Difference between revisions of "אחר שלוחיה – Who Sent What to Whom/2"
(Original Author: Yehuda Novetsky,Yonatan Novetsky,Rabbi Hillel Novetsky) |
(Original Author: Yehuda Novetsky,Yonatan Novetsky,Rabbi Hillel Novetsky) |
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<h1>"אחר שלוחיה" – Who Sent What to Whom?</h1> | <h1>"אחר שלוחיה" – Who Sent What to Whom?</h1> | ||
− | <p>The commentators offer a number of different possibilities regarding the meaning of | + | <p>The commentators offer a number of different possibilities regarding the meaning of שִׁלּוּחֶיהָ:</p> |
<approaches> | <approaches> | ||
<category name="Moshe Sent Zipporah"><!--<span style="color:#AB1414></span>-->Moshe Sent Zipporah Away | <category name="Moshe Sent Zipporah"><!--<span style="color:#AB1414></span>-->Moshe Sent Zipporah Away | ||
− | <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">Moshe Divorced Zipporah | <opinion name="Divorced Her">Moshe Divorced Zipporah | ||
<mekorot><multilink><aht source="MekhiltaAmalek1">R. Yehoshua in Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael</aht><aht source="MekhiltaAmalek1">Yitro Amalek 1</aht><aht parshan="Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael">About the Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael</aht></multilink> and <multilink><aht source="MekhiltaDeRashbi18-2">R. Elazar HaModai in Mekhilta DeRashbi</aht><aht source="MekhiltaDeRashbi18-2">Shemot 18:2</aht><aht parshan="Mekhilta DeRashbi" /></multilink>.<fn>Some of the <multilink><aht source="Tosafot18-2">Ba'alei HaTosafot</aht><aht source="Tosafot18-2">Shemot 18:2</aht><aht parshan="Baalei HaTosafot">About Ba'alei HaTosafot</aht></multilink> raise the question of how Moshe who served as a priest could remarry Zipporah if she had already become a divorcee. One answer given is that the divorce was only conditional (on Moshe not returning alive from Egypt – see R. D"Z Hoffmann below), while an additional answer offered is that Moshe remarried Zipporah before the Torah was given – see <a href="$">Mitzvot Before Matan Torah</a> and <aht page="Commentators:Baalei HaTosafot">Ba'alei HaTosafot</aht>. It is also possible that Moshe never remarried Zipporah – see below.</fn></mekorot> | <mekorot><multilink><aht source="MekhiltaAmalek1">R. Yehoshua in Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael</aht><aht source="MekhiltaAmalek1">Yitro Amalek 1</aht><aht parshan="Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael">About the Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael</aht></multilink> and <multilink><aht source="MekhiltaDeRashbi18-2">R. Elazar HaModai in Mekhilta DeRashbi</aht><aht source="MekhiltaDeRashbi18-2">Shemot 18:2</aht><aht parshan="Mekhilta DeRashbi" /></multilink>.<fn>Some of the <multilink><aht source="Tosafot18-2">Ba'alei HaTosafot</aht><aht source="Tosafot18-2">Shemot 18:2</aht><aht parshan="Baalei HaTosafot">About Ba'alei HaTosafot</aht></multilink> raise the question of how Moshe who served as a priest could remarry Zipporah if she had already become a divorcee. One answer given is that the divorce was only conditional (on Moshe not returning alive from Egypt – see R. D"Z Hoffmann below), while an additional answer offered is that Moshe remarried Zipporah before the Torah was given – see <a href="$">Mitzvot Before Matan Torah</a> and <aht page="Commentators:Baalei HaTosafot">Ba'alei HaTosafot</aht>. It is also possible that Moshe never remarried Zipporah – see below.</fn></mekorot> | ||
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<category name="Zipporah Sent Messengers"><!--<span style="color:green></span>-->Zipporah Sent Messengers | <category name="Zipporah Sent Messengers"><!--<span style="color:green></span>-->Zipporah Sent Messengers | ||
− | <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 <aht page="Yitro's Visit – Purpose and Significance/2#FamilyReunification">Yitro's Purpose</aht>.</p> |
− | <mekorot><multilink><aht source="Seforno18-2">Seforno</aht><aht source="Seforno18-2">Shemot 18:2</aht><aht parshan="R. Ovadyah Seforno">About Seforno</aht></multilink>,<fn>This understanding would vocalize Seforno's interpretation as אַחַר | + | <mekorot><multilink><aht source="Seforno18-2">Seforno</aht><aht source="Seforno18-2">Shemot 18:2</aht><aht parshan="R. Ovadyah Seforno">About Seforno</aht></multilink>,<fn>This understanding would vocalize Seforno's interpretation as אַחַר שֶׁשָׁלְחָה. In contrast, R. Yehuda Copperman's edition of Seforno vocalizes the words as אַחַר שֶׁשִּׁלְּחָהּ (with a <transliterate>chirik</transliterate> under the second ש, a <transliterate>dagesh</transliterate> in the ל, and a <transliterate>mappiq</transliterate> 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 Seforno 18:1 where he implies that Yitro would not have sent Zipporah alone.</fn> <multilink><aht source="OrHaChayyim18-2">Or HaChayyim</aht><aht source="OrHaChayyim18-2">Shemot 18:2</aht><aht parshan="Or HaChayyim" /></multilink>.</mekorot> |
− | <point><b>Chronology</b> – According to this opinion, the narrator is recounting an event which is happening now (rather than previously), and it is clear why it is recorded here.<fn><multilink><aht source="Seforno4-18">Seforno</aht><aht source="Seforno4-18">Shemot 4:18,20</aht><aht parshan="R. Ovadyah Seforno">About Seforno</aht></multilink> additionally maintains (like R. Chananel) that Shemot 4:20 already describes Zipporah's being sent home – see <aht page="When Did Zipporah Return to Midyan">Zipporah's Return to Midyan</aht>. Seforno 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 Seforno interpreted 4:20 as referring to Zipporah's going back to Midyan, he could have explained that | + | <point><b>Chronology</b> – According to this opinion, the narrator is recounting an event which is happening now (rather than previously), and it is clear why it is recorded here.<fn><multilink><aht source="Seforno4-18">Seforno</aht><aht source="Seforno4-18">Shemot 4:18,20</aht><aht parshan="R. Ovadyah Seforno">About Seforno</aht></multilink> additionally maintains (like R. Chananel) that Shemot 4:20 already describes Zipporah's being sent home – see <aht page="When Did Zipporah Return to Midyan">Zipporah's Return to Midyan</aht>. Seforno 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 Seforno 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 (Seforno's language in 4:20 of "אַחַר שִׁלּוּחֵיהֶם" alludes to this possibility). However, Seforno 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"><!--<span style="color:#FF3B00></span>-->Dowry or Gifts | <category name="Dowry or Gifts"><!--<span style="color:#FF3B00></span>-->Dowry or Gifts | ||
− | <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 <aht page="Dictionary:שִׁלּוּחִים">שלח</aht> for the basis of the dispute on this matter.</p> |
<opinion name="Yitro Gave Now">Yitro Gave Zipporah Now | <opinion name="Yitro Gave Now">Yitro Gave Zipporah Now | ||
<p>Yitro gave Zipporah her dowry now since he was returning her to Moshe.</p> | <p>Yitro gave Zipporah her dowry now since he was returning her to Moshe.</p> | ||
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</opinion> | </opinion> | ||
<opinion name="Yitro Gave Previously">Yitro Gave Zipporah Previously | <opinion name="Yitro Gave Previously">Yitro Gave Zipporah Previously | ||
− | <p>Yitro previously gave Zipporah her dowry<fn>R. Yosef Bekhor Shor explains like Rashbam that | + | <p>Yitro previously gave Zipporah her dowry<fn>R. Yosef Bekhor Shor explains like Rashbam that שִׁלּוּחֶיהָ refers specifically to a dowry.</fn> when she married Moshe.</p> |
<mekorot><multilink><aht source="RYBS18-2">R. Yosef Bekhor Shor</aht><aht source="RYBS18-2">Shemot 18:2</aht><aht parshan="R. Yosef Bekhor Shor" /></multilink>.</mekorot> | <mekorot><multilink><aht source="RYBS18-2">R. Yosef Bekhor Shor</aht><aht source="RYBS18-2">Shemot 18:2</aht><aht parshan="R. Yosef Bekhor Shor" /></multilink>.</mekorot> | ||
− | <point><b>Chronology</b> – R. Yosef Bekhor Shor reads all of 18:2-4,6 as a retrospective summary of Yitro's prior actions and agreement with Moshe.<fn>R. Yosef Bekhor Shor here takes almost the completely opposite approach from Rashbam. Rashbam objected to even the two words of אַחַר | + | <point><b>Chronology</b> – R. Yosef Bekhor Shor reads all of 18:2-4,6 as a retrospective summary of Yitro's prior actions and agreement with Moshe.<fn>R. Yosef Bekhor Shor here takes almost the completely opposite approach from Rashbam. Rashbam objected to even the two words of אַחַר שִׁלּוּחֶיהָ alone referring to earlier events, while R. Yosef Bekhor Shor expands the flashback to four full verses.</fn> According to him, Zipporah initially accompanied Moshe to Egypt, anticipating that they would only be there for a short time. However, when Paroh caused the Exodus to be delayed,<fn>It is unclear how much time elapsed between Shemot 4 and the Exodus, and it is even possible that it was a number of years – see <aht page="Chronology – Shemot 5">Chronology of Shemot 5-7</aht>.</fn> Yitro traveled to Egypt to bring Zipporah back to Midyan<fn>See <aht page="When Did Zipporah Return to Midyan">Zipporah's Return to Midyan</aht> regarding the advantages of this position.</fn> so that she could manage the properties given to her as part of her dowry, and this is what is described in 18:2-4.</point> |
<point><b>Yitro's initiative</b> – According to R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, when Yitro came to collect Zipporah from Egypt, he promised Moshe that after the Exodus, he would meet up with him and return Zipporah to him, and it is this pledge which is recorded in 18:6. For elaboration, see <aht page="Yitro's Visit – Purpose and Significance">Purpose of Yitro's Visit</aht>.</point> | <point><b>Yitro's initiative</b> – According to R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, when Yitro came to collect Zipporah from Egypt, he promised Moshe that after the Exodus, he would meet up with him and return Zipporah to him, and it is this pledge which is recorded in 18:6. For elaboration, see <aht page="Yitro's Visit – Purpose and Significance">Purpose of Yitro's Visit</aht>.</point> | ||
<point><b>The meaning of אַחַר</b> – In order to facilitate his explanation, R. Yosef Bekhor Shor interprets אַחַר as "nearby" (סמוך)‎,<fn>It is questionable whether such an interpretation can muster any Biblical support. Sefer HaGan points to Shemot 3:1 as having a similar meaning of אַחַר, but R. Yosef Bekhor Shor does not interpret that verse in a similar way. [It is possible that R. Yosef Bekhor Shor may have been unconsciously influenced by the language of Bereshit Rabbah 44:5.]</fn> i.e. Zipporah had returned to Midyan to be near her estate.</point> | <point><b>The meaning of אַחַר</b> – In order to facilitate his explanation, R. Yosef Bekhor Shor interprets אַחַר as "nearby" (סמוך)‎,<fn>It is questionable whether such an interpretation can muster any Biblical support. Sefer HaGan points to Shemot 3:1 as having a similar meaning of אַחַר, but R. Yosef Bekhor Shor does not interpret that verse in a similar way. [It is possible that R. Yosef Bekhor Shor may have been unconsciously influenced by the language of Bereshit Rabbah 44:5.]</fn> i.e. Zipporah had returned to Midyan to be near her estate.</point> | ||
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<opinion name="Zipporah Sent Now">Zipporah Gave Moshe Now | <opinion name="Zipporah Sent Now">Zipporah Gave Moshe Now | ||
<p>Zipporah sent gifts to Moshe immediately prior to her arrival.</p> | <p>Zipporah sent gifts to Moshe immediately prior to her arrival.</p> | ||
− | <mekorot><multilink><aht source="IbnJanach">R. Yonah ibn Janach</aht><aht source="IbnJanach">Sefer HaShorashim (שלח)</aht><aht parshan="R. Yonah ibn Janach">About Ibn Janach</aht></multilink>, <multilink><aht source="IbnEzra18-2">Ibn Ezra</aht><aht source="IbnEzra18-2">Shemot 18:2</aht><aht parshan="R. Avraham ibn Ezra">About Ibn Ezra</aht></multilink> in his second opinion.<fn>Ibn Ezra may be influenced by Ibn Janach; both of these Andalusian exegetes explain that | + | <mekorot><multilink><aht source="IbnJanach">R. Yonah ibn Janach</aht><aht source="IbnJanach">Sefer HaShorashim (שלח)</aht><aht parshan="R. Yonah ibn Janach">About Ibn Janach</aht></multilink>, <multilink><aht source="IbnEzra18-2">Ibn Ezra</aht><aht source="IbnEzra18-2">Shemot 18:2</aht><aht parshan="R. Avraham ibn Ezra">About Ibn Ezra</aht></multilink> in his second opinion.<fn>Ibn Ezra may be influenced by Ibn Janach; both of these Andalusian exegetes explain that שִׁלּוּחֶיהָ refers to general gifts and not specifically to a dowry (like the French exegetes cited above). In his Short Commentary, Ibn Ezra also cites Yeshuah the Karaite as maintaining that שִׁלּוּחֶיהָ refers to gifts. Ibn Janach and the citation from Yeshuah do not explicitly say who gave the gifts and when, but it seems likely that they understood like Ibn Ezra.</fn></mekorot> |
<point><b>Chronology and Zipporah's initiative</b> – Zipporah is sending ahead a gift before she arrives to find favor in Moshe's eyes.<fn>Cf. Yaakov sending gifts to Esav in Bereshit 32.</fn> According to this approach, the events are being told when they happened.</point> | <point><b>Chronology and Zipporah's initiative</b> – Zipporah is sending ahead a gift before she arrives to find favor in Moshe's eyes.<fn>Cf. Yaakov sending gifts to Esav in Bereshit 32.</fn> According to this approach, the events are being told when they happened.</point> | ||
− | <point><b>The meaning of | + | <point><b>The meaning of שִׁלּוּחִים</b> – According to these exegetes, the word שִׁלּוּחִים means any gift which is sent,<fn>Ibn Ezra appears to connect שִׁלּוּחֶיהָ to the verb שלח.</fn> and not specifically a dowry given when a father sends away his daughter to her husband's home.<fn>See <aht page="Dictionary:שִׁלּוּחִים">שלוחים</aht> that the concept of a dowry does not exist in Islamic society, and for the likely influence of this reality on the Andalusian exegetes.</fn></point> |
</opinion> | </opinion> | ||
</category> | </category> | ||
</approaches> | </approaches> | ||
− | <p>According to all of the above approaches, and regardless of how one explains אַחַר | + | <p>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 <aht page="When Did Zipporah Return to Midyan">Zipporah's Return to Midyan</aht>.</p> |
</page> | </page> | ||
</aht-xml> | </aht-xml> |
Version as of 00:59, 26 March 2014
"אחר שלוחיה" – Who Sent What to Whom?
Exegetical Approaches
The commentators offer a number of different possibilities regarding the meaning of שִׁלּוּחֶיהָ:
Moshe Sent Zipporah Away
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.
Zipporah Sent Messengers
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.
Dowry or Gifts
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.