Literary Devices – Shemot 24/0
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Literary Devices – Shemot 24
Structure
It can be challenging to identify a literary structure within the laws of Parashat Mishpatim; nonetheless several have attempted to do so by looking closely at both the content and wording of the various laws.1 Thus R. Leibtag suggests that the legal unit of Shemot 20-23 is set up as a chiasm:
A) Covenant a Sinai (19:1-20:17)
B) Laws between man and God (20:18-22)
C) Laws of slavery (21:1-11)
D) Civic law (22:12-23:9)
C') Days of rest2 (23:10-19)
B') Laws between man and God (23:20-33)
A') Covenant at Sinai
Articles
- For discussion of the above mentioned chiastic structure see R. Menachem Leibtag’s article "נעשה ונשמע". He also discusses the ordering of the laws within Parashat Mishpatim itself, suggesting that these progress from laws that ensure basic societal morality to those that strive for the transcendent values of love of one’s fellow man and of God.
- Compare Structure: Parashat Mishpatim, by R. Yoel Bin-Nun, who similarly suggests that the legal unit is structured chiastically, opening and closing with the covenant at Sinai. Sandwiched inside are the Decalogue (and laws which parallel it), two sets of laws related to the holiness of the nation, and at the core - a set of conditional laws.
Symbolism
Fire
- Fire – Using the concordance demonstrates that fire is often a vehicle of Hashem’s revelation, becoming a symbol thereof as well. Fire has appeared in the context of the Covenant Between the Pieces, the destruction of Sedom, the plagues, and the pillar of cloud and fire that led the Israelites in the desert. Fire appears many times subsequently in the Torah, as well, often in the context of divine wrath and destruction.
- Articles – Several articles touch on the symbol:
- See The Eternal Flame, by R. David Silverberg, for an analysis of consuming fire as a symbol of divine punishment and non-destructive fire as a symbol of Hashem’s presence.
See קול אלקים מדבר מתוך האש, by R. Amnon Bazak, for analysis of how Torah’s descriptions of the fire of Sinai in Shemot and Devarim are meant to impart three fundamental religious beliefs: God’s incorporeality, the prohibition of idolatry, and the truth of Moshe’s prophecy.
Cloud
- Cloud – Using the concordance demonstrates that clouds (like fire) are often a vehicle of Hashem’s revelation, becoming a symbol thereof as well.
- Articles – Several articles touch on the symbol:
- See Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Cloud, by R. Tamir Granot, for analysis of the phenomenon of Hashem’s revelation through natural phenomena such as fire and clouds. He suggests that in Tanakh, the cloud and pillar of fire are not two distinct modes of revelation, but one and the same. God's glory is manifest as fire which is screened by the cloud. It is referred to as one or the other due to the perception of the viewer, who might see fire at night, but only cloud during the day.
- See For the Cloud Rested Upon It, by R. Shimon Klein, for exploration of the distinct symbols of fire and cloud. He suggests that fire represents Hashem’s actions and manifestation while the cloud represents man’s encounter with Him.
Blood
- Using the concordance demonstrates that blood has played a significant role throughout the narratives of the Exodus, including in the stories of Moshe’s son’s circumcision, the first plague, and the Israelites smearing of blood on their doorposts. In many cases, including this chapter, blood is a symbol of the covenant between Hashem and the Jewish people.
