CHAMISHOH MI YODEI'A - FIVE QUESTIONS ON THE WEEKLY SEDRAH - PARSHAS SHMOS 5767 - BS"D

2) Ch. 3, v. 22: "Klei chesef u'chlei zohov u'smolos" - In Shmos 12:38 we find that the bnei Yisroel indeed asked the Egyptians for "klei chesef u'chlei zohov u'smolos." Rashi (Mechilta) there points out that the order of these items is listed from less worthy to more worthy. How do we know that the clothing was dearer than even gold?

3) Ch. 4, v. 8: "V'he'eminu l'kole ho'ose ho'acharone" - The next verse goes on to offer a third sign if the first two are not sufficiently convincing. If so, why does our verse call the second sign, which is not the final one, "ho'acharone"?

4) Ch. 4, v. 25: "Vataga l'raglov" - To the feet of whom?

5) Ch. 4, v. 27: "Va'yomer Hashem el Aharon leich likras Moshe hamodboroh" - And Hashem said to Aharon go towards Moshe to the desert - The medrash says that there are three places where Hashem spoke directly to Aharon. In spite of the Torah's saying numerous times that Hashem spoke to Aharon, it means that Hashem spoke to Moshe to tell Aharon. When stating that Hashem spoke to Aharon, when in reality it was to Moshe, it is written this way to accord Aharon honour. The GR"A says that our verse is one of these three places. Rishonim disagree with the GR"A. Our verse seems to stand as an insurmountable proof for the GR"A. After all, this was a message to Aharon to go to the desert and meet Moshe, surely not a message to Moshe. How do we explain the dissenting opinion?

ANSWERS:

#1

1) The seventy people who descended to Egypt (Rashbam)

2) Everyone including the Egyptians (Chizkuni)

3) The children of the 12 tribes (Rabbeinu Menachem)

#2

1) The Ponim Yofos says that this is derived since the bnei Yisroel took these items as payment for the debt of being wrongly enslaved by the Egyptians. The rule is that one may not collect such a debt from the garments of the debtor's wife, as per Ch.M. 97:26. However, in the next paragraph it states that garments used on Shabbos and Yom Tov may be collected. The reason is that they are very fancy and we don't consider them as basic necessities. Thus we may derive that the garments mentioned here are exceedingly worthy, or else they would not be collected to pay the Egyptians' debt.

2) On a simple level it seems that this is derived from the fact that silver is mentioned first and then gold. This indicates that the order is from less to more worthy. It therefore follows that the garments, which are mentioned last, are the worthiest of the group. (Nirreh li)

#3

1) Ibn Ezra offers that since the third sign was an occurrence that had not yet taken place, at this moment the second sign was the final one.

2) K'hilos Yitzchok answers that "acharon" isn't limited to only mean FINAL, but also LATTER, as per the verse in Chagi 2, "Godol yi'h'yeh k'vode bayis ho'acharone min horishon," even though there will eventually be a third and final Beis Hamikdosh bb"o. This is alluded to in Shmos 12:13, "V'hoyoh hadom lochem l'ose al habotim." The blood, not referring to "makas dom," but rather to the third sign (Shmos 4:9), will be a sign for the three Houses, Bo'tei Mikdosh.

3) The Holy Zohar on Vayikra page 221a says that the second Beis Hamikdosh is called the FINAL one because indeed it was the final one built by man, as the third will descend from heaven. (See responsa Rashba 4:187)

#4

1) Moshe (Rashi and Ibn Ezra) The blood of the mitzvoh would serve as a protection against the destructive angel.

2) The angel (Rabbi Saadioh Gaon and Chizkuni)

3) The just circumcised child (Chizkuni)

#5

1) Shmos Rabboh 5:9 says that Hashem's message emanated once, and it carried to Moshe as a message to go back to Egypt and at the same time it was heard by Aharon as a message to go out to the desert to meet Moshe. The Baal Haturim on 4:14 says that this is why the word "yotzei" is spelled lacking the letter Vov after the Yud, so that it can be read "yotzo," he has already left, because simultaneously Aharon heard the message. We thus have a prophecy directed to Moshe, which Aharon also heard with a variation. We can therefore say that this prophecy was in the main directed to Moshe, was also heard by Aharon.

2) The intention of the medrash when listing the three places refers only to halachic prophecies and not to general communications. (Moshav Z'keinim on parshas Acha'rei Mose)

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