“And it was when Pharoah sent out the nation that God did
not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, which was near, for
God said: ‘Perhaps the people will reconsider when they see a war and they will
return to Egypt.’ So God turned the
people toward the way of the Wilderness to the Sea of Reeds. And the children
of Israel chamushim when they went up from the land of Egypt.”
Shemos 13:17-18
The Biblical commentators grapple with the meaning of the Hebrew
word, Chamushim, in the middle of verse 18; apparently, it is either an
uncommon word or one that is not simple to translate in this context. Rashi, as
do a few others (such as Seforno and Rabbi Samso Raphael Hirsch), translate the
word as “armed”. As a proof Rashi notes that the Children of Israel later
engage in a number of wars, with Amalek in Sefer Shemos (Exodus) and with
Sichon, Og, and Midian in Sefer BaMidbar (Numbers). This verse, then, is merely
providing background information on where the Jewish people got their
armaments.
The question we could ask on this comment of Rashi is – why
is this information offered now? And why is it offered here? Wouldn’t it have
made more sense to include this information in the recounting, one chapter
earlier (in Parshas Bo), of the different things the Jews took with them when
they left Egypt – silver and gold items they Egyptians gave them, unbaked dough
that became matzoh, and a lot of livestock (Shemos 12: 34-39)?
Ramban (Nachmonidies) offers one possible way to understand
the placement of this information in this week’s Parsha. In his commentary on
this verse Ramban, citing the Ibn Ezra, suggests that the Jews regarded the
weapons they took as triumphant proof that they were redeemed by God as opposed
to escaped slaves (who would, presumably, not have access to weapons
stockpiles). This information is placed in this parsha because shortly
thereafter we see the Jewish people’s triumphant attitude melt away quickly
when they notice the Egyptian military bearing down on them as they encamp at
the Red Sea (14:11). The information that they were armed is placed here to tell us a distinct
message – that no matter what tools or toys we hold, our self-regard can change
in an instant. The only sure factor that offers us protection against a range
of dangers is our devotion to God.
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