Biblical Parallels Index – Shemot 4/0

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Biblical Parallels Index – Shemot 4

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Initiation Prophecies

It is fruitful to compare and contrast Moshe’s initial prophecy (נבואת הקדשה) in Shemot 3-4,  with that of others, such as Gideon (Shofetim Chapter 6), Shemuel (Shemuel I Chapter 3), Yeshayahu (Yeshayahu Chapter 6), Yirmeyahu (Yirmeyahu Chapter 1), and Yechezkel (Ycehezkel Chapter 1), in order to note the similarities and differences that reflect the unique personality and mission of each prophet.

Articles

Hardened Hearts

Pharaoh is the first of three people or groups of people of whom Hashem says He will harden their hearts. The other two are Sichon (Devarim 2:30) and the Canaanites (Yehoshua 11:20).

Tools

  • See Makbilot Bamikra for a list and links to of all the verses which speak of Hashem hardening someone's heart.

Articles

  • See Hardened Hearts for analysis of different approaches to the hardening of human beings’ hearts in Tanakh. 
  • See And I Will Harden The Heart of Pharaoh, by R. Yaakov Medan, for a unified interpretation of the hardening of the hearts of Pharaoh, Sichon, and Canaan.  He suggests that in all three cases the characters never fully lost their free will.

Moshe and Yosef

One may draw parallels between the stories of Yosef and Moshe.  Both experience rejection at the hands of their brethren in their place of birth2 and both escape to a new place where they must decide whether to integrate into the foreign society or not. Ultimately, each saves their brothers, one by bringing them to Egypt and one by leading them out.3  

Sources

  • See Devarim Rabbah (Vilna) 2:8 which contrasts Yosef and Moshe, noting that only the former merits to be buried in Israel.  The Midrash suggests that this is because Yosef associates and identifies himself as an "עברי" whereas when Yitro's daughters refer to Moshe as Egyptian, he does not correct their misconception and identify as a Hebrew.

Articles

  • In his article Moshe’s Delay and God’s Encouragement, R. Gad Eldad points out some of the parallels between Yosef and Moshe and explores how Torah hints to Moshe’s process of deciding to commit to Hashem’s mission after experiencing the rejection of his brethren and escaping to Midyan.

Yaakov and Esav, Moshe and Aharon

There are parallels between the narrative of the anticipated reunion of Yaakov and Esav in Bereshit 32-33 and the reunion of Moshe and Aharon in Shemot 4.4

Tools

  • Concordance – The concordance demonstrates that the root "פגש" appears only four times in Torah, twice in each of these stories, perhaps a linguistic hint to compare the two.

Sources

  • See RashbamBereshit 32:29About R. Shemuel b. Meir who draws parallels between the stories of Yaakov’s and Moshe’s near-death encounters with angels in Bereshit 32 and Shemot 4, noting that both relate to a refusal/delay to fulfill a mission.

Articles

  • See Moses in Danger, by R. Alex Israel, for an exploration of these parallel stories, who, like Rashbam, suggests that both relate to a character's avoidance of a mission and the repercussions of such delay.5