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Why does the Torah (תורה)'s description of Pharaoh's command to the midwives contain incomplete sentences and awkward grammar? The shiur develops a reading that Pharaoh was reassigning Shifrah and Puah from postnatal care to delivery work as part of his genocidal plan. Their yiras Elokim lay not merely in refusing murder, but in maintaining their original childcare role despite royal orders.
Rabbi Zweig opens with a striking grammatical difficulty in Shemos 1:15-16. The Torah (תורה) states "Vayomer Melech Mitzrayim lamiyaldos ha'ivriyos asher shem ha'achas Shifrah v'shem hasheinis Puah" — but this sentence lacks a direct object for "vayomer" (and he said). What did Pharaoh actually say to them in verse 15? The content only appears in verse 16, which itself begins with another "vayomer." This repetition and incompleteness demands explanation. Additionally, Rabbi Zweig questions why the text uses "ben" and "bas" rather than "zachar" and "nekeivah" when instructing about killing male children. The terms "ben" and "bas" (son/daughter) evoke familial relationships that would make the command harder to execute, while "zachar" and "nekeivah" (male/female) would be more clinical and easier to comply with.
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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 1:15-22
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