Va'eira (Part 3) - Exodus 6:2-9:35

Commanding God

As I noted in the previous post, there are three different versions of the same, "Moses, I have a job for you" story. In the first 2, an 80-year old Moses has to climb up and down a mountain and walk to Egypt and back, and then back up the mountain and down again.

In the third version of the story, Moses and YHVH are in Egypt together when he  gets his orders.

That view made things a lot simpler!

It is odd, though, that a territorial local God would intrude on the territory of other Gods, but, then, He will show that He is more powerful than they are, and they better not mess with Him or His people!

In each instance that YHVH gives Moses a command, he does it. Interestingly enough, Moses didn't usually tell Aaron to do it exactly as YHVH told him. Check out verses 7:19-20 for a very ironic improvisation - God tells Moses and Aaron to hold the staff aloft over the waters, and he would change it to blood, but they hit the water instead, and it's fine. And God never complains! At least, not in the Book of Exodus!

This parshah has several plagues in it. And every time Moses wants YHVH to stop, he commands him to do so.

The Aramaic Targum has a problem with such things, and replaces these terms with "pray". Ironically, "to pray" (להתפלל) is only used 7 times in the Torah, and each time it is used, it's to beg God to stop killing. But the Targumist is really concerned with YHVH being treated like one's pet Pit-bull, or a genie.

And in verses 8:4, 8:5, 8:26 and 9:28, "עתר" (atar) is used which means "petition", "entreat", "urge", and "request. It is too anthropomorphic for the Targumist who changes it to "pray".

But the one that I want to call your attention to is this one that is very commanding:

In verse 8:8 "צעק" (Tz'ak) is used which means to "shout", "reprimand", "complain", and "cry out". It is used to describe Moses commanding YHVH to stop the plague of frogs:

"Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh's presence, Moses shouted to YHVH about the plague of frogs that He/he had inflicted upon Pharaoh. YHVH did according to the word of Moses, and the frogs died..."

The term "כדבר" (k'dvar), or "according to the word of..." is always obeying a command. As in Exodus 12:35 - "The children of Israel did according to the word of Moses..."

It's an expression of Moses as the commander.

And in this verse, he shouted his command to YHVH to stop, and YHVH did according to the word of Moses.

It's a odd tidbit, don't you think?