June 2011 Final
Accelerated Biblical Studies
The Manna
God describes his solution to the B'nei Yisrael's complaint: the manna. The pasuq says that he gives us the manna to test us to see if we will keep the mitzvoth.
Question: Why is God testing through the manna? What is the connection between the manna and the
mitzvoth?
Answer (via Rashi)
God is testing the B'nei Yisrael to see if they will follow the commandments that go along with the manna, such as not leaving leftovers until morning (since new manna will be given every morning). According to Rashi, the word be'thorathi1 is to see if the B'nei Yisrael will follow the mitzvoth.
Answer (via Ibn Ezra)
The test, according to the Ibn Ezra, is to see if the B'nei Yisrael will be able to lead of complete dependence on God. Here, according to the Ibn Ezra, the word be'thorathi refers to God's ways, not commandments.
Answer (via Seforno)
The Seforno points out that God have the B'nei Yisrel effortless sustenance only to this specific generation, the same generation that he gave the Torah to at Mount Sinai. The reason that God gave them both to this generation is so that this generation could dedicate all of their time to studying the Torah without having to worry about where their next meal will be coming from. God, here, is testing them to see if they will use their time in a constructive, productive manner.
The Story of Yitro
• The first part of the story of Yitro (17:1-12) talks about how Yitro relates to Moses on a personal level, before mathan Torah2.
• The second part of the story of Yirto (17:13-27), talks about how Yitro relates to the B'nei Yisrael as a community, after mathan Torah.
Rashi #1
According to Rashi, Yitro not only heard about the Splitting of the Red Sea and the war with Amaleq, but also heard about the story of the giving of the Torah. The Torah, however, leaves this out because this would put the Torah out of chronological order, since the story of mathan Torah is related after Yitro joins the B'nei Yisrael.
Rashi #2 Commenting on the words תרחממ יהיו, Rashi explains that this refers to the
day after Yom Kippur, not the day after Yitro joined the B'nei Yisrael, almost five months after the beginning of this pereq. Rashi explains that this was the first time that Moses would be able to meet Yitro because he is such a busy
1 יתרותב
person, because he was either spending his time learning the Torah or in Heaven talking to God.
Question: Assuming Rashi is correct, why would the Torah not go in chronological order?
To keep the story intact- In order to keep the story of Yitro moving smoothly and to keep it all in one place, the Torah places the entire story of Yitro together, and then relates the story of
mathan Torah.
At mathan Torah, the B'nei Yisrael say “na'aseh ve'nishma” — “we will do and we will listen.” First, they do by constructing a court system and making sure that they are able to implement the Torah into their lives, and then they listen by receiving the actual Torah.
Related to the second answer: in order for the Torah to be effective, the B'nei Yisrael had to implement a court system within their community to make sure the different halakhoth are enforced and followed. A functioning society comes first, then religion.
Refidim: No Water!
When the B'nei Yisrael arrive at Refidim, they complain to Moses that there is no water for them to drink. How is this complaint different from the complaint that they filed just before this one, when they demanded food?
This complaint was for water, not food. It's like asking the teacher to go the bathroom and then asking him/her again to get a drink of water when you were in the second grade.
Here, the Torah uses the word “va'yarev,” “and they fought,” which is a much stronger word than “and they complained,” which is the word used to describe how the B'nei Yisrael asked for manna.
Here, the Bnei Yisrael only complained to Moses, but they complained to both Moses and Aaron for manna.
Here, we see that Moses that responds to the B'nei Yisrael's complaint; before, it seems that the B'nei Yisrael's complaint for manna seems to be between them and God more than it between them and Moses. There are two possible reasons for this:
This is the second time that the B'nei Yisrael are complaining
These complaints are fundamentally different from each other, and therefore warrant fundamentally different responses.
Answer (via Rashi)
Here, the B'nei Yisrael are challenging God's ability to provide water for them in a waterless place like the desert.
Answer (via Ramban)
The first thing that the B'nei Yisrael did was “va'yarev,” fighting, and then they complained for water. The first was more of a general complaint, the second was specifically for water. Moses' response for the first was asking them to test God, and the B'nei Yisrael did, by asking for water. The Ramban adds that there is a gap of several days between the first and second complaints.
The Battle Against Amaleq
Question: Why is this story related now, of all times?
chronological order.
Answer (via Ibn Ezra)
As the B'nei Yisrael were traveling through the desert, they happened along Amaleq and fought them. This interpretation, however, raises a question: when the spies went to Canaan, they told the B'nei Yisrael that Ameleq was in the Negev, far, far away from where the B'nei Yisrael are now.
Answer (via Rashi)
When the B'nei Yisrael questioned God at Refidim, they asked where God was. The battle with Amaleq answered this question, and their victory over Amaleq showed them where God was. It was only after the battle that the B'nei Yisrael saw how close they are to God.
Mathan Torah
According to Rashi, when the Torah tells us that the B'nei Yisrael camped 'round Mount Sinai, the Torah uses the word “va'yihan3,” which is in the singular form, and not the plural form (which would
be “va'yihanu”) to illustrate that the B'nei Yisrael were ish ehad khe'lev ehad4, or completely unified.
Verses 2-8: show a cycle: God → Moses Moses → Elders
Elders → the B'nei Yisrael the B'nei Yisrael → Moses Moses → God
However, the B'nei Yisrael wanted a direct connection with God, which they got at Mount Sinai. That is why, according to Rashi, they had to prepare for three days. However, they couldn't handle the intensity that is God's voice, and as a result, only heard the first two commandments from God and then heard the rest from Moses.
There are two ways for use to relate to God:
As this father/friend/buddy figure, as can be seen through the first two commandments As a kingly figure, as can be seen through the last 8 commandments
The Sin of the Golden Calf
There are two ways we can look at the Golden Calf story: idol worship
they knew that it was idol worship and did it intentionally
they did not know and worshiped idols without intentionally doing it.
Not idol worship
they made the Golden Calf to be like Moses they did it to better connect to God
Question: Who is at fault for the Golden Calf and why? The B'nei Yisrael
They caused Moses to be embaressed (ki voshesh Moshe)
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they tried to create a physical manifestation of God Aaron
he gathered the B'nei Yisrael's jewelry and told them how to go about making the Golden Calf
He built an altar for the Golden Calf, which in turn led to the B'nei Yisrael's offering sacrifices to it
Moses
he did not defend the B'nei Yisrael's actions immediately, like a good leader should have.
Question: Did the B'nei Yisrael *actually* worship idols or not?
Answer
(via Rashi) Yes, because they created another god. This a violation of the Ten Commandments.
Answer (via Ibn Ezra)
No. The Ibn Ezra explains that the B'nei Yisrael thought that Moses might have died while atop Mount Sinai, and the eirev rav convinced the B'nei Yisrael to build the Golden Calf so that the B'nei Yisrael can better focus their prayers, since they no longer have Moses to pray on their behalf.
Answer (via Ramban)
No. The Ramban believes that there is a jump between the words “ki voshesh Moshe” and the creation of a Golden Calf, and that the word “elohim” cannot possibly refer to the Golden Calf because of this really, really wide gap. They did not want a new God, but a new Moses, or something to bridge the gap between themselves and God. This bridge is what the word “elohim” is referring to.
The Golden Calf and the Tabernacle
Question: Why is the story of the Golden Calf right after the commandment to build the Tabernacle, but right before the actual construction of the Tabernacle?
Answer (via Rashi)
According to Rashi, this story actually happened first, before even the idea of the Tabernacle was ever introduced, but was related here for two reasons:
• Otherwise, the story would be in a very arbitrary place, and this place seems better fitting because...
• Rashi believes that the construction of the Miskhan was prompted by some event, here, it seems that it was prompted by the sin of the Golden Calf. The Tabernacle is meant to an effect for some cause; that cause is the Golden Calf. The Tabernacle acted as khaparah5
Answer (via Ramban)
The Ramban believes that the story of the Golden Calf is actually in the correct place, but sees the Tabernacle as a result of the giving of the Torah, not the sin of the Golden Calf. He offers the following two similarities between the revelation at Sinai and the Tabernacle as proof:
• The Ten Commandments were at the epicenter of both mathan Torah
and the Tabernacle
• For both, there was a hierarchy as to who was allowed in proximity to the Ten Commandments. Moses was allowed closest, then the
khohanim, then the Elders, and the B'nei Yisrael were kept furthest away.
Reading Comprehension Summary
Part of the test will be to answer questions based solely on the peshat. Here is a slight summary of the parts that we are required to know.
Exodus 15:22-27: The B'nei Yisrael arrive at Marah and the had become thirsty because they were wandering for three days in the desert without water. Once they arrive in Marah, though, they find water, but it is bitter. They complain to Moses. God solves the problem by telling Moses to cast a tree trunk into the water, and it became sweet. Moses then warns the B'nei Yisrael to follow all of God's commandments. The B'nei Yisrael then travel to Eilim, where they find twelve wells and seventy date trees.
Exodus 16: The B'nei Yisrael arrive at Midbar Sin, and complain to Moses that there is no food for them to eat. Moses then calls out to God, who promises them manna to test them (see above). Moses promises them manna in the morning. God then tells Moses that he has heard their complaints, and commands the B'nei Yisrael to collect the manna according to how many people are in their families — no more, no less. For the first five days of the week, the B'nei Yisrael only collected enough manna for that day; any manna left overnight until the next morning was left to rot. On the sixth day, however, they are commanded to collect two days' worth of manna, because on Shabbat no manna will rain down from the sky, because it is a day of rest. This is the only time that manna was left overnight and did not become moldy.
Exodus 17: The B'nei Yisrael complain that they want water, and Moses screams to God. God commands Moses to take his stick and the Elders of the B'nei Yisrael, and tells Moses to go to a boulder that He will show to him and commands Moses to hit the rock. Moses does this. They rename this place from Refidim to Masah U'Merivah because of the strife that took place here. Then, Amaleq came and attacked the B'nei Yisrael. Moses commands Joshua to amass an army and fight Amaleq. Moses climbs up on a mountain and, with the help of Aaron and Hur, he raises his hands to the sky. Whenever his hands are lifted, the B'nei Yisrael gain the upper hand; whenever his hands are lowered, Amaleq gains the upper hand. The B'nei Yisrael win, and God commands Moses to write a memorial for this so that every generation will remember.
Exodus 32:1-14: The B'nei Yisrael notice Moses has not yet returned, and they gang up on Aaron and demand that they make a new “elohim” because Moses has not yet returned and they need someone to lead them. Aaron tells them to bring all of their jewelry, which they do. Aaron uses the gold to create the Golden Calf; he then creates an altar to offer sacrifices to it. God takes notice, and tells Moses to alight from Mount Sinai and return to the B'nei Yisrael's camp because they created the Golden Calf. Moses, realizing that they are qeshei oref, or stubborn, and that God wants to wipe them out and create a new nation strictly from Moses, pleads to God not to destroy them, since He expended so much energy to take them out of Egypt. If God were to destroy them, Moses claims, everyone would say that He took the B'nei Yisrael out of Egypt and kill them in the desert, and then begs Him not to kill them.
