Parshas Vaeira

"I should have gratitude to him ?? His efforts didn't
succeed!"

Even though Moshe "initiated" most of the plagues,
Aharon was called upon to bring the plague of lice. Rashi
explains (Shemos 8:12) that since this plague was brought
about by striking the land, Moshe was ineligible from doing
it. He had special gratitude to land, because land "saved"
him.--When Moshe killed the Egyptian, he buried him in the
sand. However, this really didn't help, because the next day
Moshe's "crime" was revealed and he was forced to run away!!

We must appreciate one's good actions to us, and realize
that the ultimate outcome isn't in man's hands.

Have a great Shabbos !!

Rabbi Chaim Flom
_________________________________________________

Dear Rabbi Flom,
What about the opposite case, where a person UNINTENTIONALLY does something good for me?
Thanks.
Tzivy

Dear Tzivy,
Sorry it so long to answer, but coming back from America this trip was quite disorienting (?)and the answer to your question was not easy.
"What about the opposite case, where a person UNINTENTIONALLY does something good for me?" (Do I have to have gratitude?)
The Chovos Halevovos Shaar Avodas HaElokim in the first paragraph, says that if someone does something good to me unintentionally, I don't have to have gratitude. I assume that he says that the chazal (Sifre Ki Satzei 24:19) that talks about reward "someone who loses money and a poor person finds it and uses it" gets reward(obviously an unintentional chassed)refers only to reward from Hashem and not about a person's gratitude.
On the other hand, Rav Chaim Shmulevitz zt"l (32:32) says that you must have gratitude even for unintentional chessed. He cites (Medrash Rabbah Biraishis Rabbah 84:15)Reuvain's gratitude to Yosef as the real reason he tried saving Yosef from the pit. What was the gratitude for? When Yosef's dream said there were 12 stars bowing down to him, that meant that Reuvain was still one of the tribes!! Rav Chaim Shmulevitz also quotes a Medrash (Shmos Rabbah 1:32)that says when Yisro's daughters thanked Moshe for defending them against the shepherds, Moshe said "an Egyptian saved you" (which was the term the daughters used when telling Yisro about the incident)referring to the Egyptian he killed and consequently he had to run away to Midian (where he saved them).
What is the "halacha lemaase" (what do we do?) I am sure that Rav Chaim saw the Chovos Halevovos and that the Chovos Halevovos saw the Chazal-- and I think that the modern day baalei mussar learn like Rav Chaim Shmulevitz.
Take care.
Rabbi Flom

quote:

Moshe said "an Egyptian saved you" (which was the term the daughters used when telling Yisro about the incident)referring to the Egyptian he killed and consequently he had to run away to Midian (where he saved them).

How do we know that the daughters of Yisro were not refering to Moshe himself, who was I would presume, dressed in the manner of his household, which was Pharoah's palace?

Furthermore since Yisro told them to invite him (the Egyptian) over, isn't this further indication that they were refering Moshe himself, and not the dead Egyptian?

Shmos 2:19 includes the daughters saying that the Egyptian drew water for them.

2:20 states "Then where is he? Why is it that you left the man? Summon him and let him eat bread!" according to my translation.

Dead Egyptians don't eat much bread. They also don't marry daughters... per the second Rashi on 2:20.

Speaking of which, is there a connection here to Yoseif speaking to Mrs. Potiphar that Potiphar withheld nothing from Yoseif except his bread... and Rashi there tells us that bread refers to wife. Yet I do not see any footnote connecting these two Rashi comments.

"Speaking of which, is there a connection here to Yoseif speaking to Mrs. Potiphar that Potiphar withheld nothing from Yoseif except his bread... and Rashi there tells us that bread refers to wife. ----"
I DON'T THINK IT DOES; REMEMBER WHEN JOSEPH BEHAVED IN THE MANNER OF THE EGYPTIANS WHEN HIS BROTHERS CAME AND WOULDN'T EAT WITH THEM BECAUSE SHEPHERDS WERE 'UNCLEAN' TO THE EGYPTIANS? I THINK BREAD IS BREAD, JOSEPH WASN'T ALLOWED TO EAT WITH POTIPHAR AT THAT TIME BECAUSE HE WASN'T CONSIDERED AN EGYPTIAN YET. IT SHOULD BE ASSUMED THAT A WIFE OF ANOTHER IS TABOO, IT SHOULDN'T EVEN HAVE TO BE MENTIONED. JOSEPH KNEW THIS AND DENIED HER ANY SATISFACTION WITH HIM.

B"H
I had a big laugh from the previous post. Lol. Nevertheless, I think Mrs. Hawke should know that the Torah occasionally employs the use of "euphemisms" so as not to be too offensive to its readers. This has also been the way of the Sages, where they call a man's wife his "house." Here, the sense was actually more intimate. די לחכימא ברמיזא

Sincerely,
David

Dear Rob,
Thanks for your comments. I will deal with them, time permitting,after each quote.

quote:

Originally posted by rob:

quote:

Moshe said "an Egyptian saved you" (which was the term the daughters used when telling Yisro about the incident)referring to the Egyptian he killed and consequently he had to run away to Midian (where he saved them).

"How do we know that the daughters of Yisro were not refering to Moshe himself, who was I would presume, dressed in the manner of his household, which was Pharoah's palace?"

You are definitely correct, and that is probably the basic way of reading the posuk. A number of places Chazal do learn that the "Egyptian" was Moshe because of the way he dressed etc.It is also the first opinion of the Medrash I quoted. Possibly, the reason that this opinion argues, is because the chazal of the first opinion lodge a complaint against Moshe for not clarifying that he was a Jew.

"Furthermore since Yisro told them to invite him (the Egyptian) over, isn't this further indication that they were refering Moshe himself, and not the dead Egyptian?

Shmos 2:19 includes the daughters saying that the Egyptian drew water for them.

2:20 states "Then where is he? Why is it that you left the man? Summon him and let him eat bread!" according to my translation.

Dead Egyptians don't eat much bread. They also don't marry daughters... per the second Rashi on 2:20."
Even though Moshe didn't take credit for what he did and teaches lessons of unintentional chessed's gratitude, they certainly had gratitude to him !!As far as the "Egyptian drew water" that could also be part of the "unintentional chessed" that Moshe talked about.

"Speaking of which, is there a connection here to Yoseif speaking to Mrs. Potiphar that Potiphar withheld nothing from Yoseif except his bread... and Rashi there tells us that bread refers to wife. Yet I do not see any footnote connecting these two Rashi comments."

I don't understand your question. Please elaborate.
Thanks again for your questions. Have a good Shabbos.
Chaim Flom