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In this class we discuss the plague involving kinim (כנם ) translated/interpreted as vermin, lice, gnats, or mosquitos.
Depending on which Bible version you are reading from these verses are either 8:12-15 (typical Jewish numbering) or 8:16-19 (typical Christian numbering). There is a reason why this happens at times and if you are interested, leave a comment and I will respond. Considering the vast majority of Bibles available to people is numbered in the Christian way… I’m using those numbers below.
The Plague of Insects
16Then the LORD said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, that it may become lice through all the land of Egypt.’”17They did so; and Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff, and struck the dust of the earth, and there were lice on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats through all the land of Egypt.18The magicians tried with their secret arts to bring forth lice, but they could not; so there were lice on man and beast.19Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had said.
Hi, Mr. Footnick!
In the past few episodes, you have somewhat vaguely touched on how there’s a huge difference in the way Aaron brings about God’s judgments and the way Pharaoh’s magicians replicate them. That is to say, Aaron merely raises his staff while the magicians go through incantations. You were right when you said that to our western minds this fact doesn’t seem like that big of a deal. Could you elaborate on this? I feel like there’s some deeper meaning or lesson that I’m missing out on.
Thank you!
Hi Jo Jo. Thanks for all the great questions and comments.
Yes this is a part of the narrative that is easily glossed over by modern readers, but I am fairly certain this was not the case for those listening or reading thousands of years ago. And for us today there is a deep and profound lesson.
Basically the deal is this: People seem to have a natural tendency to want to be in control, or at least give others the sense that they have power and control. And yes, people prefer to think they can control things bigger than themselves (the gods, the universe, the climate, Las Vegas, etc.) But really, all they are engaging in is superstition, “magic”, and/or deception.
The Pharaoh’s magicians were naturally controlling their gods by using incantations or spells to tell them what to do. That is still how people hallucinate the methods of magic or superstition working. A person does something to cause something else to happen (beyond or counter to the natural flow of things.)
However, for Moses and Aaron… They say nothing. They virtually do nothing. He moves his hand or staff, and that’s it – something miraculous happens. Neither of them in anyway indicate they are controlling God. It is just the opposite. God is in control and has all the power. Everything that happens is His will. This is totally counter to the thinking and practice of the magical religions of their day. And this is still difficult for moderns to deal with. People are extremely superstitious still, and still would like to think of themselves as somehow controlling “the Universe” (aka God). But no, man does not “control” anything except himself. Thankfully God gave us the freedom to choose how we respond to His will and this physical universe we live in.
But make no mistake… Man does not control God.
Hello,
My name is Vera, I live in Israel, Western Galilee. Like yourself, I came to Judaism on my own, but though I was raised by an atheist and an agnostic (and in USSR up to age 12), I have never actually been an atheist myself. It never made sense to me – I don’t speak about childhood, when I never even heard of Judaism, but after we repatriated to Israel.
I have been enjoying your podcast for a few days now, got to 008.
I have been most interested in what you teach, though not always in full agreement, which is probably natural and not really necessary. It is what makes the study interesting.
In this lesson I wanted to point out something about “etzba elohim” you were discussing. You said that there was no mention of the name of God, only elohim, and there wasn’t “the” elohim (haelohim). As a person reading and speaking Hebrew since childhood for nearly 4 decades I can tell you this: we never place the “he hayedia” (the “the” article) before “elohim” to indicate that this is THE God. It is my understanding that there is just no need, it is redundant. There is only ONE God, so he is just Elohim. This is also to indicate that God is ALL, therefore he is the many, so to speak. Not Eloha, this is rare, but Elohim.
And it could be a bit confusing when this word is also used to describe the gods of other peoples, but then there will be a plural for the rest: it is not the finrger of gods, for then it would be fingers, no? It is just “Finger of God”, which is, as far as I understand, a formulation, a stamp. Not a description of whom the finger belongs to. 🙂
Thank you for recording and broadcasting this. I very much enjoy it and learn a lot, too.
Vera
Shalom Vera!
Thank you for your comments. I’ve learned so much from the class and the audience out in podcast land 🙂
Regarding your comments about the “etzba”… I understand your point, and basically agree with you that ultimately, as you said,”It is just “Finger of God”, which is, as far as I understand, a formulation, a stamp. Not a description of whom the finger belongs to.” However, I’m not sure the Egyptians who said that were acknowledging the One True God – HaShem. My guess is they were simply using a euphemism to describe an action of just another great/powerful god – a god that is like there other gods. And the plural form in Hebrew was simply to describe the magnanimous nature of this god.
I understand that today, after thousands of years of monotheism, God’s oneness simply a given (as you stated:” It is my understanding that there is just no need, it is redundant. There is only ONE God, so he is just Elohim. This is also to indicate that God is ALL, therefore he is the many, so to speak. Not Eloha, this is rare, but Elohim.”) But that was certainly not the case when we left Egypt. And for sure, the Egyptians, Sumerians, Akkadians, etc. were immersed in polytheism.
Unfortunately, polytheism still has a strong hold on much of humanity (it’s just veiled in secularism.) God willing we can do a better job of teaching the world Ethical Monotheism and bring the world closer to knowing HaShem.
Thanks again for your wonderful insights.
Hanukkah Sameach!
Nahum, that’s a very good point, thank you for explaining.
One question is still unclear to me: if we assume, as you interestingly suggest, that the Egyptians were not yet acknowledging God, but just “describe an action of just another great/powerful god – a god that is like there other gods”, then they should have used the “el” or eve “eloha” form, not “Elohim”.
I don’t get the sense of “And the plural form in Hebrew was simply to describe the magnanimous nature of this god.”
Thank you!