Difference between revisions of "אחר שלוחיה – Who Sent What to Whom/2"
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<category name="Moshe Sent Zipporah"> | <category name="Moshe Sent Zipporah"> | ||
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<p>שִׁלּוּחֶיהָ refers to Moshe's sending (שלח) of Zipporah back to her father's home. This possibility subdivides regarding the meaning of this action:</p> | <p>שִׁלּוּחֶיהָ refers to Moshe's sending (שלח) of Zipporah back to her father's home. This possibility subdivides regarding the meaning of this action:</p> | ||
<opinion name="Divorced Her"> | <opinion name="Divorced Her"> | ||
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<category name="Zipporah Sent Messengers"> | <category name="Zipporah Sent Messengers"> | ||
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<p>שִׁלּוּחֶיהָ describes Zipporah's sending (שלח) of messengers to find out where Moshe was encamped. According to this approach, Zipporah is actively seeking to reunite with Moshe, and Yitro is attempting to assist her. See <a href="Yitro's Visit – Purpose and Significance/2#FamilyReunification" data-aht="page">Yitro's Purpose</a>.</p> | <p>שִׁלּוּחֶיהָ describes Zipporah's sending (שלח) of messengers to find out where Moshe was encamped. According to this approach, Zipporah is actively seeking to reunite with Moshe, and Yitro is attempting to assist her. See <a href="Yitro's Visit – Purpose and Significance/2#FamilyReunification" data-aht="page">Yitro's Purpose</a>.</p> | ||
<mekorot><multilink><a href="Sforno18-2" data-aht="source">Sforno</a><a href="Sforno18-2" data-aht="source">Shemot 18:2</a><a href="R. Ovadyah Sforno" data-aht="parshan">About Sforno</a></multilink>,<fn>This understanding would vocalize Sforno's interpretation as אַחַר שֶׁשָׁלְחָה. In contrast, R. Yehuda Copperman's edition of Sforno vocalizes the words as אַחַר שֶׁשִּׁלְּחָהּ (with a <i>chirik</i> under the second ש, a <i>dagesh</i> in the ל, and a <i>mappiq</i> in the ה) which would mean that Yitro had previously sent Zipporah to find out where Moshe was camped. However, it is questionable whether Zipporah would have made a likely choice for a scout. See also Sforno 18:1 where he implies that Yitro would not have sent Zipporah alone.</fn> <multilink><a href="OrHaChayyim18-2" data-aht="source">Or HaChayyim</a><a href="OrHaChayyim18-2" data-aht="source">Shemot 18:2</a><a href="R. Chayyim b. Atar (Or HaChayyim)" data-aht="parshan">About Or HaChayyim</a></multilink>.</mekorot> | <mekorot><multilink><a href="Sforno18-2" data-aht="source">Sforno</a><a href="Sforno18-2" data-aht="source">Shemot 18:2</a><a href="R. Ovadyah Sforno" data-aht="parshan">About Sforno</a></multilink>,<fn>This understanding would vocalize Sforno's interpretation as אַחַר שֶׁשָׁלְחָה. In contrast, R. Yehuda Copperman's edition of Sforno vocalizes the words as אַחַר שֶׁשִּׁלְּחָהּ (with a <i>chirik</i> under the second ש, a <i>dagesh</i> in the ל, and a <i>mappiq</i> in the ה) which would mean that Yitro had previously sent Zipporah to find out where Moshe was camped. However, it is questionable whether Zipporah would have made a likely choice for a scout. See also Sforno 18:1 where he implies that Yitro would not have sent Zipporah alone.</fn> <multilink><a href="OrHaChayyim18-2" data-aht="source">Or HaChayyim</a><a href="OrHaChayyim18-2" data-aht="source">Shemot 18:2</a><a href="R. Chayyim b. Atar (Or HaChayyim)" data-aht="parshan">About Or HaChayyim</a></multilink>.</mekorot> | ||
− | <point><b>Chronology</b> – According to this opinion, the | + | <point><b>Chronology</b> – According to this opinion, the text is recounting an event which is happening now (rather than previously), and it is clear why it is recorded here.<fn><multilink><a href="Sforno4-18" data-aht="source">Sforno</a><a href="Sforno4-18" data-aht="source">Shemot 4:18,20</a><a href="R. Ovadyah Sforno" data-aht="parshan">About Sforno</a></multilink> additionally maintains (like R. Chananel) that Shemot 4:20 already describes Zipporah's being sent home – see <a href="When Did Zipporah Return to Midyan" data-aht="page">Zipporah's Return to Midyan</a>. Sforno thereby gains that the Torah records the events of both Shemot 4 and Shemot 18 exactly when they happened, and the story of Zipporah's return home is not missing from the text. [Once Sforno interpreted 4:20 as referring to Zipporah's going back to Midyan, he could have explained that שִׁלּוּחֶיהָ in 18:2 refers to this same return (Sforno's language in 4:20 of "אַחַר שִׁלּוּחֵיהֶם" alludes to this possibility). However, Sforno likely did not adopt this option in 18:2 because the word אַחַר implies that Yitro's returning of Zipporah came soon after שִׁלּוּחֶיהָ.]</fn></point> |
<point><b>Zipporah's initiative</b> – As Yitro takes the initiative throughout the entire chapter and Zipporah takes a backseat, it is surprising that it would be Zipporah who sent the messengers and not Yitro himself.</point> | <point><b>Zipporah's initiative</b> – As Yitro takes the initiative throughout the entire chapter and Zipporah takes a backseat, it is surprising that it would be Zipporah who sent the messengers and not Yitro himself.</point> | ||
</category> | </category> | ||
<category name="Dowry or Gifts"> | <category name="Dowry or Gifts"> | ||
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<p>שִׁלּוּחֶיהָ refers to a dowry given by Yitro to Zipporah or gifts sent by Zipporah to Moshe. According to all of the commentators who adopt this possibility, the word is linked to the two other Biblical appearances of the noun שִׁלּוּחִים. However, they disagree regarding who gave what to whom and as to when this happened. These questions greatly depend on whether the term שִׁלּוּחִים can describe any gift or only a dowry – see <a href="Dictionary:שִׁלּוּחִים" data-aht="page">שלח</a> for the basis of the dispute on this matter.</p> | <p>שִׁלּוּחֶיהָ refers to a dowry given by Yitro to Zipporah or gifts sent by Zipporah to Moshe. According to all of the commentators who adopt this possibility, the word is linked to the two other Biblical appearances of the noun שִׁלּוּחִים. However, they disagree regarding who gave what to whom and as to when this happened. These questions greatly depend on whether the term שִׁלּוּחִים can describe any gift or only a dowry – see <a href="Dictionary:שִׁלּוּחִים" data-aht="page">שלח</a> for the basis of the dispute on this matter.</p> | ||
<opinion name="Yitro Gave Now"> | <opinion name="Yitro Gave Now"> |
Latest revision as of 12:52, 19 June 2024
"אחר שלוחיה" – Who Sent What to Whom?
Exegetical Approaches
The commentators offer a number of different possibilities regarding the meaning of שִׁלּוּחֶיהָ:
שִׁלּוּחֶיהָ refers to Moshe's sending (שלח) of Zipporah back to her father's home. This possibility subdivides regarding the meaning of this action:
Moshe Divorced Zipporah
Moshe Only Sent Zipporah Home but Did Not Divorce Her.
שִׁלּוּחֶיהָ describes Zipporah's sending (שלח) of messengers to find out where Moshe was encamped. According to this approach, Zipporah is actively seeking to reunite with Moshe, and Yitro is attempting to assist her. See Yitro's Purpose.
שִׁלּוּחֶיהָ refers to a dowry given by Yitro to Zipporah or gifts sent by Zipporah to Moshe. According to all of the commentators who adopt this possibility, the word is linked to the two other Biblical appearances of the noun שִׁלּוּחִים. However, they disagree regarding who gave what to whom and as to when this happened. These questions greatly depend on whether the term שִׁלּוּחִים can describe any gift or only a dowry – see שלח for the basis of the dispute on this matter.
Yitro Gave Zipporah Now
Yitro gave Zipporah her dowry now since he was returning her to Moshe.
Yitro Gave Zipporah Previously
Yitro previously gave Zipporah her dowry11 when she married Moshe.
Zipporah Gave Moshe Now
Zipporah sent gifts to Moshe immediately prior to her arrival.
According to all of the above approaches, and regardless of how one explains אַחַר שִׁלּוּחֶיהָ, it is clear from Shemot 18:1-6 that Zipporah was sent home at some point. For an analysis of the various positions on the timing of this event – see Zipporah's Return to Midyan.