Biblical Parallels Index – Shemot 4/0

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

• Among the most salient aspects of Moshe’s initial prophecy is his great reluctance to accept his mission.  Several of Nechama Leibowitz’s gilyonot on this chapter focus on understanding Moshe’s reluctance. See also Moshe: The Reluctant Leader for exploration of different approaches to understanding this reticence.
• See Before I Formed You in the Belly I Knew You: Yirmiyahu’s Prophecy of Consecration, by R. David Sabato, for analysis of the essential components of prophecies of consecration, with a focus on Yirmeyahu. 
• See Shemuel’s Consecration Prophecy by R. Amnon Bazak for comparison of Moshe’s and Shemuel’s consecration prophecies. 

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 birth¹ 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.²  

Sources

• See Devarim Rabbah 2:8 which contrast 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 misperception 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.

¹ Yosef suffers at the hands of his brothers in Israel and Moshe at the hands of his Jewish brethren in Egypt after he kills the Egyptian taskmaster.

² One may note that these parallels demonstrate the different scope and character of Bereshit and Shemot; whereas the brothers of Yosef are his actual biological brothers and the narrative is confined to the family unit, the brothers of Moshe are the entire Jewish people and the narrative is national in scope.