Parshas Emor (5776)

Who Was the Blasphemer?

The Torah writes (Leviticus 24:10-12):

And the son of an Israelitish woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel; and the son of the Israelitish woman and a man of Israel strove together in the camp. And the son of the Israelitish woman blasphemed the Name, and cursed; and they brought him unto Moses. And his mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan. And they put him in ward, that it might be declared unto them at the mouth of the LORD.

Rashi writes (ibid):

THE SON OF AN EGYPTIAN MAN — It was the Egyptian whom Moses had killed ... AMONG THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL — This teaches us that he had become a proselyte

Rashi above (Exodus 2:11) explains further:

AN EGYPTIAN MAN — This was one of the taskmasters appointed over the Israelite officers and he used to rouse them from their beds at cock-crow that they might proceed to their work ...  SMITING A HEBREW MAN — beating and flogging him. The latter was the husband of Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri (see Leviticus 24:11), and the Egyptian taskmaster had set his fancy upon her. During the night he compelled him (her husband) to rise and made him leave the house. He, however, returned, entered the house and forced his attentions upon the woman, she believing it was her husband. The man returned and became aware of what had happened, and when the Egyptian perceived that he was aware of it he beat him and flogged him the whole day long

The Midrash (Shemos Rabbah 1:28) explains that she was the wife of Dathan

The Zohar (Vayikra 106a) also states that the blasphemer was either fighting with another son of Dathan from a different wife, for Dathan divorced Shelomith or he was fighting with Dathan himself

However, Pirkey deRabbi Eliezer (48:1) cites another opinion:

Bedijah, the grandson of Dan, married a wife from his tribe, Shelomith, daughter of Dibri,' and in that night the taskmasters of Pharaoh came to her, for they slew him and came to her, and she conceived and bare a son.

[There are also some opinions that he was the son of an Egyptian convert, whose name isn't known]


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