2:5 (וַתֵּרֶד בַּת-פַּרְעֹה לִרְחֹץ עַל-הַיְאֹר, וְנַעֲרֹתֶיהָ
הֹלְכֹת עַל-יַד הַיְאֹר;
וַתֵּרֶא אֶת-הַתֵּבָה
בְּתוֹךְ הַסּוּף,
וַתִּשְׁלַח אֶת-אֲמָתָהּ
וַתִּקָּחֶהָ) We find in the Parsha that when Moshe Rabbeinu as an infant
was put in the river Bas Paroh came and as you all know she rescued him. Why
was she at the river?
The
Posuk says that she went (לִרְחֹץ עַל-הַיְאֹר). The Gemarah in Maseches Sotah 12b (top line)( ותרד בת פרעה לרחוץ על היאור א"ר יוחנן משום ר'
שמעון בן יוחי מלמד שירדה לרחוץ מגלולי אביה) and Maseches Megillah 13a (12 lines from the top) (אמאי קרי לה יהודיה על שום שכפרה בע"ז
דכתיב ותרד בת פרעה לרחוץ על היאור ואמר רבי יוחנן שירדה לרחוץ מגילולי בית אביה) say that Bas Paroh went down to the river to cleanse herself
from the Avoda Zorah of her father’s home. Rashi says that (לרחוץ.
לטבול (לשון) גירות) that she was Tovel for Gairus. She wanted to be Migayeir. She
wanted to become a Jewess. Therefore, she went there to be Tovel for Gairus.
The
Turei Even is Matmia on Rashi and says how can there be Gairus if it is before
Matan Torah. How can a person be a Ger before there was a Klal Yisrael? He says
that it was from the Tumah of the Avoda Zorah that she went to be Tovel.
To
answer the Turei Even’s Kasha on Rashi, I would like to remind you that there
is a Rav Naftali in Maseches Kesuvos that we learned in Yeshiva. The Chidushei
Hagarnat in Maseches Kesubos 11 in the Sugya of Ger Kattan we had learned a Rav
Naftali. Rav Naftali there discusses Geirus in general. He says that to be a
Yid there are two components. 1) Kedushas Yisrael and 2) Yichus Yisrael. Yichus
Yisrael is when someone is born and their mother is a Yid. Kedushas Yisrael is
someone who has the Kedusha of the Jewish people. Every born Yid has both
Kedushas Yisrael and Yichus Yisrael. However Rav Naftali says, prior to
Kabbalas Hatorah Jews had Yichus Yisrael because they were the children of
Avraham, Yitzchok, and Yaakov but did not have Kedushas Yisrael until Har Sinai
at Matan Torah.
Rav
Naftali compares this to a pregnant woman who converts. Subsequently when she
gives birth the child needs Geirus. Yet if there are twins born, they are
considered to be related. Even if there is one child born the child is
considered to be related to its mother. Why is that so if a Ger is considered
like a new individual without relatives (Ger Shenis’gairu K’koton Hanoiled
Dami)?
Rav
Naftali answers that at the time of birth the mother was Jewish so the child
has Yichus Yisrael. Relatives and relationships depends on Yichus Yisrael. The
child lacks Kedushas Yisrael because at the time of conception the mother was
not a Yid. His Geirus happens against his will because once someone has Yichus
Yisrael he is obligated to have Kedushas Yisrael.
With
this many things are explained. For example, we know on the one hand that at
Matan Torah we became Jews (Geirim), and on the other hand we know that after
Matan Torah that people remained prohibited to their sisters or their other
relatives with whom they are not allowed to marry. Ai, we have a rule of Ger
Shenis’gairu K’koton Hanoiled Dami? If all Jews became Geirim at Matan Torah
there should be no Issur of relatives?
The
answer is Yichus Yisrael they had because they were the children of Avraham, Yitzchok,
and Yaakov. It was the second aspect of Geirus, Kedushas Yisrael that they
didn’t have until Matan Torah.
This
also explains that the fact that Klal Yisrael received Mitzvas Shabbos at Marah.
Before Matan Torah they were Mitzuva in Shabbos. However, a Goy who keeps
Shabbos is Chayuv Misah. How can it be that they were Michuyav in Shabbos
before Mattan Torah?
The
Teretz is they were Jews by Yichus Yisrael even before Matan Torah. Therefore
they could keep Shabbos. This is an idea of Yichus Yisrael and Kedushas Yisrael
which Rav Naftali says.
What we
gain from Rav Naftali of course is that it is possible to have Gairus for
Yichus Yisrael alone so that even before Matan Torah we can understand that Bas
Paroh was Yoredes (לִרְחֹץ עַל-הַיְאֹר) to be Megayair. Ai, you will ask how can she be Migayair if
there were no Jews? The Teretz is that Yichus Yisrael already existed and at
that point it was Shayich that aspect of being a Yid.
אין תגובות:
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