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" 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" 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</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> |
<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 Meeting Aharon">After meeting Aharon | <opinion name="After Meeting Aharon">After meeting Aharon | ||
<p>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.</p> | <p>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.</p> | ||
− | <mekorot><multilink><a href="MekhiltaAmalek1" data-aht="source">R. Elazar HaModai in both Mekhiltas</a><a href="MekhiltaAmalek1" data-aht="source">Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael Yitro Amalek 1</a><a href="MekhiltaDeRashbi18-2" data-aht="source">Mekhilta DeRashbi Shemot 18:2</a><a href="Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael" data-aht="parshan">About the Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael</a><a href="Mekhilta DeRashbi" data-aht="parshan">About Mekhilta DeRashbi</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="Rashi18-2" data-aht="source">Rashi</a><a href="Rashi18-2" data-aht="source">Shemot 18:2</a><a href="Rashi" data-aht="parshan">About Rashi</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="Akeidat43" data-aht="source">Akeidat Yitzchak</a><a href="Akeidat43" data-aht="source">Shemot #43</a><a href="Akeidat Yitzchak" data-aht="parshan">About Akeidat Yitzchak</a></multilink></mekorot> | + | <mekorot><multilink><a href="MekhiltaAmalek1" data-aht="source">R. Elazar HaModai in both Mekhiltas</a><a href="MekhiltaAmalek1" data-aht="source">Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael Yitro Amalek 1</a><a href="MekhiltaDeRashbi18-2" data-aht="source">Mekhilta DeRashbi Shemot 18:2</a><a href="Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael" data-aht="parshan">About the Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael</a><a href="Mekhilta DeRashbi" data-aht="parshan">About Mekhilta DeRashbi</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="Rashi18-2" data-aht="source">Rashi</a><a href="Rashi18-2" data-aht="source">Shemot 18:2</a><a href="R. Shelomo Yitzchaki (Rashi)" data-aht="parshan">About Rashi</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="Akeidat43" data-aht="source">Akeidat Yitzchak</a><a href="Akeidat43" data-aht="source">Shemot #43</a><a href="R. Yitzchak Arama (Akeidat Yitzchak)" data-aht="parshan">About Akeidat Yitzchak</a></multilink></mekorot> |
<point><b>Gap in the text</b> – According to the Mekhilta and Rashi, not only is Zipporah's departure missing from the text, but there is also no hint of such an exchange between Moshe and Aharon.</point> | <point><b>Gap in the text</b> – According to the Mekhilta and Rashi, not only is Zipporah's departure missing from the text, but there is also no hint of such an exchange between Moshe and Aharon.</point> | ||
<point><b>Moshe's change of heart</b> – the Mekhilta and Rashi do not explain what Moshe was initially thinking, and why he was persuaded by Aharon's argument.</point> | <point><b>Moshe's change of heart</b> – the Mekhilta and Rashi do not explain what Moshe was initially thinking, and why he was persuaded by Aharon's argument.</point> | ||
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<category name="After Arriving in Egypt">After Arriving in Egypt | <category name="After Arriving in Egypt">After Arriving in Egypt | ||
<p>Zipporah returned with Moshe to Egypt and went back to Midyan only afterwards.</p> | <p>Zipporah returned with Moshe to Egypt and went back to Midyan only afterwards.</p> | ||
− | <mekorot><multilink><a href="ShemotRabbah4-4" data-aht="source">Shemot Rabbah</a><a href="ShemotRabbah4-4" data-aht="source">4:4</a><a href="ShemotRabbah5-19" data-aht="source">5:19</a><a href="Shemot Rabbah" data-aht="parshan">About Shemot Rabbah</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RYBS18-2" data-aht="source">R. Yosef Bekhor Shor</a><a href="RYBS18-2" data-aht="source">Shemot 18:2</a><a href="R. Yosef Bekhor Shor" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="Ramban4-19" data-aht="source">Ramban</a><a href="Ramban4-19" data-aht="source">Shemot 4:19-20</a><a href="Ramban5-22" data-aht="source">Shemot 5:22</a><a href="Ramban" data-aht="parshan">About Ramban</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="KaspiShemot4-20" data-aht="source">R. Yosef ibn Kaspi</a><a href="KaspiShemot4-20" data-aht="source">Shemot 4:20</a><a href="R. Yosef ibn Kaspi" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yosef ibn Kaspi</a></multilink><fn>This appears to also be the position of <multilink><a href="Rashbam18-2" data-aht="source">Rashbam</a><a href="Rashbam4-24" data-aht="source">Shemot 4:24</a><a href="Rashbam18-2" data-aht="source">Shemot 18:2</a><a href="Rashbam" data-aht="parshan">About Rashbam</a></multilink> who writes "ושילחה משה ממצרים". As Rashbam contends that Moshe incurred Hashem's wrath by taking his family with him, it is unclear why he does not say like the Tzeror HaMor above that Moshe separated from his family at the inn.</fn></mekorot> | + | <mekorot><multilink><a href="ShemotRabbah4-4" data-aht="source">Shemot Rabbah</a><a href="ShemotRabbah4-4" data-aht="source">4:4</a><a href="ShemotRabbah5-19" data-aht="source">5:19</a><a href="Shemot Rabbah" data-aht="parshan">About Shemot Rabbah</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RYBS18-2" data-aht="source">R. Yosef Bekhor Shor</a><a href="RYBS18-2" data-aht="source">Shemot 18:2</a><a href="R. Yosef Bekhor Shor" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="Ramban4-19" data-aht="source">Ramban</a><a href="Ramban4-19" data-aht="source">Shemot 4:19-20</a><a href="Ramban5-22" data-aht="source">Shemot 5:22</a><a href="R. Moshe b. Nachman (Ramban)" data-aht="parshan">About Ramban</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="KaspiShemot4-20" data-aht="source">R. Yosef ibn Kaspi</a><a href="KaspiShemot4-20" data-aht="source">Shemot 4:20</a><a href="R. Yosef ibn Kaspi" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yosef ibn Kaspi</a></multilink><fn>This appears to also be the position of <multilink><a href="Rashbam18-2" data-aht="source">Rashbam</a><a href="Rashbam4-24" data-aht="source">Shemot 4:24</a><a href="Rashbam18-2" data-aht="source">Shemot 18:2</a><a href="R. Shemuel b. Meir (Rashbam)" data-aht="parshan">About Rashbam</a></multilink> who writes "ושילחה משה ממצרים". As Rashbam contends that Moshe incurred Hashem's wrath by taking his family with him, it is unclear why he does not say like the Tzeror HaMor above that Moshe separated from his family at the inn.</fn></mekorot> |
− | <point><b>Change in plans</b> – Ramban also thinks that Moshe's plans changed, however, his suggestion goes in the opposite direction of the Mekhilta, R. Saadia, Rashi, and Ibn Ezra above. Ramban explains that originally Moshe planned on returning to Egypt by himself in disguise, and this is what he told Yitro in 4:18. However, when Hashem informed him in 4:19 that his enemies had died, Moshe could now go back openly and also take his family with him.<fn>Ramban is thus able to explain the order of the verses without needing to say that there is achronology. This is consistent with his general approach – see <a href="Ramban" data-aht="parshan">Ramban</a>.</fn></point> | + | <point><b>Change in plans</b> – Ramban also thinks that Moshe's plans changed, however, his suggestion goes in the opposite direction of the Mekhilta, R. Saadia, Rashi, and Ibn Ezra above. Ramban explains that originally Moshe planned on returning to Egypt by himself in disguise, and this is what he told Yitro in 4:18. However, when Hashem informed him in 4:19 that his enemies had died, Moshe could now go back openly and also take his family with him.<fn>Ramban is thus able to explain the order of the verses without needing to say that there is achronology. This is consistent with his general approach – see <a href="R. Moshe b. Nachman (Ramban)" data-aht="parshan">Ramban</a>.</fn></point> |
<point><b>Family accompanying</b> – Shemot Rabbah suggests that this is important for personal reasons, so that they can participate in the Exodus and revelation at Sinai.<fn>Cf. Mekhiltas and Rashi above that it was a negative decision on the personal level.</fn> Ramban and Ibn Kaspi also view this as a positive development, but as being for the benefit of the nation that they should be imbued with confidence that the Exodus will be happening soon thereafter.<fn>Cf. Ibn Ezra's view that it would have a negative impact on the nation.</fn></point> | <point><b>Family accompanying</b> – Shemot Rabbah suggests that this is important for personal reasons, so that they can participate in the Exodus and revelation at Sinai.<fn>Cf. Mekhiltas and Rashi above that it was a negative decision on the personal level.</fn> Ramban and Ibn Kaspi also view this as a positive development, but as being for the benefit of the nation that they should be imbued with confidence that the Exodus will be happening soon thereafter.<fn>Cf. Ibn Ezra's view that it would have a negative impact on the nation.</fn></point> | ||
<point><b>Zipporah ultimately departed</b> – According to R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, Yitro went down to Egypt to pick up Zipporah and take her back to Midyan. According to Shemot Rabbah and Ramban, after his initial failure to persuade Paroh to let the people go, Moshe himself went back to Midyan with Zipporah for six months.<fn>See <a href="Chronology of Shemot" data-aht="page">Chronology of Shemot 5-7</a> regarding how much time elapsed.</fn></point> | <point><b>Zipporah ultimately departed</b> – According to R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, Yitro went down to Egypt to pick up Zipporah and take her back to Midyan. According to Shemot Rabbah and Ramban, after his initial failure to persuade Paroh to let the people go, Moshe himself went back to Midyan with Zipporah for six months.<fn>See <a href="Chronology of Shemot" data-aht="page">Chronology of Shemot 5-7</a> regarding how much time elapsed.</fn></point> |
Version as of 03:16, 17 September 2014
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.