Thursday, January 30, 2020

Lma’an tisaper b’oznei bincha... vi’yedatem

"Lma’an tisaper b’oznei bincha u’ben bincha…  vi’yedatem ki ani Hashem"
 
Short of time this week but did not want to completely skip writing.  Two diyukim in the pasuk:
 
1) If the point of telling over the story is for the next generation -– bincha u’ben bincha –- to know what happened, then the pasuk should end off “v’yadu ki any Hashem” -– they will come to know Hashem.  Instead, the pasuk uses the term “yidatem,” which refers back to the speaker.
 
Oib es felt in hasbara is felt in havana.  If you cant explain something to someone else, then you really don’t understand it.  Having to explain something forces a person to define and crystalize their thoughts. 
 
You want to come to a better appreciation of yediyas Hashem yourself?  There is no better way to do so then by giving over the mesorah to your children.  You will sharpen your own beliefs, clarify your values, and come to a better yediyas Hashem yourself.
 
2) Why not just say "tisaper l'bincha" -- what's the extra word "b'oznei" doing there?  (Compare with next week's parsha where we read after the battle with Amalek that Moshe is told "sim b'oznei Yehoshua..." to remember the episode.)   
 
You can't whisper is someone's ear from a distance.  You have to be close to them. 
 
To give over the mesorah to your children you need to keep them close.  Torah is whispered in the ear, not shouted from far away.

4 comments:

  1. -- "1) ...bincha u'ben bincha"; "giving over the mesorah"

    meanwhile Egyptian society and 'tradition' unravel, since avosecha va'avos avosecha (10:6), prior generations, did NOT see-- they can not knowingly speak (warn) of The Power That [Will] Be...


    -- "2)"

    Torah that is "whispered in the ear" [rather than shouted by authoritarian messenger] can do miracles, even causing a makkah of its own [#11 unofficially]: dabeir-na b'aznei ha'am, 11:2, leads to Hashem softening the hearts of the Egyptian people [normally a Jew-baiting bunch of so-and-sos].

    as a disruption of the natural order, such a softening [with its consequence*] also needs a mighty hand (13:14, b'chozek yad) -- if a son asks, ki-yi>>shal<>shin-aleph-lamed<<, 12:35-36) from the Egyptians centuries before...

    *Hashem's hardening of Pharoah's heart was of course preparatory to His mighty makkos. here softening of hearts leads to a nationwide lending 'plague', as the people of Egypt, through unnatural** kindness, won't see their loan items again until...until...ad matai?

    **thru a kindness that comes as The Foreigner's response to a "whispered" Torah

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    1. a line was omitted in "2)" above: after "if a son asks,", the comment should continue, "ki-yi>>shal<>shin-aleph-lamed<<, 12:35-36) from the Egyptians centuries before...". sorry.



      >>shin-aleph-lamed<<

      were the objects* requested rather than borrowed, no difference: when the Egyptian donors came to their senses (when manipulated sensibilities returned to normal), the people regretted their generosity; they were haunted long after--plagued--by the recollection of the handover, and by their loss...

      *we see that the metal deities that melted at midnight (Rashi 12:12d) were neither of silver nor gold, that they were not what the Egyptians would "clarify" as of ultimate value {on the other hand, gold shouts to one and all, 'Value here!'} [iron, does it use a kol d'mama daka? or would that be clay?]

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  2. two attempts to insert an omission in the comment of 8:50 AM have electronically (after clicking "Publish") repeated the omission!! wondrous strange.

    another try: the comment at "2)" should read: 'if a son asks, ki-yishalcha, ma-zos? (13:14), that son is pointing to or holding up a family heirloom, a golden or silver object borrowed from the Egyptians centuries before...'

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