Myśl Żydowska do Wyjścia 5:2

(1) The reason the Torah lists the ages of Moses and Aaron at the time they began their mission in Egypt, is to show that at that time they had ceased to be merely important persons in their own right, but had become instruments of G-d’s will. When Aaron's staff swallowed those of the magicians, Pharaoh, in his obstinacy, chose to interpret this as merely a difference in the calibre of Moses’ss and Aaron's magic as compared to the magic of his own magicians. He refused to see in this the legitimization of Moses and Aaron as messengers of another deity. Thus, G-d demonstrated to Moses and Aaron the rigidity of Pharaoh's state of mind. (2) Subsequent plagues were designed to make him more responsive. The plague of blood had the avowed purpose of demonstrating "so that you know that I am G-d," the first principle Pharaoh had denied when Moses introduced himself as a messenger of G-d. At that time, Pharaoh's reaction had been "Who is G-d?" (5,2). This query was to be answered by the conversion of water into blood. The plague established then that Moses was indeed a messenger of someone who could command nature in this fashion. The first few plagues were designed to demonstrate to the magicians that Moses’ss source of power was the same as theirs, namely G-d. In addition, the fact that Moses was able to call off a plague, not just to bring it on, should have convinced them of his superior powers. The Egyptians' desire to keep the Jews enslaved, was, however, stronger than their newly gained insight into the powers of the G-d of the Israelites. They were aided in this rejectionist approach by having found ways to circumvent the effect of the plague by digging for new sources of water in the ground. During the second plague, though the magicians copied it, the inconvenience was such that they asked for the plague to be called off. This was Pharaoh's first concession. Pharaoh acknowledges the existence of G-d, since he asked Moses to pray to Him. He implied that if Moses could call off the plague, something his own magicians had been unable to do, then he, Pharaoh, would acknowledge the fact that the plague did originate with G-d. He would then let the Jewish people go. Since Moses realized that Pharaoh was trying to test G-d, he allowed himself to boast and let Pharaoh set the timetable. This was in order that there could be no doubt as to who had made the frogs die. When Moses accepted Pharaoh's timetable, he added the words "so that you will know that there is no G-d like our G-d." Moses emphasized that the frogs would remain only in the river, to make it plain that nature would resume its normal course, that frogs would not be removed except as a plague. Pharaoh reneged, perhaps since the magicians had not yet admitted their own inability to duplicate Moses’ss feat until the third plague. Because of Pharaoh's having reneged, the third plague arrived without prior warning. If Pharaoh would respond to this plague by acknowledging the existence of G-d as well as His uniqueness, then this phase of plagues could be considered as concluded. (3) Even though Pharaoh had acknowledged G-d’s uniqueness at the end of the third plague, he had not yet acknowledged that a special relationship existed between Israel and G-d, and that Moses therefore had the right to demand the freedom of the Israelites. The fact that Moses was commanded to give Pharaoh warning of the fourth plague, meeting Pharaoh at the river, shows that G-d wanted him to know that he was aware of Pharaoh's intention to avoid just such a meeting. The plague would show that G-d could act arbitrarily on earth and at the same time distinguish between the part of the earth inhabited by the Israelites (8,18). The fifth and sixth plagues demonstrate the same point in varying degrees. Even the livestock of the Israelites would enjoy special protection by their G-d. Even microbes, bacteria, in the case of the sixth plague, would not harm Jews. Precisely because this was the purpose of these plagues, no new and unknown phenomena could be used to demonstrate the power of G-d. The fact that these plagues had been predicted to occur within a certain time frame, demonstrated that G-d was their author. Pharaoh's reaction, suggesting that the Jews serve their G-d within the country, is his response to Moses’ss statement that G-d is master in the whole land. Moses’ss reply to Pharaoh's unspoken question, "Why do you have to leave the country to do your worshipping?" is that the attitude of the Egyptians poses a threat to the Israelites' safety, especially when the Egyptians would become aware of the nature of the sacrificial service intended. From an objective point of view, service to G-d in Egypt would be possible. Moses, careful not to refer to an eventual return to Egypt, phrases his demand very vaguely, stating only that they would get their instructions from G-d. Pharaoh agrees, adding that they should pray for him also. Moses agrees to call off the plague, warning Pharaoh not to default on his promise again, and he agrees to pray for Pharaoh immediately, not at a distance of three days' march (8,21-26). (4) Pharaoh remains unrepentant also after this awesome display of G-d’s power as demonstrated by the strange immunity of the Jewish people to the invasion of the wild beasts. As a result, this group of plagues has to run its full course to teach Pharaoh a further lesson. The immediate reason for Pharaoh's astounding reversal may be due to his rationalizing the absence of the wild beasts' invasion of the land of Goshen being due to the particular area rather than the people living in it. After all, Moses had stressed that the miracle would occur "in the land of Goshen" (8,18). To cure him of this misconception, the plague of pestilence would not be restricted to certain areas, but cattle belonging to Egyptians that were grazing in Goshen would be struck, whereas cattle owned by Jews grazing in Egypt proper would remain unharmed. This would debunk Pharaoh's theory that makom gorem mazzal, that a certain location can be lucky or unlucky. Pharaoh still had doubts, ascribing good luck to the owners of these cattle rather than to a deliberate act of Divine intervention. Therefore, the third in the series of these plagues found the magicians unable to protect even themselves against the impact, much less to offer relief to anyone else struck by it. Pharaoh still does not admit that G-d’s power is more than local, and the third series of plagues will disabuse him of that fallacy: "So that you will know that there is no one like Me on the whole earth" (9,14). It was necessary to include amongst these plagues both qualitative and quantitative phenomena that would place them outside previous human experience. Thus G-d would demonstrate that He could alter the laws of nature. These phenomena had to be predicted both as to when and as to how they would occur, in order to provide absolute credibility of both messenger and Author. (5) When the Torah states prior to the plague of hail (9,14), "This time I will send all My plagues," the message is to acquaint Pharaoh with the fact that G-d’s power extends way beyond the boundaries of Egypt. Since the prime object of the plague was to demonstrate power, an opportunity to escape the immediate consequences could be allowed. The result of this plague was that Pharaoh, for the first time, acknowledged his guilt and G-d’s righteousness (9,27). When Pharaoh, in 9,21, states that "there is no need for further thunder from G-d," he meant that there was no need for G-d to teach him any further lessons, that he had become adequately convinced. That was the reason he asked Moses to pray for him, and why he offered to dismiss the Jewish people. Moses was audacious enough to point out that in his personal opinion further lessons would prove necessary (9,30). By including Pharaoh's servants in his comments, Moses in his wisdom had hoped to galvanize Pharaoh's servants into some action, since their own destruction would result should Pharaoh continue in his obstinate attitude. This explains the servants' remonstrations during the eighth plague (10,7). Pharaoh's latest reversal may have been induced by the hope that the unheard-of phenomena pointed at an imminent worldwide cataclysmic event, after which his fortunes would change for the better (his interpretation of the horoscope).

15. The Rabbi: Thou hast called attention to a debatable point, although there is no doubt about it for me. But we have wandered from our subject, viz. the attributes. To return to it, let me explain the matter to thee by a simile taken from the sun. The sun is only a single body, whilst those receiving their light from it are in many ways dependent on each other. The most fitted to annex its lustre are the ruby, crystal, pure air and water, and their light is therefore called transparent. On glittering stones and polished surfaces it is called luminous; on wood, earth, etc., visible light, and on all other things it is simply designated light without any specific qualification. This general term, light, corresponds to what we call Elōhim, as is now clear. Transparent light corresponds to 'Eternal,' a proper name which describes especially the relation between Him and His earthly creatures, I mean, the prophets, whose souls are refined and susceptible to His light, which penetrates them, just as the sunlight penetrates the crystal and ruby. Their souls take their origin and development (as has been explained before) from Adam. Essence and heart [of Adam] reappear in every generation and age, whilst the large mass of mankind are set aside as husks, leaves, mud, etc. The God of this essence is only and solely Adōnāi, and because He established a connexion with man, the name Elohim was altered after the creation into Adonāi Elōhim. This the Sages express in the words: A 'full name over a full universe' (Genesis Rabbah 11). The world was but completed with the creation of man who forms the heart of all that was created before him. No intelligent person will misunderstand the meaning conveyed by 'Elōhim,' although this is possible with regard to 'Adōnāi,' because prophecy is strange and rare in single individuals, and much more so in a multitude. For this reason, Pharaoh disbelieved and said: 'I know not the Lord' (Exodus 5:2), as if he interpreted the Tetragrammaton in the way penetrating light is understood, and was reminded by it of God whose light is intimately attached to man. Moses supplemented his words by adding: 'the God of the Hebrews,' in order to call to mind the patriarchs who testified by means of prophecy and marvels. Elōhim was a name well known in Egypt. The first Pharaoh said to Joseph: 'Forasmuch as Elōhim has shewn thee all this,' (Genesis 41:39), and A man in whom the spirit of Elōhim is' (Genesis 41:38). This is as if one man alone sees the sun, knows the points of its rising and course, whilst we others never behold it and live in shadow and mist. We find, then, that his house has much more light than ours, because he is acquainted with the course of the sun and can arrange his windows according to his desire. We also see his crops and plantations thriving, which, as he says, is the consequence of his knowing the course of the sun. We however, would deny this, and ask: 'What is the sun? We know the light and its manifold advantages, but it comes to us merely by accident.' 'To me,' he would answer, 'it comes as much and as frequently as I desire, because I know its cause and course. If I am prepared for it and arrange all my plans and works for their proper seasons, I reap the full benefit of it.--A substitute for Adonāi is Presence, as in the verse: 'My Presence shall go with thee' (Exodus 33:14, sq.), or 'If thy Presence go not with me.' The same is meant in the verse: 'Let my Lord, I pray Thee, go among us' (Exodus 34:9). The meaning of Elōhim can be grasped by way of speculation, because a Guide and Manager of the world is a postulate of Reason. Opinions differ on the basis of different speculations, but that of the philosophers is the best on the subject. The meaning of Adonāi, however, cannot be grasped by speculation, but only by that intuition and prophetic vision which separates man, so to speak, from his kind, and brings him in contact with angelic beings, imbuing him with a new spirit, as it is written: 'Thou shalt be turned into another man,' 'God gave him another heart' (I Samuel 10:6. 9), 'A spirit came over Amasai' (I Chronicles 12:18). 'The hand of the Lord was upon me' (Ezekiel 37:11). 'Uphold me with Thy free spirit' (Psalms 51:14) All these circumscribe the Holy Spirit which enwraps the prophet in the hour of his ministry, the Nazirite, and the Messiah, when they are anointed for priesthood, or for the royal dignity by a prophet; or when God aids and strengthens him in any matter; or when the priest makes prophetic utterances by means of the mystic power derived from the use of the Urim and Tummim. Then all previous doubts concerning Elōhim are removed, and man deprecates those speculations by means of which he had endeavoured to derive the knowledge of God's dominion and unity. It is thus that man becomes a servant, loving the object of his worship, and ready to perish for His sake, because he finds the sweetness of this attachment as great as the distress in the absence thereof. This forms a contrast to the philosophers, who see in the worship of God nothing but extreme refinement, extolling Him in truth above all other beings, (just as the sun is placed on a higher level than the other visible things), and that the denial of God's existence is the mark of a low standard of the soul which delights in untruth.