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Why did Moshe change Hashem (ה׳)'s precise timing of 'at midnight' to 'approximately midnight' when warning Pharaoh about Makas Bechoros? The shiur shows that zman serves as the ultimate proof of divine control, since Hashem exists above time while humans are bound by it. Moshe protected this demonstration by preventing Pharaoh's astrologers from claiming miscalculation when they inevitably got the timing wrong.
The shiur examines a fascinating Gemara (גמרא) brought by Rashi (רש"י) regarding Moshe Rabbeinu's prediction of Makas Bechoros. When Hashem (ה׳) told Moshe that the plague would occur 'at midnight' (bachatzois), Moshe changed it to 'approximately at midnight' (kah chatzois) when speaking to Pharaoh. Rashi presents two interpretations: either 'kah chatzois' means 'when the night splits' (referring to the precise moment between the two halves), or it means 'approximately' to account for potential human error in timekeeping. The Gemara explains that Moshe was concerned that Pharaoh's astrologers might miscalculate the time and declare him a liar if the plague didn't occur at their calculated moment. This raises several profound questions: Why would a few seconds' discrepancy matter when such a devastating plague was occurring? Why change Hashem's precise words due to human error? The Maskil L'Dovid suggests that 'kah chatzois' could be interpreted both ways, allowing Moshe to maintain accuracy while protecting against misunderstanding.
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Parshas Bo - Makas Bechoros
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