[Avodah] yishmael v. the mitzri???

[Micha Berger]

On Thu, Nov 05, 2009 at 7:14pm PST, Harvey Benton wrote:
: However we know that by the episode of Moshe we do know that Moshe
: looked forward to see if the Mitzri would have any worthy descendants,
: (he saw none, and then killed the Mitzri)......

Well, let's analyze this case.

If Moshe searched the Mitzri's future and found any additional
descendents, it would be astounding. The man is about to die; Moshe
kills him, no? There were no good or evil descendents in the future for
MRAH to see. And if he were literally looking into the man's future,
Moshe would have known what he's about to decide because he would see
the man's immediate end.

Not to mention the problems of hakol tzadui vehareshus nesunah
which become even more acute when brought from Hashem's Infinite,
incomprehensible and Timeless tzipiyah to a basar vadam's knowledge.

So what exactly was MRAH looking at?

To me it seems obvious that Moshe was looking at ba'asher hu sham,
so that as a chakham, he would "ro'eh es hanolad". IOW, he looked into
the Egyptian's soul to see if any seeds existed within it capable of
producing something positive.

On Tue, Nov 10, 2009 at 8:42pm GMT, rabbirichwolpoe at gmail.com wrote:
: By Yishma'el:
: Elokim heard Kol hana'ar so Yishmael was granted "ba'asher hu sham"
: because he had davened!
: While the Mitzri didn't daven to be spared and so he got middas haddin
: instead

Koach haTefillah is the power to change baasher hu sham. RYBS says
this about the use of hitpa'el in "lehitpalel", and R Prof YL recently
posted the same idea from RSRH ("Jewish Tefila is Antithetical to
the Common" <http://www.aishdas.org/avodah/vol26/v26n224.shtml#12>).

The alternative is what... that Hashem gives people something other than
what is best for them and what they deserve if they beg Him enough? He
doesn't know our wants or needs without us telling Him?

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             It's nice to be smart,
micha at aishdas.org        but it's smarter to be nice.
http://www.aishdas.org                   - R' Lazer Brody
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