Moshe Killing the Egyptian in Art/0/he

משה הורג את המצרי באמנות

הקדמה

The story of Moshe's killing of the Egyptianסיפורו של משה הורג את המצרים בשמות ב׳:י״א-י"ב נועד להציג בפני הקוראים את דמותו של משה כמבוגר, ועוזר לעצב את תפיסתינו הראשונית בדבר מנהיגותו. כך, פרשנים רבים, לרבות אמנים, עוסקים באירוע זה רבות, וחוקרים את מניעיו של משה, את הצדקותיו, ואת פרטי הסיפור עצמו. הניגוד בין שתי היצירות המוצגות כאן, הציור מאגדתו של ארתור שיק¹ (1938-1932) וחריטתו של יוליוס שנור פון קרולספלד² (1860-1851), מדגיש את העמימויות הרבות שבטקסט המקראי. 

הבדלים בין התמונות

Szyk

Szyk's vibrantly colored illustration focuses on just Moshe and the Egyptian taskmaster. The only hint to the beaten Israelite is the whip still clenched in the Egyptian's hand. Moshe is centrally placed, with his club raised against the taskmaster who, in turn, cowers on the floor. The two figures are dressed similarly, and had it not been for the headdress of each, one might not have been able to distinguish friend from foe. In the background, two heads peep from behind a building and watch Moshe's actions.

Schnorr

In contrast to Szyk, Schnorr chooses to depict all three characters of the story. The Egyptian stands in the middle, not just beating but actually choking the Hebrew slave who kneels on the ground, struggling for breath. Moshe balances the image, standing on the other side of the taskmaster. As he unsheathes his sword, he glances behind him, presumably checking for onlookers. Schnorr distinguishes between the statuses of the characters through their clothing. The slave is barely dressed, the taskmaster wears a tunic and hat but stands barefooted, while Moshe is fully garbed and wearing sandals. In the top left background one can see Israelite slaves at work, and a lone figure (unseen by Moshe) peeking out from behind a building, observing the scene.

יחס לטקסט המקראי

בחירותיהם של האמנים מעידות על ערפול מסויים בטקסט המקראי, ומהוות דרכים שונות לפרש את הפסוקים:

נוגש אכזרי או רוצח בפוטנציאל?

The beaten Hebrew does not appear at all in Szyk's image; according to his rendering, Moshe is not trying to stop the beating but rather reacting after the fact. In Schnorr's woodcut, on the other hand, the Hebrew figures prominently, and surprisingly, he is being strangled and not merely whipped. Does the Biblical text allow for such a reading? Was the Egyptian simply a cruel taskmaster or should he be viewed as a "רודף" (one chasing another to take his life)? The question depends on how the word "מכה" is used in Tanakh. Does it always mean to smite or can it also take on the added connotation of to kill? This difference is crucial for understanding Moshe's actions. Was he simply avenging an unjust beating or was he intervening in medias res, trying to save the life of the Hebrew? להרחבה, ראו הריגת משה את המצרי.

העדים למעשה

Schnorr depicts only one onlooker to Moshe's actions. His ethnicity is obscure and a case could be made to identify him as either Israelite or Egyptian. Szyk, in contrast, paints two people whose head coverings would seem to classify them as Hebrews. Which rendering is closer to the description in Sefer Shemot? We are actually not given any clues in the chapter as to the number, nationality or identity of the person/s who observed Moshe and later reported the deed to Paroh. Though one might have thought that it would be an Egyptian, שמות רבהא׳:ל״אאודות שמות רבה identifies the talebearers as fellow Hebrews, Datan and Aviram, which would fit well with Szyk's portrayal.³

Choice of Weapon

In Szyk's Haggadah Moshe wields a club, while in Schnorr's image he holds a sword. Moshe's choice of weapon is not specified in the story; we are simply told "וַיַּךְ אֶת הַמִּצְרִי" ‎.⁴ מובן המלה "וַיַּךְ" is ambiguous. Did Moshe intend merely to hit the Egyptian or was he dealing him a deathblow?⁵ ראו הריגת משה את המצרי.

זהותו של משה

While Szyk chooses to dress Moshe in garb similar to the Egyptian whom he is striking, Schnorr sets Moshe apart both from the Hebrew slaves and from the taskmaster, adorning him with a full cloak and thus marking him as one from a higher class. The different portrayals make one question both how Moshe viewed himself and how he was perceived by others at this stage of the narrative. Did Moshe identify himself as Egyptian or Jew? Were his actions motivated by a feeling of brotherhood or just a strong sense of justice? Did anyone else know he was Israelite or had he been fully integrated into the royal family? ראו משה.

גילו של משה

Both artists render Moshe as a man in his mid-twenties or thirties. Sefer Shemot, though, leaves his age open to question. We are simply told, "וַיִּגְדַּל מֹשֶׁה וַיֵּצֵא אֶל אֶחָיו," which allows for a full range of possibilities. In our story, was Moshe a somewhat impetuous youth or was he a more experienced adult, acting not out of rashness but with full knowledge of his actions and their consequences? The question of age bears on later stories as well. How long did Moshe sojourn in Midyan before returning to Egypt? Had he travelled elsewhere en route? להרחבה, ראו כרונולוגיה של שמות ב'-ד'.

¹ Arthur Szyk (1894-1951) was a Jewish artist, originally from Poland. He worked on his Haggadah during the period of the rise of the Nazi party, and he referenced the political situation in the work, casting the Egyptians as Nazis, drawing the wicked son with a Hitler-like mustache, and the like. Many of these overt allusions were later removed from the images. Recently a new edition of the Haggadah has been produced and images from it can be viewed כאן.

² שנור (1860-1851) היה צייר גרמני מתנועת נצרת. התחריט היה אחד מתוך מעל מאתיים תחריטי עץ שהוא הכין בשביל התנ"ך המאויר, Die Bibel in Bildern.

³ ראו גם בבלי נדריםנדרים ס״ד:About the Bavli ושמות רבהא׳:כ״טאודות שמות רבה which identify the two fighting Hebrews as Datan and Aviram.

⁴ Various opinions regarding the method of killing are brought by the various Midrashim and commentators. Some suggest that Moshe hit the Egyptian with his fist, while others propose that that he used a sword or a rock. Yet others say that he cursed him using the Name of Hashem.

⁵ השוו לדיון לעיל על "נוגש אכזרי או רוצח בפוטנציאל?".