Saturday, September 1, 2007

Dvar Torah: Moshe's Ego Trip

Can anyone tell me what Moshe was thinking when he called himself God in this week's parshah?

(Ok, fine. I have to be misinterpreting this, but I'm not sure how. It seems to be the poshut pshat that Moshe is speaking in the first person, referring to himself as "Hashem Elokeichem".)

וַיִּקְרָא מֹשֶׁה אֶל-כָּל-יִשְׂרָאֵל, וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם: אַתֶּם רְאִיתֶם, אֵת כָּל-אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה יְהוָה לְעֵינֵיכֶם בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם, לְפַרְעֹה וּלְכָל-עֲבָדָיו, וּלְכָל-אַרְצוֹ. הַמַּסּוֹת, הַגְּדֹלֹת, אֲשֶׁר רָאוּ, עֵינֶיךָ--הָאֹתֹת וְהַמֹּפְתִים הַגְּדֹלִים, הָהֵם. וְלֹא-נָתַן יְהוָה לָכֶם לֵב לָדַעַת, וְעֵינַיִם לִרְאוֹת וְאָזְנַיִם לִשְׁמֹעַ, עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה. וָאוֹלֵךְ אֶתְכֶם אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה, בַּמִּדְבָּר; לֹא-בָלוּ שַׂלְמֹתֵיכֶם מֵעֲלֵיכֶם, וְנַעַלְךָ לֹא-בָלְתָה מֵעַל רַגְלֶךָ. לֶחֶם לֹא אֲכַלְתֶּם, וְיַיִן וְשֵׁכָר לֹא שְׁתִיתֶם--לְמַעַן, תֵּדְעוּ, כִּי אֲנִי יְהוָה, אֱלֹהֵיכֶם

(1) And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them: Ye have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharaoh, and unto all his servants, and unto all his land; (2) the great trials which thine eyes saw, the signs and those great wonders; (3) but the LORD hath not given you a heart to know, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day. (4) And I have led you forty years in the wilderness; your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot. (5) Ye have not eaten bread, neither have ye drunk wine or strong drink; that ye might know that I am the LORD your God.