could this miracle be compared to G’d’s splitting the sea to enable the Jewish people to traverse it dry footed, whereas the Egyptians in pursuit of them were drowned one and all? The answer is that on these four days the Jewish people served the Lord from considerations that we have described as מוחין דגדלות, an intellectual maturity, i.e. totally fearless, not motivated by selfish considerations at all, not like at the sea of reeds when they were all afraid for their lives. If we needed proof of the “maturity” of the Jewish people at that time we need only look at Exodus 8,22 where Moses and Aaron in response to Pharaoh expressing willingness to let the Israelites sacrifice to their G’d inside Egypt, responded by saying: הן נזבח את תועבת מצרים לעיניהם ולא יסקלונו?, “Surely if we are to sacrifice a deity of the Egyptian people before their very eyes they will stone us to death?” Clearly, even Moses was convinced that at that stage the Jewish people would not be prepared to follow such instructions even if he -were to issue them, as they would fear for their lives. We have proof of how much the people had matured between chapter 8 when they had not yet experienced the Egyptians undergoing one plague after another. Clearly, from this verse it is evident that the Israelites at the time Moses had been appointed felt that they were under constant supervision by the Egyptians and they would not have dared to do what is described in Exodus 12.
It is not unreasonable to speculate that the reason why G’d commanded them to take the intended paschal lamb already on the 10th of the month and to do so publicly, was to enable them to acquire the merit of this lofty level of faith in G’d. This brings us to a better understanding of the meaning of Yitro’s words reported in Exodus 18,9-11 ויחד יתרו על כל הטובה אשר עשה ה' לישראל אשר הצילו מיד מצרים.ויאמר יתרו ברוך ה' אשר הציל אתכם מיד מצרים ומיד פרעה אשר הציל את העם מתחת יד מצרים. עתה ידעתי כי גדול ה' מכל האלוהים כי בדבר אשר זדו עליהם., “Yitro rejoiced about all the good Hashem had done for Israel, that He had saved them from the power of Egypt. Yitro said: “blessed the Lord Who has saved you from Egypt and the hand of Pharaoh. Now I know that Hashem is the greatest of all deities, as He punished the Egyptians in a manner befitting their sins.”
It is not unreasonable to speculate that the reason why G’d commanded them to take the intended paschal lamb already on the 10th of the month and to do so publicly, was to enable them to acquire the merit of this lofty level of faith in G’d. This brings us to a better understanding of the meaning of Yitro’s words reported in Exodus 18,9-11 ויחד יתרו על כל הטובה אשר עשה ה' לישראל אשר הצילו מיד מצרים.ויאמר יתרו ברוך ה' אשר הציל אתכם מיד מצרים ומיד פרעה אשר הציל את העם מתחת יד מצרים. עתה ידעתי כי גדול ה' מכל האלוהים כי בדבר אשר זדו עליהם., “Yitro rejoiced about all the good Hashem had done for Israel, that He had saved them from the power of Egypt. Yitro said: “blessed the Lord Who has saved you from Egypt and the hand of Pharaoh. Now I know that Hashem is the greatest of all deities, as He punished the Egyptians in a manner befitting their sins.”
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