Words From Rabbi White

MOSHE GROWS UP

We all know the story. Moshe, who had been raised in the palace, and now has grown up, sees two Hebrew men fighting. He tells the “rasha’,” the bad guy, “why would you strike your fellow?”

How did Moshe know which one was the bad guy? The commentator Rashi, quoting Midrash Rabba and gemara Sanhedrin, notes that “even though he hasn’t hit him yet, he is called a “rasha’” just by raising his hand, and showing an intention to strike. Rashi is probably commenting on the use of the future tense here [Hebrew “takkeh,” instead of present “makkeh.”]  We see from here: even though you haven’t hit him, you are showing your intent.

Translate this into contemporary terminology: the dangers of hate speech! How can governments, whether in Quebec, or in USA, or in UK, or anywhere, allow people to march in the streets, or set up encampments on college campuses, and cry out “from the river to the sea,” or demand intidfada, all of which are code words for the destruction of Israel, chas ve-shalom.

Moshe realized that: when he saw the Hebrew man picking up his hand against his fellow Hebrew, he was clearly showing intent.

**********

A THOUGHT ON THE CONCLUSION OF BEREISHIS

At the end of Bereishis, the brothers were afraid that Yosef might take out revenge on them. The Torah says that Yosef then “spoke to their hearts.” Rashi explains that he said to them “what sort of person would kill his own brothers?”

When I read that, I said to myself, “this is amazing!” The Book of Bereishis begins with the story of a brother who kills his brother. It continues with the stories of Yishmael/Yitschak, Esav/Yaakov, and the brothers who had plotted to kill Yosef. So the Book concludes by telling us: that period of hatred has come to an end. It’s now a new world, where fratricide is absolutely unimaginable!! From a literary point of view, this is an amazing inclusio!

*******

This Shabbat, 18 Tevet, Irwin Miller observes for his mother Bessie, Basia bat Tsvi Hersh.

Friday, 24 Tevet, Stanley Goldstein observes for his grandfather, Shalom ben Yerachmiel HaKohen

*********

We pray for good news concerning the hostages,

Shabbat shalom, Rabbi Menahem White