Комментарий о цитате к Шмот 5:23

אז ישיר משה, “this is when Moses broke out with a song, etc.;” Moses now apologised for when in frustration he had said to G–d, also using the word מאז, “from then,” that since he had assumed his position the fortunes of the Jewish people had worsened (Exodus 5,23). He therefore used the same word when now singing G–d’s praises. An alternate interpretation: the numerical value of the word אז is 8. He hinted that the Jewish people had merited this miraculous salvation on account of the circumcision which is performed on the eighth day of the infant’s life. The verse לגוזר ים סוף לגזרים, “Who splits apart the Sea of reeds into separate sections,” (Psalms 136,13) is used as a Scriptural reference to this. The Hebrew word וימל, “he circumcised,” describing Avraham performing circumcision in Genesis 17,23, is translated by the Targum as וגזר.

אז ישיר, “Then Moses sang, etc.” According to Bereshit Rabbah the Torah introduced the subject of man committing idolatry (Enosh) with the word אז (Genesis 4,26) and according to tradition G’d reacted with flooding one third of the surface of the earth. Moses, as an act of restoring G’d’s glory therefore commenced his song with the word אז, seeing this time the drowning of part of mankind had worked for the benefit of the Jewish people. Another reason why he may have commenced his song with the word אז is because he himself had challenged G’d’s masterminding the history of His people by claiming thatמאז באתי אל פרעה, “ever since I came to Pharaoh (in Your name to lighten the burden of the Jewish people) he has made their burden harsher, etc”. (Exodus 5,23) It was Moses’ way of apologizing for having been too rash in criticizing G’d’s ways.

When a person has on the skin of his flesh, etc. The section on skin afflictions [nega’im] is juxtaposed to the previous section that discusses circumcision, to teach you that circumcision pushes off skin afflictions, because in every place, the earlier commandment pushes off the later one, as explained above in Parashat Vayakhel regarding the statement of our Sages that the Sabbath precedes the Tabernacle, telling you that the Sabbath pushes off the work of the Tabernacle. And by way of allusion, it seems to me that this relates to our Sages’ statement (Nedarim 31b): “Great is circumcision, for it pushes off skin afflictions.” This is because circumcision is generally a catalyst for the removal of all four types of “foreskins,” including the “foreskin of the lips,” and when one is circumcised from the foreskin of the lips, they will not speak evil speech [lashon hara], and thus will not come to have skin afflictions, which come as a result of evil speech (Arachin 15b). Regarding this, Moses complained, saying: From when [az] I came to speak in Your name, etc. (Exodus 5:23) according to the Midrash (Yalkut Shimoni, Exodus 174) that states that all of Moses’ transactions were with az [the Hebrew word for “when/then”], alluding to circumcision. This is also explicitly concluded in the Yalkut Parashat Beshalach (241:15) on the verse Then [Az] Moses sang: that the sea was split in the merit of circumcision, which is performed on the eighth day, corresponding to the numerical value of az [which is eight]. Similarly, all those instances of az mentioned in Midrash Devarim Rabbah on the verse Then [Az] Moses set apart (Deuteronomy 4:41) also allude to circumcision, which saves one from bloodshed, as explained above in Parashat Bo on the verse See that evil is before your faces (Exodus 10:10). Likewise, the salvation of his [Moses’] life was only through az, as it says: Then [Az] she said, “A bridegroom of blood because of the circumcision” (Exodus 4:26). And similarly, his complaint was only with az, as it says: From when I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name (Exodus 6:23). Moses said: “I know that I am of uncircumcised lips, and I only came to speak in Your name from az, as I relied on circumcision, which is alluded to in az, that it would also be a catalyst for fixing the foreskin of the lips, but I see that it has not helped at all.”

For quarreling makes the wise foolish. When the fool provokes the wise person, he confuses his thoughts, and he too, stumbles. Dasan and Aviram taunted Moshe, by saying, “may Adonoy look down upon you and judge, etc.,”¹⁹Shemos 5:21. and they confused him and caused his wisdom to depart and to speak in anger²⁰A wise person should distance himself from being involved in discussion with fools because it will cause his own wisdom to suffer. (Metsudas Dovid) against the Holy One, Blessed Is He, and he said, “and You did not save Your people,”²¹Ibid. Verse 23. and he was punished for this matter, when He replied to him, “now you will see,”²²Ibid. 6:1. but you will not see the war of the thirty-one kings.