Mystery at the Malon/3/en

Mystery at the Malon

Points of Dispute

These are some of the central points of dispute (נקודות המחלוקת) between the various exegetes:

• Who was at the lodging place?
  • Moshe's whole family – Most commentators
  • Just Zipporah and children – R. Saadia, R. Chananel
  • Moshe, Zipporah and Gershom – One opinion in Ramban
• "וַיִּפְגְּשֵׁהוּ ה' וַיְבַקֵּשׁ הֲמִיתוֹ"
  • Hashem sent an angel to do the killing – Most commentators
  • The Satan was coming to kill – Jubilees, R. Shimon b. Gamliel, Midrash Vayosha
  • Hashem brought an illness – Shadal
  • Moshe became deathly ill – Ibn Kaspi
  • Prophecy came to Moshe bringing him near death – Abarbanel
• Who was near death?
  • Moshe – Most commentators
  • Gershom – R. Yosef Kimchi, Shadal
  • Eliezer – R. Shimon b. Gamliel, R. Saadia, R. Samuel b. Chofni Gaon, R. Chananel
• Which son was uncircumcised?
  • Gershom – R. Elazar HaModai, Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan), R. Yosef Kimchi
  • Eliezer – Most commentators
  • Neither – Ibn Kaspi
• How does circumcision help?
  • Lack of circumcision was the cause – Most commentators
  • It acted as a sacrificial act of atonement – Rashbam
  • It served as a protective charm – Lekach Tov, Ibn Ezra, Ibn Kaspi
  • It is unconnected to both sin and punishment – Tzeror HaMor
  • It ensured that Moshe's family would stay in Midyan – Ibn Ezra, Shadal
• Why Zipporah and not Moshe?
  • Moshe was incapacitated – Most commentators
  • Moshe was not present – R. Saadia, R. Chananel, Tzeror HaMor
  • Zipporah was at fault – R. Yosef Kimchi, Toledot Yitzchak, Shadal
• "וַתַּגַּע לְרַגְלָיו" – Whose legs?
  • Moshe's legs (or genitals) – Midrash Vayosha, Rashi, Rashbam, Ibn Ezra, Ibn Kaspi, Shadal
  • The baby's genitals – R. Yosef Kimchi
  • The angel's legs – Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan)
• Zipporah's return to Midyan
  • Zipporah was en route to Midyan when the incident occurred – R. Saadia, R. Chananel, Seforno
  • Zipporah returned immediately after the incident – Ibn Ezra, Tzeror HaMor, Shadal
  • Zipporah went to Egypt and only returned to Midyan at some later point – Ramban, Ibn Kaspi