It strikes us as slightly odd, no? But in the context of conflict it is not so odd. There is, I believe, a strong desire for "resetting" or "rapprochement" following conflict. In fact, when this does not happen properly, there is a deeply unsettling feeling in audience or the body politic. This is true especially in sport, as we shall see in a couple of examples, and in politics. There is another earlier example of this in the Torah, namely, Jacob wrestling the Angel. The most important moment in that story is the "blessing" at the end.
The desire for "grace" is also true between combatants. To a certain extent, the ritual of "last rites" in the Catholic church serves that function. But can the criminal receive such grace? We show a very powerful example of that.
In our story, we examine Pharaoh's desire for a blessing, for "grace." Moses does not reply. Why not?
(כט) וַיְהִ֣י ׀ בַּחֲצִ֣י הַלַּ֗יְלָה וַֽה' הִכָּ֣ה כָל־בְּכוֹר֮ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַיִם֒ מִבְּכֹ֤ר פַּרְעֹה֙ הַיֹּשֵׁ֣ב עַל־כִּסְא֔וֹ עַ֚ד בְּכ֣וֹר הַשְּׁבִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּבֵ֣ית הַבּ֑וֹר וְכֹ֖ל בְּכ֥וֹר בְּהֵמָֽה׃ (ל) וַיָּ֨קָם פַּרְעֹ֜ה לַ֗יְלָה ה֤וּא וְכָל־עֲבָדָיו֙ וְכָל־מִצְרַ֔יִם וַתְּהִ֛י צְעָקָ֥ה גְדֹלָ֖ה בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם כִּֽי־אֵ֣ין בַּ֔יִת אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֵֽין־שָׁ֖ם מֵֽת׃
(לא) וַיִּקְרָא֩ לְמֹשֶׁ֨ה וּֽלְאַהֲרֹ֜ן לַ֗יְלָה וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ ק֤וּמוּ צְּאוּ֙ מִתּ֣וֹךְ עַמִּ֔י
גַּם־אַתֶּ֖ם גַּם־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל
וּלְכ֛וּ עִבְד֥וּ אֶת־ה' כְּדַבֶּרְכֶֽם׃
(לב) גַּם־צֹאנְכֶ֨ם גַּם־בְּקַרְכֶ֥ם
קְח֛וּ כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּרְתֶּ֖ם וָלֵ֑כוּ
וּבֵֽרַכְתֶּ֖ם גַּם־אֹתִֽי׃
(לג) וַתֶּחֱזַ֤ק מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ עַל־הָעָ֔ם לְמַהֵ֖ר לְשַׁלְּחָ֣ם מִן־הָאָ֑רֶץ כִּ֥י אָמְר֖וּ כֻּלָּ֥נוּ מֵתִֽים׃ (לד) וַיִּשָּׂ֥א הָעָ֛ם אֶת־בְּצֵק֖וֹ טֶ֣רֶם יֶחְמָ֑ץ מִשְׁאֲרֹתָ֛ם צְרֻרֹ֥ת בְּשִׂמְלֹתָ֖ם עַל־שִׁכְמָֽם׃ (לה) וּבְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל עָשׂ֖וּ כִּדְבַ֣ר מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַֽיִּשְׁאֲלוּ֙ מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם כְּלֵי־כֶ֛סֶף וּכְלֵ֥י זָהָ֖ב וּשְׂמָלֹֽת׃ (לו) וַֽה' נָתַ֨ן אֶת־חֵ֥ן הָעָ֛ם בְּעֵינֵ֥י מִצְרַ֖יִם וַיַּשְׁאִל֑וּם וַֽיְנַצְּל֖וּ אֶת־מִצְרָֽיִם׃ (פ)
(29) In the middle of the night the LORD struck down all the first-born in the land of Egypt, from the first-born of Pharaoh who sat on the throne to the first-born of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the first-born of the cattle. (30) And Pharaoh arose in the night, with all his courtiers and all the Egyptians—because there was a loud cry in Egypt; for there was no house where there was not someone dead. (31) He summoned Moses and Aaron in the night and said, “Up, depart from among my people, you and the Israelites with you! Go, worship the LORD as you said! (32) Take also your flocks and your herds, as you said, and begone! And bless me as well!” (33) The Egyptians urged the people on, impatient to have them leave the country, for they said, “We shall all be dead.” (34) So the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading bowls wrapped in their cloaks upon their shoulders. (35) The Israelites had done Moses’ bidding and borrowed from the Egyptians objects of silver and gold, and clothing. (36) And the LORD had disposed the Egyptians favorably toward the people, and they let them have their request; thus they stripped the Egyptians.
There are 25 words in these two verses. They form a compact poetical unit.
What’s going on poetically?
- Examine the commanding verbs: 7 verbs. 3 verb pairs in the “tzivui” mode; last verb in the 2nd person plural past with vav hippukh:
וּלְכ֛וּ עִבְד֥וּ
קְח֛וּ וָלֵ֑כוּ
The first two instances are paired; the third is split.
This gives the last verb:
וּבֵֽרַכְתֶּ֖ם
much more force for its difference in tone.
The last verb is plaintive not commanding.
The climactic verb in Pharaoh’s statement is directed to himself.
He wants to be the object of Moses’ and Israel’s grace.
- Get out from the midst of my nation.
Pharaoh has collapsed the boundaries between himself and his nation.
- גַּם is an intensifier. How much GAM in this passage? 6 times. What is the climactic GAM? With Pharaoh. Who does Pharaoh poetically emphasize? Himself.
- What is the purpose of גם אתם גם בני ישראל ?
- אתם דברתם ברכתם Why the repetition of that syllable? The first two set up the third. The implicit message: I am doing this for you, you do this for me.
- The name of God. את ה׳ Note that Pharaoh places God’s name at the dead center of the statement. The central element of a verse/verses/passage is the most crucial. By placing God at the center, Pharaoh is recognizing God’s centrality – BUT!!! HE PLACES HIMSELF IN THE OPPOSITE PARALLEL POSITION AT THE END OF THE VERSE!
Who (the heck!) does he think he is? This is the ultimate arrogance!
- Other notes: Note the צ and ק
צאנכם ובקרכם קחו
Note also the repetition of דברכם-דברתם
Note also the threefold repetition of כם and how the world ברכתם is a fusion of כם and תם
What does Pharaoh want and why?
Pharaoh wants Moses' grace. Moses is not going to give it to him.
Pharaoh is undeserving of grace because he has caused so much immeasurable human suffering and is not worthy of divine or human forgiveness. Pharaoh is undeserving of grace because even at the final moment - EVEN IN THE WAY HE DISCHARGES THE ISRAELITES FROM HIM! - he is still not acknowledging God - and Moses GETS THIS! That's why Moses doesn't reply to him.
BUT! The people have grace; albeit God "disposed the Egyptians favorably toward the people, and they let them have their request."
Example 1. Jacob and the "Angel"
(כה) וַיִּוָּתֵ֥ר יַעֲקֹ֖ב לְבַדּ֑וֹ וַיֵּאָבֵ֥ק אִישׁ֙ עִמּ֔וֹ עַ֖ד עֲל֥וֹת הַשָּֽׁחַר׃ (כו) וַיַּ֗רְא כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יָכֹל֙ ל֔וֹ וַיִּגַּ֖ע בְּכַף־יְרֵכ֑וֹ וַתֵּ֙קַע֙ כַּף־יֶ֣רֶךְ יַעֲקֹ֔ב בְּהֵֽאָבְק֖וֹ עִמּֽוֹ׃ (כז) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שַׁלְּחֵ֔נִי כִּ֥י עָלָ֖ה הַשָּׁ֑חַר וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לֹ֣א אֲשַֽׁלֵּחֲךָ֔ כִּ֖י אִם־בֵּרַכְתָּֽנִי׃ (כח) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֵלָ֖יו מַה־שְּׁמֶ֑ךָ וַיֹּ֖אמֶר יַעֲקֹֽב׃ (כט) וַיֹּ֗אמֶר לֹ֤א יַעֲקֹב֙ יֵאָמֵ֥ר עוֹד֙ שִׁמְךָ֔ כִּ֖י אִם־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כִּֽי־שָׂרִ֧יתָ עִם־אֱלֹקִ֛ים וְעִם־אֲנָשִׁ֖ים וַתּוּכָֽל׃ (ל) וַיִּשְׁאַ֣ל יַעֲקֹ֗ב וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הַגִּֽידָה־נָּ֣א שְׁמֶ֔ךָ וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לָ֥מָּה זֶּ֖ה תִּשְׁאַ֣ל לִשְׁמִ֑י וַיְבָ֥רֶךְ אֹת֖וֹ שָֽׁם׃ (לא) וַיִּקְרָ֧א יַעֲקֹ֛ב שֵׁ֥ם הַמָּק֖וֹם פְּנִיאֵ֑ל כִּֽי־רָאִ֤יתִי אֱלֹקִים֙ פָּנִ֣ים אֶל־פָּנִ֔ים וַתִּנָּצֵ֖ל נַפְשִֽׁי׃
(25) Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn. (26) When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he wrenched Jacob’s hip at its socket, so that the socket of his hip was strained as he wrestled with him. (27) Then he said, “Let me go, for dawn is breaking.” But he answered, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.” (28) Said the other, “What is your name?” He replied, “Jacob.” (29) Said he, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with beings divine and human, and have prevailed.” (30) Jacob asked, “Pray tell me your name.” But he said, “You must not ask my name!” And he took leave of him there. (31) So Jacob named the place Peniel, meaning, “I have seen a divine being face to face, yet my life has been preserved.”
It's something all sports fans can appreciate and hockey fans love. After weeks of violent play and increasing animosity comes one of the sports world's great shows of sportsmanship and respect. Players line up to shake hands, putting the pride and integrity of the game and of their franchise above their own.
The result is pretty powerful:
It's not just a moment sentimentalized by ad men or fans.
Bruins forward Brad Marchand, whose first trip to the postseason two years ago saw him on the winning side of four handshake lines and whose second trip saw him on the losing side after a first-round disappointment, summed it up during last year's playoffs.
"As much as you hate them when you’re playing against them, at the end of the day we’re all out there trying to do a job and play the game we love," he said. "To show each other that respect at the end and realize that everything that’s happened is just because we both want to win—it’s definitely a great tradition."
No one knows exactly when the tradition was born, according to the hockey Hall of Fame (via Sports Illustrated), but it has produced innumerable memories, whether coming from the winners, the losers or the players who just couldn't let go of the lingering anger of the series.
In sport, you need your opponent. Your opponent makes you a better competitor. When sport is beautiful you have the rapprochment between competitors. When sport is at its ugliest, you have no rapprochment. Watch the example of the Egyptian Judoka shunning the Israeli Judoka, Ori Sasson.
It's an offense to "our sport."
"a craven coward and weakling, but one not without a kind of animal cunning, an instinct for lying, insinuation, self-aggrandizement."
In what way is "grace" necessary, in what way is "grace" a sham?
Is Pharaoh's petition for grace a sham?
A French Village - Season 4 Episode 12 - at 14:22 -
Marcel - a communist in the Resistance is sentenced to death alongside Chassagne - a rogue French collaborator/fascist who is also sentenced to death as part of a vendetta. They refuse "last rites".