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Why does the Torah (תורה) introduce Moshe Rabbeinu by recounting that he killed an Egyptian taskmaster? The shiur develops a foundational yesod: a Jew is not merely another human being but God's ambassador, and striking a Jew is equivalent to striking the Shechinah itself. Moshe's use of the Shem HaMeforash signals that the true aggrieved party is Hashem (ה׳)—and this sensitivity to Israel's unique status qualified Moshe to lead the geulah and define Am Yisrael's mission.
Rabbi Zweig opens with a fundamental question: why does the Torah (תורה) introduce Moshe Rabbeinu through the story of his killing an Egyptian, with no prior credentials mentioned? What qualifies Moshe for leadership based solely on this act, and what was his halachic basis for killing the Egyptian? The Gemara (גמרא) in Sanhedrin (58b) states "nochri shehikah Yisrael chayav misah"—a gentile who strikes a Jew is liable to capital punishment—and learns this from Moshe's act. But Rabbi Zweig raises three difficulties: First, according to the Ramban (רמב"ן) in Parshas Vayishlach, gentiles are commanded in the dinim of Parshas Mishpatim, including the prohibition of chavalah (battery). If so, a gentile striking any person—even another gentile—should be a capital offense. Why then do we need a special principle of "nochri shehikah Yisrael"? Second, if the Egyptian taskmaster was legally authorized by Pharaoh to enforce slavery and punish Jewish workers, his striking the Jew was not an illegal act—so how could Moshe kill him? Third, why did Moshe kill him using the Shem HaMeforash (explicit Divine Name), as Rashi (רש"י) explains, rather than physically?
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Why does the Midrash connect Pharaoh's expulsion of the Jews to the mitzvah of shiluach hakan? The shiur develops a chiddush that Pharaoh's sin wasn't only drowning the children, but the insensitivity of expelling the parents afterward. The deeper analysis reveals that Pharaoh may have valued the Jews greatly and wanted to control them—making his expulsion an act of tremendous cruelty, not liberation.
Why does Moshe respond to the splitting of the sea with shirah rather than praise or thanksgiving? Rashi's use of "al libo" reveals that shirah is an emotional expression—a response of love to love. When Hashem shows personal care, the only adequate response is "I love You too," not mere gratitude or praise, and this principle applies to all relationships.
Shemos 2:11-14
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