Bo El Par'oh 5762, Exodus 10:1-13:16

Shabbat Shalom-

"Oh! ye'll take the high road and I'll take the low road," --Old Scotch Tune

It's utterly ironic that in this week's reading, which culminates in the physical coercion of Pharaoh to not only release the Hebrews from slavery and enrich them, to know YHWH (4:5, 8:6, 8:18, 9:29, 11:4-8)*... it is ironic that we find here the seeds of tolerance of varying traditions and practices.**

Let us first consider the very backbone of the plagues narrative.  Exodus gives us 10 plagues whereas Psalm 78 and Psalm 105 account for seven each, or eight total.  Considering that both seven and ten are both important numbers in Hebrew literature, as well as ancient near-eastern literature, does not diminish the fact that different plagues are accounted and in a significantly different order.  One may, of course, argue for poetic license, but it is unlikely that the difference is merely a later poet picking and choosing from the Exodus text.  Here, we find a textual toehold for tolerance of differing points of view.  The Biblical history itself is varied, though here only with regard to the details, not the conclusions.

Reading the chapter concerning the Passover observances to be celebrated, one gets the sense of a textual tension within our tradition.  When one reads Exodus 12:1-13 then 12:14-20 one gets the sense that the Torah is really talking about two holidays-- of Unleavened Bread and of the Pascal Lamb.  Today we are more familiar with having one seven-day holiday of eating unleavened bread and telling stories to commemorate the paschal sacrifice (Ta'anit 27b, M Pesachim 10).  In the 2nd century, however, the practice of celebrating the holidays separately was an issue of social import:  if would be improper for one Jew to be forbidden work on a day when another was permitted.  It would look as if there were two laws, two Torahs! (viz. 12:49) Yet, some Jews celebrated the 14th of the month as a holiday while others did not!  

The Mishnah considers this case, assuming that communities have a consistent observance, and rules how one may accommodate and bend to the traditions of his fellows.  Preferably, one should follow his tradition when he goes to a more lenient place.   Preferably, one should increase his stringency when going to a stricter place.  However, in the event that either option is too difficult or socially irritating, one may change ones usual practice in either stringency or leniency.  Note, that this is a traditional source advocating adjusting one's tradition to another! How radical! And yet we still have one Torah.

We must conclude that claiming an absolute understanding of scriptures is a very dangerous task.  That  the text supports alternate traditions in one place does not negate that there were others in another. We cannot neglect that we see the text through the eyes of our education and temperament, rather than of the original audience. How much is lost and confused! How differently we apprehend! And yet it remains one Torah for all to read and learn from.

Have a caring and tolerant week!
Benjamin Fleischer 

*Exodus 4:5 to believe that YHWH of the Fathers has appeared, 8:6 to know none is like YHWH our God, 8:18 to know YHWH is in the Land of Egypt, 9:29 to know the Land belongs to YHWH, 11:4-8 to know YHWH distinguishes between the Hebrews to save and the Egyptians to smite.

**Note: Many of the analyses here are condensations of much more extensive literary comparisons between texts and analyses of rabbinic and other documents.  For the sake of simplicity, only the main argument is here brought.

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