the biblical personage Moses
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Moshe's age and the timeline of the exodus
Moshe was 80 when he first approached Par'o and the makos lasted a year, so he turned 81 in the Adar before the Jews left Mitzrayim. As he turned 120 in the Adar before the Jews entered Israel, the ...
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387 views
Did Moshe have an earlier name?
Moshe was given his name by Pharaoh's daughter after she drew him from the water. However, Moshe was already three months old when this happened. Did he have a name before Pharaoh's daughter found ...
11
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2answers
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How and when does a prophet know that it's God who's speaking to him?
When God addressed Moshe there was an accompanying miracle (and there's midrash about Avraham's case being special too), so it was pretty clear what was happening, but how did the other prophets come ...
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Why “Moshe Moshe”?
When Hashem appeared to Moshe at the burning bush in parshot shamot perek gimil why did he call Moshe's name twice? He could have just said "moshe" ONCE!
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Moshe after t'chiyas hamesim
After the resurrection of the dead, will Moshe have any particular role? If so, what will it be? Sources, please.
(The question was inspired a popular song whose lyrics include "Moshe rabenu will ...
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1answer
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Moshe's Mask and Purim?
Is there a connection between Purim masks and the mask Moshe begins wearing at the end of Parshat Ki Tisa?
It seems too much of a coincidence that it's read near Purim for there to be none.
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When was Moshe conceived?
We know that Amram and Yocheved (Moshe and Miriam's parents) divorced so as not to give birth to baby boys and Miriam explained to them that they should get remarried because not only are they killing ...
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Why did Moshe and Aaron need to use a staff in initiating the plagues?
Why did Moshe and Aaron need to use a staff in initiating the plagues?
Such as in שמות פרק ז פסוק יט:
יט. וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל משֶׁה אֱמֹר אֶל אַהֲרֹן קַח מַטְּךָ וּנְטֵה יָדְךָ עַל מֵימֵי ...
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Moshe and the Red-Hot Coals
A midrash that myself and I'm sure many others have heard in grade school is that when Moshe was a baby, still crawling, his "grandfather" Pharaoh, incited by an incident in which Moshe took off ...
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Moshe Rabbeinu's knowledge of future events
If Moshe Rabbeinu was taught the entire Torah on Mt. Sinai (Rashi on Vayikra 25:1, Rambam), how do we explain events such as the incident involving the Bnos Tzelafchad (Bamidbar 27:1-11), or the tamei ...
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Moshe's entering Israel — later
Does anyone know of a source that discusses everyone's entering Israel at t'chiyas hamesim and the ban on Moshe's entering Israel in light of one another (and, preferably, attempts to reconcile them)?
...
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In front of Moshe, why not all of Klal Yisrael?
We say in Tefillas Maariv
בוקע ים לפני משה
that the sea split before Moshe.
Why does it say "lifnei Moshe" (in front of Moshe) wasn't it lifnei (in front of) all of Klal Yisrael (the Jews)?
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4answers
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Moshe's divorcing Tzipora
Moshe refrained from marital relations with Tzipora for almost forty years, so as to be able to receive prophecy at any moment (Shabas 87:1). 1. Did he divorce her? 2. If not, why not?
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Why does Moshe have a shalshelet?
The "shalshelet" trop appears 4 times in the Torah:
(Vayeira, Gen. 19:16) Lot has a shalshelet, because he was hesitating to leave S'dom.
(Chayei Sarah, Gen. 24:12) Eliezer has a shalshelet, because ...
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6answers
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Why was Moshe buried alone?
Why did Hashem bury Moshe in an unknown place, and did not do so with other great Tzadikim like Avraham, Yitchak and Yaakov?
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Moshe's speech impediment(s)
In Sh'mos 4:10, after Hashem instructs him to speak to the Jews, Moshe describes himself to Hashem as not an "אִישׁ דְּבָרִים", literally "man of words", and as "כְבַד פֶּה", literally "heavy of ...
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Why can't Moshe hit the water?
As a kid I learned that Moshe wasn't allowed to hit the water because it saved him when he was a child and he had to show hakaras hatov (similar answer for why he couldn't hit the sand that saved him ...
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1answer
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What was Moshe's “masveh”?
The Torah relates that Moshe donned a מסוה to hid the luminescence of his face, when addressing the community. What was the nature/appearance of this "masveh"?
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Moses lived 120 years, and tradition says no one can live longer, so why do they?
Genesis 6:3: And the LORD said: 'My spirit shall not abide in man for ever, for that he also is flesh; therefore shall his days be a hundred and twenty years.'
In Deut. 34:7 the age of Moses upon his ...
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1answer
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Why does Yisro tell Moshe that he came with Moshe's wife “and her sons” rather than “your sons”?
At Exodus 18:6, Moshe's father-in-law, Yisro, tells Moshe that he had come with Moshe's wife and "her sons." Why didn't he say to Moshe that she had come with "your sons"?
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Mitzvos on Mount Sinai?
Was Moshe Rabbeinu obligated in mitzvos during the two periods of 40 days that he spent on Mount Sinai? Did he keep mitzvos (whether obligated to or not) during that time?
I ask because the Torah ...
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6answers
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Wording in Torah when Moshe is commanded to appear before pharoh
This shabbos, the parasha, Bo, starts with Moshe being told to "Bo El Paroh", "Come to Pharaoh". I don't understand this wording, should it have said "Lech El Paroh", "go to Pharaoh"? Is there a ...
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3answers
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Differences of Opinion in the Order of the Ushpizin
The order of the Ushpizin according to the Zohar (Thank you Mekubal!) corresponds to the order of the Sefiros each one represents. Why does the Shelah disagree and place Yosef before Moshe, Aharon, ...
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1answer
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How can R' Yochanan derive from Moshe that wealth is needed in order for someone to have G-d's presence rest on him?
The Talmud (Nedarim 38A) says:
אמר ר' יוחנן אין הקב"ה משרה שכינתו אלא על גבור ועשיר וחכם ועניו וכולן ממשה
R' Yochanan said, G-d only rests his presence on one who is strong, rich, wise, ...
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1answer
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What became of Moshe's sons and their descendants?
After Yisro brings Tzipora and Moshe's sons back to him at Exodus 18:2-5, they are not mentioned by name again in the Torah. Divrei Hayamim (Chronicles I 23:14 et seq.) lists their male descendants ...
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What would have happened if the sin of the spies never occurred?
If the spies had not given a bad report about Eretz Yisroel or the people had not accepted their bad report, how would history have been different?
I have heard speculation that upon entering the ...
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4answers
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Why does Yisro appear to have higher standards for judges than Moshe does?
First Yisro says:
וְאַתָּה תֶחֱזֶה מִכָּל הָעָם (1)אַנְשֵׁי חַיִל (2)יִרְאֵי אֱ־לֹהִים (3)אַנְשֵׁי אֱמֶת (4)שֹׂנְאֵי בָצַע וְשַׂמְתָּ עֲלֵהֶם
Then when He selected it says he got:
...
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2answers
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Kriyas Yam Suf and Naḥshon ben Amminadav
By Kriyas Yam Suf it says that the first one to Jump in was Naḥchshon ben Amminadav. My question is: why didn't Moshe Rabbenu jump in first?
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1answer
53 views
Moshe's change of looks on the mountain
When Moshe ascended heaven to receive the commandments there is a tradition that Hashem changed his appearance to that of someone else. Why was he changed and to whom was he changed? Is there a ...
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2answers
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Who put the staves on the aron, and when?
Vayakhel (37:5) says that B'tzal'el built the aron and put its staves into the rings on its sides.
P'kude (40:20) says that Moshe put together the mishkan and put the staves on the aron.
What gives?
...
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2answers
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1answer
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Moshe being called Moshe Rabbeinu
We refer to Moshe as "Moshe Rabbeinu". (It's interesting about the avos as well that we say, for example, Avraham Avinu; however, I'll keep that for a separate question.)
When was the first time (and ...
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2answers
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Why does the Torah repeat that the nation believed in Moshe?
In Yisro it says:
וְגַם בְּךָ יַאֲמִינוּ לְעוֹלָם
Earlier it says:
ויאמינו בה' ובמשה עבדו
Why Both?
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1answer
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Who dropped Moses from the Hagaddah?
Moses is not mentioned in the Hagaddah (with one minor exception), presumably to show that the exodus happened entirely by G-d's power and to not deify Moses.
Presumably, though, the maggid during ...
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1answer
107 views
Who is speaking in Ex. 3:17?
Sh'mos 3:15–18 reads:
15 וַיֹּאמֶר עוֹד אֱלֹהִים אֶל מֹשֶׁה…. 16 לֵךְ וְאָסַפְתָּ אֶת זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם יהוה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבֹתֵיכֶם נִרְאָה אֵלַי… לֵאמֹר פָּקֹד ...
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A Mashal of HaShem as a crazy king and Moshe as His weak-kneed friend?
The Gemara (Ber. 32a) quotes R' El'azar that when HaShem wanted to destroy Bnei Yisrael and Moshe intervened, it is comparable to a king who beat his son terribly, and the king's friend was at his ...
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4answers
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“Moshe cried out” - really?
In Parashat Va-eira, Pharaoh, plagued with frogs, asks Moshe and Aharon to "entreat" God to remove the plague and says that he'll respond by releasing the Israelites. Moshe agrees, and then we have ...
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why isn't moshe considered a “forefather”
if moshe led us out of egypt, into israel, and is a great man why isn't he considered a forefather.
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Why did Pharaoh try to kill Moshe?
Moshe Rabbeinu was raised in Pharaoh's house. Yet when Dasan and Aviram claimed that Moshe killed an Egyptian taskmaster, Pharaoh tried to kill him (Shemot 2:13-15).
Why would an all powerful tyrant ...
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3answers
192 views
Moshe Rabeinu's Yarzheit
It is common knowledge that Moshe Rabeinu was Niftar on 7 Adar. Was it a plain year with 1 Adar or a leap year with 2 Adars? If it was a leap year on what Adar was he Niftar?
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2answers
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Nusach of Tefilas Geshem
In Tefilas Geshem we say "Al HaSela Hach Vayeitzu Mayim"
translated by Artscroll as:
Remember the one [Moses] drawn forth in a bulrush basket from the
water. They said, 'He drew water and ...
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1answer
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Moshe Judges דָּבָר הַגָּדֹל or דָּבָר הַקָּשֶׁה
In the first Posuk it says:
וְשָׁפְטוּ אֶת הָעָם בְּכָל עֵת וְהָיָה כָּל הַדָּבָר הַגָּדֹל יָבִיאוּ אֵלֶיךָ
Then in the later Posuk it says:
אֶת הַדָּבָר הַקָּשֶׁה יְבִיאוּן אֶל מֹשֶׁה
The ...
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1answer
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Why did Moshe want to go into Eretz Yisroel
The famous question of the Gemara (סוטה יד, א)is why did Moshe want to go into Eretz Yisroel did he want to eat of its fruit? The answer would seem to be simple he wanted to do the Mitzva of living in ...
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1answer
107 views
Whose stick was it that hit the Nile?
שמות יז ה has:
ומטך אשר הכית בו את היאור
Moshe did not hit the Nile river, Aharon did. (See שמות ז יט, with Rashi.) Why does the Torah say otherwise?
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What happened to the second אהי-ה?
Before going to redeem the Jews Moshe asks God what his name is. God says to Moshe in the pasuk (shemos 3:14) that he should be referred to as אֶהְיֶ-ה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶ-ה. To which Moshe responds (see ...
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3answers
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Moshe and Klal Yisroel Seprate
כָּל אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה אֱ־לֹהִים לְמֹשֶׁה וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל עַמּוֹ
Why are they separate did something happen to one that did not happen to the Other?
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2answers
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Did Moshe Rabbeinu See God?
Did Moshe Rabbeinu see God? Doesn't Maimonides assert that all references to the physicality of God are metaphorical? If so, how did Moses see God?
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vote
1answer
57 views
Ohr HaChaim on Redemption because of Torah
I've heard that the Ohr HaChaim quotes the Zohar Chadash that we will be redeemed because of the merit of Mosheh and learning Torah.
Does such a comment exist in the Ohr HaChaim? If so, can someone ...
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2answers
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Why did Moshe ask for a “free gift?” (Rashi on Parashas Va'eschanan)
Parshas Va'eschanan starts off with Moshe's Prayer to Hashem. Rashi comments that he asked for a free gift. Why was he asking for a free gift?
