The quote from the Torah/bible refers to the illustration appearing on Israelseen courtesy of international artist Phillip Ratner ratnermuseum.com
In this parashah,Pharaoh continues his refusal to grant the Israelites their freedom. God threatens to continue to harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that only after several terrible plagues will he relent. Moses and Aaron do not succeed in impressing Pharaoh and his court magicians with their wonders. The first 7 of the Ten Plagues are called down on the Egyptians. …
Why is it necessary to prolong the process of liberation? It is not enough that the Israelites be freed. That might mistakenly be seen as an act of magnanimity oh Pharaoh’s part. They must be freed in such a way that they, the Egyptians, and all the nations of the world will understand that it was God’s doing, not Pharaoh’s goodwill. ( This is important, not so much to burnish God’s reputation but to establish the principle that it is unacceptable for one human being to reduce another human being to slavery, that freedom is the will of God and not the choice of a despot.)
(Etz Hayim: Torah and Commentary,Page 351 Jewish Publication Society)
The Torah presents to us, and almost stresses the point, that the biological descent-both of our forefathers and of Moses-was not such as are determined by the laws of the Torah which were given later. This comes to teach us that the level which a person achieves in the recognition of God is not dependent on biological factors.
More than that, one of the classic commentators on the Torah, Chizkuni, explains why Providence arranged that Moses would be born of a union which would later be considered to be a blemish, even though it was not a blemish at the time-“so that he would not lord it over the people.” The danger which lies in wait for every leader and authority figure is that he will begin lording it over those under him, and this is true even if he is a man of God, the faithful shepherd of Israel.It is therefore desirable for a leadrer to always beforced to remember that there is what might be considered to be a blemish in his genealogy.
Accepting the Yoke of Heaven, commentary on the weekly Torah portion, Yeshayahu Leibowitz, Urim Publications
First Blow(7:14-25): First plague uses elements and words common to many. The Nile (a god in Egypt) water (source of life for the Egyptians but earlier source of death for the Hebrew babies)
Second Blow. second plague(7:26-8:11) Frogs is linked to the first by the elements: Nile, magicians and Pharaoh’s disregard of threats.
Third Blow Third plague (8:12-15) becomes more intimate, affecting the bodies of all living creature in Egypt.
Fourth Blow Fourth plague (8:16-28) The new element in this one is that God makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.
Fifth Blow Fifth plague(9:1-7) This plague spares humans nevertheless described as heavy. Play-on-words Hebrew for pestilence (dever) echoes that for thing (davar)
Sixth Blow Sixth plague(9:8-12) The magicians come to the fore. No longer do they cry to Pharaoh; they cannot even take the stage!
Seventh Blow Seventh plague(9:13-35) The description of the plague itself is fraught with spectacle, presaging Sinai with its use of thunder and fire.The plagues at least for the Egyptians, now transcend the realms of normal, explainable experience, as well as of historical recollection.
(Exodus 3:1-6)(The Five Books of Moses. The Schocken Bible:Volume I, commentary and notes by Everett Fox)
Moshe went from Pharaoh, outside the city, and spread out his
hands to YHWH:
the thunder and the hail stopped, and the rain no longer poured
down to earth.
But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder
had stopped.
he continues to sin: he made his heart heavy-with-stubbornnes,
his and his servants”.
Pharaoh’s heart remained strong-willed, and he did not send the
Children of Israel free,
as YHWH has spoken through Moshe.
(Exodus 9:33-35)
(Exodus 3:1-6)(The Five Books of Moses. The Schocken Bible:Volume I, commentary and notes by Everett Fox)
