Difference between revisions of "When Did Zipporah Return to Midyan/2"
(Original Author: Rabbi Hillel Novetsky) |
(Original Author: Rabbi Hillel Novetsky) |
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<category name="Before Moshe Left">Before Moshe Left for Egypt | <category name="Before Moshe Left">Before Moshe Left for Egypt | ||
<p>Moshe sent Zipporah and their children back to Yitro's home before he departed for Egypt.</p> | <p>Moshe sent Zipporah and their children back to Yitro's home before he departed for Egypt.</p> | ||
− | <mekorot><multilink><a href="RBachya4-24" data-aht="source">R. Chananel</a><a href="RBachya4-24" data-aht="source">Cited by R. Bachya Shemot 4:24</a><a href="R. Chananel b. Chushiel" data-aht="parshan">About R. Chananel</a></multilink>,<fn>Cf. the comment of <multilink><a href="RChananelYoma" data-aht="source">R. Chananel</a><a href="RChananelYoma" data-aht="source">Yoma 85b</a><a href="R. Chananel b. Chushiel" data-aht="parshan">About R. Chananel</a></multilink> (consistent with this approach) where he implies that only Zipporah was present during the incident at the inn. R. Chananel may have been influenced by R. Saadia's similar interpretation – see below.</fn> <multilink><a href="Seforno4-18" data-aht="source">Seforno</a><a href="Seforno4-18" data-aht="source">Shemot 4:18,20,24</a><a href="R. Ovadyah Seforno" data-aht="parshan">About Seforno</a></multilink></mekorot> | + | <mekorot><multilink><a href="RBachya4-24" data-aht="source">R. Chananel</a><a href="RBachya4-24" data-aht="source">Cited by R. Bachya Shemot 4:24</a><a href="R. Chananel b. Chushiel" data-aht="parshan">About R. Chananel b. Chushiel</a></multilink>,<fn>Cf. the comment of <multilink><a href="RChananelYoma" data-aht="source">R. Chananel</a><a href="RChananelYoma" data-aht="source">Yoma 85b</a><a href="R. Chananel b. Chushiel" data-aht="parshan">About R. Chananel b. Chushiel</a></multilink> (consistent with this approach) where he implies that only Zipporah was present during the incident at the inn. R. Chananel may have been influenced by R. Saadia's similar interpretation – see below.</fn> <multilink><a href="Seforno4-18" data-aht="source">Seforno</a><a href="Seforno4-18" data-aht="source">Shemot 4:18,20,24</a><a href="R. Ovadyah Seforno" data-aht="parshan">About Seforno</a></multilink></mekorot> |
<point><b>Zipporah with Moshe</b> – According to this approach, Zipporah and sons were living with Moshe in the Sinai Wilderness while he shepherded Yitro's sheep,<fn>Cf. Bereshit 31:4 where Yaakov's family is living with him while he was tending to Lavan's flocks.</fn> and the verse in 4:20 records how "Moshe took his wife and his sons and set them on a donkey (to send them back to Yitro, while/before) he (Moshe alone) returned to the land of Egypt." As opposed to all other exegetes who must grapple with the absence of any verse which explicitly recounts Zipporah's return to Midyan, R. Chananel and Seforno say that this is the very trek described in the first half of 4:20.<fn>According to them, the destination is implied, even though unstated. See <a href="אחר שלוחיה – Who Sent What to Whom" data-aht="page">אחר שלוחיה</a> that their position is thereby able to neutralize Rashbam's claim that there is a lack of foreshadowing, and for further discussion of <multilink><a href="Seforno18-2" data-aht="source">Seforno</a><a href="Seforno18-2" data-aht="source">Shemot 18:2</a><a href="R. Ovadyah Seforno" data-aht="parshan">About Seforno</a></multilink>'s position in 18:2.</fn></point> | <point><b>Zipporah with Moshe</b> – According to this approach, Zipporah and sons were living with Moshe in the Sinai Wilderness while he shepherded Yitro's sheep,<fn>Cf. Bereshit 31:4 where Yaakov's family is living with him while he was tending to Lavan's flocks.</fn> and the verse in 4:20 records how "Moshe took his wife and his sons and set them on a donkey (to send them back to Yitro, while/before) he (Moshe alone) returned to the land of Egypt." As opposed to all other exegetes who must grapple with the absence of any verse which explicitly recounts Zipporah's return to Midyan, R. Chananel and Seforno say that this is the very trek described in the first half of 4:20.<fn>According to them, the destination is implied, even though unstated. See <a href="אחר שלוחיה – Who Sent What to Whom" data-aht="page">אחר שלוחיה</a> that their position is thereby able to neutralize Rashbam's claim that there is a lack of foreshadowing, and for further discussion of <multilink><a href="Seforno18-2" data-aht="source">Seforno</a><a href="Seforno18-2" data-aht="source">Shemot 18:2</a><a href="R. Ovadyah Seforno" data-aht="parshan">About Seforno</a></multilink>'s position in 18:2.</fn></point> | ||
<point><b>Permission from Yitro</b> – Before Moshe sends Zipporah and their children back to her father, he first needs to obtain Yitro's approval for his plan, and thus Moshe returns to Midyan in 4:18. While Moshe was in Midyan, Hashem tells him (4:19) that the timing is now right for his trip to Egypt.</point> | <point><b>Permission from Yitro</b> – Before Moshe sends Zipporah and their children back to her father, he first needs to obtain Yitro's approval for his plan, and thus Moshe returns to Midyan in 4:18. While Moshe was in Midyan, Hashem tells him (4:19) that the timing is now right for his trip to Egypt.</point> | ||
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<opinion name="After the Inn">After the incident at the inn | <opinion name="After the Inn">After the incident at the inn | ||
<p>Moshe sent Zipporah and their children back to Yitro's home immediately following the incident at the inn in Shemot 4.</p> | <p>Moshe sent Zipporah and their children back to Yitro's home immediately following the incident at the inn in Shemot 4.</p> | ||
− | <mekorot><multilink><a href="IbnEzra4-20" data-aht="source">Ibn Ezra</a><a href="IbnEzra4-20" data-aht="source">Shemot 4:20-24</a><a href="IbnEzra18-2" data-aht="source">Shemot 18:2</a><a href="R. Avraham ibn Ezra" data-aht="parshan">About Ibn Ezra</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="TzerorShemot4-24" data-aht="source">Tzeror HaMor</a><a href="TzerorShemot4-24" data-aht="source">Shemot 4:24-25</a><a href="R. Avraham Saba" data-aht="parshan">About R. Avraham Saba</a></multilink><fn>In contrast to Ibn Ezra, the Tzeror HaMor thinks Moshe hurried off to Egypt and left his family even before the son's circumcision – see <a href="Mystery at the Malon" data-aht="page">Mystery at the Malon</a>.</fn></mekorot> | + | <mekorot><multilink><a href="IbnEzra4-20" data-aht="source">Ibn Ezra</a><a href="IbnEzra4-20" data-aht="source">Shemot 4:20-24</a><a href="IbnEzra18-2" data-aht="source">Shemot 18:2</a><a href="R. Avraham ibn Ezra" data-aht="parshan">About Ibn Ezra</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="TzerorShemot4-24" data-aht="source">Tzeror HaMor</a><a href="TzerorShemot4-24" data-aht="source">Shemot 4:24-25</a><a href="R. Avraham Saba (Tzeror HaMor)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Avraham Saba</a></multilink><fn>In contrast to Ibn Ezra, the Tzeror HaMor thinks Moshe hurried off to Egypt and left his family even before the son's circumcision – see <a href="Mystery at the Malon" data-aht="page">Mystery at the Malon</a>.</fn></mekorot> |
<point><b>Moshe's error</b> – Ibn Ezra and Tzeror HaMor both criticize Moshe's decision to bring his family with him, but for different reasons. Tzeror HaMor views it as procrastination,<fn>Thus, according to him, Moshe leaves immediately upon becoming aware of Hashem's displeasure.</fn> while Ibn Ezra suggests that it was a tactical mistake as it would send a message to the people that he is coming with his family to settle there and that the Exodus would not be imminent.<fn>As a precedent for the possibility that a prophet can err, Ibn Ezra cites the case of Natan in Shemuel II 7. For other examples and further discussion, see <a href="$">Prophets, Errors and Changes in Plans</a>. See also R. Yosef Kimchi in his Sefer HaGalui s.v. "אז" (p.68-69) whose interpretation synthesizes the approaches of Rashbam and Ibn Ezra.</fn></point> | <point><b>Moshe's error</b> – Ibn Ezra and Tzeror HaMor both criticize Moshe's decision to bring his family with him, but for different reasons. Tzeror HaMor views it as procrastination,<fn>Thus, according to him, Moshe leaves immediately upon becoming aware of Hashem's displeasure.</fn> while Ibn Ezra suggests that it was a tactical mistake as it would send a message to the people that he is coming with his family to settle there and that the Exodus would not be imminent.<fn>As a precedent for the possibility that a prophet can err, Ibn Ezra cites the case of Natan in Shemuel II 7. For other examples and further discussion, see <a href="$">Prophets, Errors and Changes in Plans</a>. See also R. Yosef Kimchi in his Sefer HaGalui s.v. "אז" (p.68-69) whose interpretation synthesizes the approaches of Rashbam and Ibn Ezra.</fn></point> | ||
<point><b>Incident at the inn</b> – While Tzeror HaMor sees the event as a punishment for Moshe's stalling, Ibn Ezra views it as a means of preventing him from taking Zipporah and sons to Egypt and getting Moshe to realize and correct his error.<fn>Shadal Shemot 4:23 adopts a similar approach – see <a href="Mystery at the Malon" data-aht="page">Mystery at the Malon</a>.</fn> Ibn Ezra does not explain why Hashem didn't simply appear to Moshe and tell him that it would be better if Zipporah stayed in Midyan. He also doesn't address why the Torah doesn't explicitly say that Zipporah went back home after the close call at the inn.</point> | <point><b>Incident at the inn</b> – While Tzeror HaMor sees the event as a punishment for Moshe's stalling, Ibn Ezra views it as a means of preventing him from taking Zipporah and sons to Egypt and getting Moshe to realize and correct his error.<fn>Shadal Shemot 4:23 adopts a similar approach – see <a href="Mystery at the Malon" data-aht="page">Mystery at the Malon</a>.</fn> Ibn Ezra does not explain why Hashem didn't simply appear to Moshe and tell him that it would be better if Zipporah stayed in Midyan. He also doesn't address why the Torah doesn't explicitly say that Zipporah went back home after the close call at the inn.</point> |
Version as of 17:49, 14 February 2015
When Did Zipporah Return to Midyan?
Exegetical Approaches
The commentators offer several possibilities as to the timing of Zipporah's return to Midyan:
Before Moshe Left for Egypt
Moshe sent Zipporah and their children back to Yitro's home before he departed for Egypt.
On the Way to Egypt
This approach subdivides regarding the point during the journey at which Zipporah was sent back:
Before the incident at the inn
Initially, Zipporah and the children were accompanying Moshe back to Egypt, but Moshe changed his mind on the way and sent them back to Yitro before the incident at the inn (4:24-26).
After the incident at the inn
Moshe sent Zipporah and their children back to Yitro's home immediately following the incident at the inn in Shemot 4.
After meeting Aharon
Moshe sent Zipporah home only after Aharon met him and suggested that there was no point in bringing more people to be enslaved in Egypt.
After Arriving in Egypt
Zipporah returned with Moshe to Egypt and went back to Midyan only afterwards.