Shabbat Table Topics – Parashat Bo/0/he

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נושאים לשולחן שבת – פרשת בא

Do Two Wrongs Make a Right?

פעמיים בפרקים הראשונים של ספר שמות, Hashem seems to command the nation to deceive Paroh and/or the Egyptians.  Hashem tells Moshe to ask Paroh for only a three day furlough in the Wilderness, while His real intent is for them to leave for good.  Later, he instructs the nation to request items of gold and silver from their Egyptian neighbors even though the objects are not to be returned.

  • Why isn't Hashem upfront with Paroh about His plans? What was gained by requesting just a short holiday? And finally, was Paroh really duped? Attempt to bring evidence in both directions, וראו "דרך שלשת ימים"?
  • When the Egyptians gave of their vessels, did they intend them as loans, anticipating that the Israelites would be returning, or as outright gifts knowing full well that the Israelites were leaving forever? If the latter, should the Israelites' actions be considered theft?  ראו פיצויים לעבדות וניצול מצרים.
  • In each of the above cases, was the duplicity justified?  Why or why not? In general, when is deception of the enemy allowed?  Does the fact that one was unjustly treated permit dishonesty in return?

Mitzvot for the Masses?

Is it possible that certain commandments were given only because of the misguided beliefs of the masses?

Prophetic Autonomy

פעמיים בפרשת בא, Moshe speaks in the name of Hashem and invokes Divine authority, even though there is no previous record of Hashem having communicated the particular content.  בפרק י', Moshe confronts Paroh on Hashem's command, but, seemingly on his own initiative, announces the Plague of Locusts in God's name.  בדומה, בפרק י"א, though Hashem tells Moshe that there will be one final plague, it is Moshe himself who first announces in God's name that this plague will kill the firstborns.

  • Is it possible for a prophet to speak on his own initiative and to then attribute that speech back to Hashem?  Or need one assume that, despite the textual silence, Hashem must have given the directions beforehand?
  • How much autonomy does a prophet have?  Is he simply Hashem's mouthpiece, or is he allowed to act on his own?  If the latter, is it possible for a prophet to make a mistake?  ראו פעילות בשם ה' ללא צו מפורש של ה'.

זהותם הדתית של בני ישראל במצרים

According to several commentators,2 the slaughtering of the Pesach symbolized the Israelite rejection of Egyptian idolatry.  This position assumes that the Israelites had assimilated in Egypt and needed to demonstrate their loyalty to God in order to merit redemption (ראו מטרת פסח מצרים).

  • Is there any evidence in Shemot to support the claim that the Israelites had forsaken Hashem and adopted foreign gods? מה היה זהותם הדתית של בני ישראל במצרים?
  • What does it mean to be "religious" in an era before the Torah was given?  Was there anything (beyond monotheism) that would have marked the Israelites as distinct from their Egyptian neighbors?3

הוויכוח על פיצויים

Many explain that the Egyptians gave gold and silver vessels to the Israelites prior to their leaving Egypt as compensation for years of enslavement. 

  • If you were living in Egypt at the time, would you be willing to accept such reparations?
  • Compare with the debates which raged in Israel in the early 1950s over the propriety of requesting and accepting West German reparations. לעוד, ראו דברי בעל האזנים לתורה בפיצויים לעבדות וניצול מצרים.

עוד...

לעוד נושאים בפרשה, ראו: רשימת נושאים – פרשת בא.

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