CHAMISHOH MI YODEI'A - FIVE QUESTIONS ON THE WEEKLY SEDRAH - PARSHAS SHMOS 5769 - BS"D
1) Ch. 1, v. 1: "Ish u'veiso bo'u" - The Medrash Hagodol says that this refers even to Chanoch and Palu who were 2 years and 1 year old respectively. Yaakov did not want his descendants to marry Egyptian women, as Mitzrayim was a descendant of Chom, who was cursed. Who were they and other unmarried males to marry?
2) Ch. 1, v. 6: "Va'yomos …… v'chole hador hahu" - Serach bas Osher is but one person who remained alive, so why does the verse say that "v'chole hador hahu" died?
3) Ch. 1, v. 7: "Uvnei Yisroel poru va'yish'r'tzu" - Rashi (M.R. 1:8) says that we derive from the six expressions of multiplying that the women gave birth to sextuplets. The Yalkut Shimoni says that the bnei Yisroel experienced servitude for only one hour. How can this be explained?
4) Ch. 2, v. 10: "Vatikro shmo Moshe vatomer ki min hamayim m'shisihu" - Moshe WAS DRAWN from the water. If so his name should have been Moshuy. Moshe means "he draws."
5) Ch. 3, v. 2: "B'labas eish" - The Zohar Chodosh comments on these words: "L'hashlim es hashem," - to complete the name. This statement is most enigmatic.
ANSWERS:
#1
Medrash Hagodol answers that Yaakov brought along girls who would later become their wives. This is the meaning of "ish uveiso."
#2
The Tu'rei Zohov O.Ch. 582:3 explains the text
of our R.H. and Y.K. prayers, "m'loch al Kol ho'olom KULO," which is seemingly repetitive, to mean that we pray that Hashem reign upon the WHOLE world in its entirety, without even one exception. If the text would only be "KOL ho'olom" it could be interpreted as MOST of the world, with KOL meaning "the majority," as per the rule of "ruba k'kula damya" (gemara Horios 3b).
Our verse says that the complete generation died, using the word form KOL only once. Then the bnei Yisroel greatly multiplied and a new king rose over Egypt. Here too, not everyone of that generation died before the happenings of verse 7 and 8 took place.
(How many people can you name who remained alive?)
#3
This is explained by the Holy Admor of Ostrovtza in a most fascinating manner. A day in Hashem's calculation is 1,000 years (gemara Sanhedrin 97a, M.R. Breishis 8:2). Rashi on T'hilim 90:4, "Ki e'lef shonim b'einecho k'yom esmole …… vaashmuroh valoyloh," explains that a day and a section of the night, called "asmuroh" combined, are 1,000 years. Thus a day alone is less. There is an opinion in the gemara Brochos 3a that an "ashmuroh" is 1/4th of a 12 hour period, or 3 hours. Thus 15 hours, 12 daylight and three night hours, are equal to 1,000 years. One hour equals 66 years and 8 months.
The original decree was that the bnei Yisroel would be enslaved for 400 years, "Yodo'a teida ki ger y'h'yeh zaracho b'eretz lo lo'hem vaavodum v'inu osom arba meios shonoh" (Breishis 15:13). We can say that the time was shortened because of the great increase of the bnei Yisroel. Since they multiplied six-fold, similarly the time was decreased by 5/6ths. A five-sixths reduction of 400 years equals 66 years and 8 months, exactly one hour in Hashem's time calculation.
#4
The Moshav Z'keinim explains that although his name was taken from this event, Bisyoh the daughter of Paroh was invested with prophecy and knew that Moshe would later miraculously DRAW water from a rock. She therefore adjusted his name to reflect that he DRAWS.
#5
The Holy Rabbi Shimshon of Ostrapolia explains this with the words of the Holy Zohar in parshas Breishis that the souls of Hevel and Sheis became components of Moshe's soul. The letters of Moshe's name, Mem-Shin-Hei, spell Moshe, Sheis, and Hevel. The name Moshe contains the letter Shin of Sheis, but lacks the letter Tof. As well, it contains the letter Hei of Hevel, but lacks the letters Beis and Lamed. Thus the word "LaBaS," spelled Lamed-Beis-Sof, has the letters that complete the names Sheis and Hevel.
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