Parshas Shemos 5778

Some interesting points regarding Parshas Shemos:

1. Who Was Exempt from the Labor in Egypt?

According to many Midrashim, the entire Shevet Levi was exempt, either because they were consider a priestly class and were exempt as per Joseph's original decrees, OR because they did not show up during the first day when the "volunteer" rebuilding efforts started, and were not enrolled as "volunteers" who later became slaves. In return, however, they population did not experience a great increase in numbers.

However, we also know that parts of Shevet Ephraim tried to leave Egypt 30 years before the Exodus, and they were killed during a war with the native population of Canaan. The valley where they were killed was the valley of "dry bones" that Yehezkel saw in his dream. How did they leave if they were slaves? Some midrashim state that parts of Shevet Ephraim were except from slavery because they were descendants of the royal viceroy - Joseph.

2. How Many Children Did Yocheved Have?

According to the Torah, she had three children: Miriam, Aharon and Moshe. However, Targum Jonathan writes that after the birth of Aharon, Amram and Yocheved were divorced, and she married someone else (Elizaphan) with whom she had two sons: Eldad and Medad. She divorced Elizaphan and re-married Amram, at which point she gave birth to Moshe. Thus, Yocheved had five children: Miriam, Aharon and Moshe with Amram, and Eldad and Medad with Elizaphan.

3. Yisro, Tziporrah and their relatives.

After Moshe ran away from Egypt, he ended up living in Yisro's house and marrying his daughter, Tziporrah. Many meforshim point out that Yisro is a descendant of Midian. It is interesting to note that Midian was a son of Avraham from his third wife, Keturah, which would make Moshe and his wife distant cousins.

There are also some Midrashim that discuss that Tziporrah and Basya, the daughter of Pharaoh, were in fact sisters who were orphaned and ended up being adapted by Yisro and Pharaoh respectively. This must have taken place when Yisro was still living in Egypt and was Pharaoh's advisor.

There is also an interesting connection between Tziporrah and Balak. According to the some midrashim, Balak was a grandson of Yisro, which would make his father, Tzipor a brother to Tziporrah, with their names being identical.

Parshas Shemos 5777

Who was the new king?

The Torah writes (Exodus 1:8):

A new king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph

Rashi writes (ibid):

NOW THERE AROSE A NEW KING — Rab and Samuel (two Amoraim or Talmudical teachers) differed in their interpretation of these words. One said that he was really a new king; the other said that it was the same king but he made new edicts (Sotah 11a).

Daas Zeikenim (ibid) explains:

“a new king (dynasty) arose;” this was the first Pharaoh. The Egyptians suggested to him to join the Hebrews politically. The king said to them, how can we do this, seeing that thus far we have prospered thanks to them? The Egyptians did not like this and removed this new king from the throne for a period of three months. After the three months had elapsed, the king told the people that he was willing to change his attitude on the subject and to oppose the Hebrews. This is why the Torah wrote the word ויקם מלך חדש, “a new king;” The Torah did not report that the old king had died, as is customary.(Sh’mot Rabbah 1,8)

Ibn Ezra explains the other opinion:

It means as it sounds that he was not from royal descent

Rabbeinu Bachya adds:

It seems to me that this king was born at the time Joseph was in prison for it is written (Exodus 40) "a birthday of Pharaoh", to say that it was a day that Pharaoh was born for they called the name of the son same as the father, and that is according the opinion that this was a new king

(see also our earlier post on Parshas Vaeira about identities of the midwives)

Parshas Shemos 5776

Did Joseph Have More Children?

The Torah writes (Exodus 1:5):

And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls; and Joseph was in Egypt already

Earlier, the Torah writes (Genesis 46:27):

And the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were two souls; all the souls of the house of Jacob, that came into Egypt, were threescore and ten.

Midrash Lekakh Tov (Genesis 48:6) explains:

We do not find that Joseph had other sons except for Menashe and Ephraim

Ralbag (Chronicles I 7:22) disagrees:

You should know that Joseph had more children besides Menashe and Ephraim

(see also Rashbam and Ramban, and Sefer Mayim Rabim)

(I have also heard in the same of Rabbi Simcha Baer that this explains the sudden shift in numbers for the two tribes of Ephraim and Menashe during the travels in the desert. The shift happened because of the other sons of Joseph who shifted from one of their brother's tribes to another.)

What was Pharaoh's daughter's name?

The Torah writes (Exodus 2:10):

And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe in the river; and her maidens walked along by the river-side; and she saw the ark among the flags, and sent her handmaid to fetch it.

Later on she is identified as Bithiah (Chronicles I 4:18):

and his wife Hajehudijah bore Jered the father of Gedor, and Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah—and these are the sons of Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh whom Mered took.

The Talmud explains this verse referring to same person (Sanhedrin 19b):

But did Bithiah give birth to him? Yocheved did, only Yocheved gave birth to him but Bithiah raised him which is why he is called by her name

Similar connection is cited in the Talmud (Megillah 13a):

Why is she called "Hajehudijah"? Because she threw off idol worship as it says "and the daughter of Pharaoh went down to bathe in the river" and Rabbi Yochanan said: to wash herself from the idols of her father's house

The Midrash (Vayikra Rabbah 1:3) explains that her Hebrew name means "the daughter of G-d":

The Holy One Blessed is He said to Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh: Moses was not your son and you called him your son, so you are not my daughter but I will call you my daughter as it says "these were the sons of Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh" - daughter of G-d

Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan in the Living Torah (ibid) cites other opinions regarding her Egyptian name

However, Targum Rav Yosef (Chronicles II 8:11) identifies the wife of King Solomon also as Bithiah, daughter of Pharaoh

Similar, so does the Midrash (Vayikra Rabbah 12:5):

Rabbi Adin said: All the seven years that Solomon was building the Temple, he did not drink wine. Once he built it and married Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh, that night he drank wine...

(It is perhaps possible that the name "Bithiah" is translation of the meaning of the original Egyptian name, meaning the "daughter of god" with Pharaoh being considered the god in question)

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