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Stories of Hearing, Listening, and Understanding in Tanakh Shemot 6

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Stories of Hearing, Listening, and Understanding in Tanakh Shemot 6 Sources for Pre-kun, CSAIR Wednesday May 27, 2020 Rabbi Miriam G. Weidberg Missed Communication? Stories of Hearing, Listening, and Understanding in Tanakh Source #1: Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life by Dr. Marshall B. Rosenberg While studying the factors that affect our ability to stay compassionate, I was struck by the crucial role of language and our use of words. I have since identified a specific approach to communicating - both listening and speaking - that leads us to give from the heart, connecting us with ourselves and with each other in a way that allows our natural compassion to flourish. I call this approach Nonviolent Communication, using the term nonviolence as Gandhi used it - to refer to our natural state of compassion when violence has subsided from the heart. If “violent” means acting in ways that result in hurt or harm, then much of how we communicate could indeed be called “violent” communication. Source #2: Parshat Va’era – Shemot chapters 6-9 God, Moshe, Bnai Yisrael and Pharaoh in Egypt .appears eleven times in parashat Va’era (.ש.מ.ע) ”The root for the word “shema ?seem to mean the examples below? Hear, Listen, or Understand .ש.מ.ע What does the root ****** I have now ______ the moaning of the Israelites because the Egyptians are holding them in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant. Shemot 6:5 ַ֣וְג ִ֣ם ׀ אֲנ י ָשׁ ֗ ַמ ְע ִתּ י ֶ ֽאת־נַ ַאֲק ֙ת ֵ֣ בְּני יִשְׂ ָר ֔ ֵא ֶ֥ל אֲשׁ ִר מ ַ֖צְריִ ַם מ ִעֲב ִ֣ד ָ֑ים אֹתם וָ ֶא ְֶז֖כֹּר א ִת־בְּר ִ ֽיתי׃ But when Moses told this to the Israelites, they would not _______ to Moses, their spirits crushed by cruel bondage. Shemot 6:9 וַ ַיְד ֵ֥בּ ֶ֛ר מֹשׁ ֵ֖ה כּ ֶן א ֵ֣ל־בְּני יִשְׂ ָר ֵ֑א ל וְ ָ֤א שֽׁ ְמ ֙עוּ ֶ א ֔ ֶל־מֹשׁ ִה מ ֶ֣קֹּצר ר֔ ַוּח ֵ וּמ ָ֖עֲבֹד ָה ק ָ ֽשׁה׃ A nd the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God!” But Pharaoh’s heart stiffened and he did not _____ them, as the LORD had spoken. Shemot 8:15 וַיּ ַ ְֹֽאמ֤רוּ ה ַח ְֻרט ִמּ ֙ים ֶ א ַל־פּ ְֶר֔עֹה א ַ֥צְבּ ִ֖ע אֱ­ה ִ֑ים הוא וַיֶּ ַ֤חֱז ֵק ל ַב־פּ ְ֙רעֹה וְ ֽ ָא־שׁ ַ ֣מ ע ֵ אֲל ֔ ֶה ַם כּ ֶ֖אֲשׁ ִר דּ ֶ֥בּ ר ה'׃ 1 Source #3A: Parashat Ki Tisa - Shemot 32:6-14 God and Moshe on Har Sinai 6. Early next day, the people offered up burnt offerings and brought sacrifices of well-being; they sat down to eat and drink, and then rose to dance. 7. The LORD spoke to Moses, “Hurry down, for your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, have acted basely. 8. They have been quick to turn aside from the way that I enjoined upon them. They have made themselves a molten calf and bowed low to it and sacrificed to it, saying: ‘This is your god, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt!’” 9. The LORD further said to Moses, “I see that this is a stiffnecked people. 10. Now, let Me be, that My anger may blaze forth against them and that I may destroy them, and make of you a great nation.” 11. But Moses implored the LORD his God, saying, “Let not Your anger, O Lord, blaze forth against Your people, whom You delivered from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand. 12. Let not the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that [God] delivered them, only to kill them off in the mountains and annihilate them from the face of the earth.’ Turn from Your blazing anger, and renounce the plan to punish Your people. 13. Remember Your servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, how You swore to them by Your Self and said to them: I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven, and I will give to your offspring this whole land of which I spoke, to possess forever.” 14. And the LORD renounced the punishment [God] had planned to bring upon [God’s] people. ו) וַיַּשְׁ ִ֙כּ ֙ימוּ ִ ֽ מ ָמּ ֳח ָ֔ רת וַיַּ ֲ֔ע֣לוּ עֹת וַיַּ ִ֖גּשׁוּ שְׁ ָל ִ֑מים וַ ֵ֤יּ ֶשׁ ָב ה ָע ֙ם ֶ ֽ ל ֱָא֣כֹל וְשׁ ֔תוֹ וַיָּ ֻ֖ק ַמוּ לְצ ֵ ֽחק׃ ז)וַ ַיְד ֵ֥בּר ה' ֶא ֶ֑ל־מֹשׁ ֶה ל ֵ֕ ־ר ֚ ִד כּ ִי שׁ ֵ֣ח ַת עמְּ֔ ֶ֥ אֲשׁ ֶר ה ֵ֖עֱל ֵית מ ֶ֥א ֶר ִץ מ ָ ֽצְריִ ָ֣ם׃ ח) ס ַרוּ מ ֗ ֵה ִר מ ַן־ה ֶ֙דּ ֶר ֙ ֶ֣ אֲשׁר ִצ ִוּ ֔ ִית ָם ע ָ֣שׂוּ ל ֔ ֶה ֵ֖ם ע ֶג ַל מ ֵסּ ָ֑כה וַיִּשְׁ ַ ֽתּ ֙חֲווּ־לוֹ וַיִּ ֔זְבְּחוּ־לוֹ וַ֣יּ ְֵֹ֤אמ֔רוּ א ֶלּ ֶ֙ה אֱ­ה ֙י יִשְׂ ָר ֔ ֵא ֶ֥ל אֲשׁ ֶ ֽר ה ֱע֖לוּ ֵמ ֶ֥א ֶר ִץ מ ָ ֽצְריִם׃ ט)וַ ֶ֥יֹּאמ ֶר ה' א ֶ֑ל־מֹשׁ ָה ר ִ֙א ִית ֙י ֶ א ָת־ה ָ֣ע ַם ה ֔ ֶזּ ִה וְה ֵ֥נּ ַה עם־קְ ֵשׁ ֶ֖ה־עֹר ֽף הוּא׃ ַי) וְע ָתּ ֙ה ַ ה ִ֣נּ ָיח ֔ ִה לּ ִי וְיֽ ַח ַר־א ִ֥פּ ָי ב ֶ֖הם וַ ַאֲכ ֵ֑לּ ֶ ֽם וְא ֶ֥עֱשׂה אוֹתְ֖ לְג֥ ָוֹי גּ ֽדוֹל׃ יא) וַ ַ֣יְח ֔ ֶל מֹשׁ ֶה א ֵ֖ת־פְּני ה' ָ֑אֱ­היו וַ ֶ֗יֹּאמ ָר ל ָ֤מה ה' יֶ ֶ֤חֱר ַה א ֙פְּ ַ בְּע ֔ ֶמּ ֶ֤ אֲשׁ ֵ֙ר הוֹצ ָ֙את ֵ מ ֶ֣א ֶר ִץ מ ַ֔ צְריִ ְַם בּ֥כֹח ָ גּ ָ֥֖דְוֹל וּבי ָד חֲז ָ ֽקה׃ ָיב) ל ָמּ ֩ה יֹאמְר֨ ִוּ מ ַ֜ צְריִ ֵם ל ֗אמ ְָֹר בּר ָ֤ע ֽה ה ִוֹצ ֙יאָם ַ ל ֲָה֤רֹג אֹת ֙ם ֶ ֽ בּ ָה ִר֔ים וּ֨ ַלְכ ֔ ָת ֵם מ ַ֖ע ֵ֣ל פְּנ ָ ֽי ה ָאֲד ָ֑מה ֚שׁ ֵוּב מ ֲַח֣רוֹן א ֔ ֶפּ ִ וְהנָּ ֵ֥ח ַם ע ָל־ה ָר ָ֖ע ַה לְע ֶ ֽמּ ְ׃ יג) ז֡כ ְָֹר לְאַבר ָה ֩ם לְיִ ֨ ָצְחק וּלְיִשְׂ ָר ֜ ֵא ָל עֲב ֗ ֶד ֨ ֶי אֲשׁר נִשְׁ ַ֣בּ ָעְתּ ָ ל ֶה ֮ם ָ בּ֒ וַתְּ ַד ֵ֣בּ ֵר אֲל ֔ ֶה ְֶם אַרבּ ֙ה ֶ ֽ א ַת־ז ֔ ְֶרֲעכ ֵ֖ם כְּכוֹכְב ַי ה ָשּׁ ָ֑מיִ ָם וְכ ָל־ה ֨ ָא ֶר ַץ ה ֜זּ ֲֶֹ֣את אשׁר ֗ ַאָמ ְִרתּ ֶי א ֵתּ ֙ן ַ לְז ֔ ְֶרֲעכם וְנָ ָ ֲֽח֖לְוּ לעֹלם׃ יד) וַיִּ ָ֖נּ ֶח ַם ה' ע ָ֣ל־ה ָר ֔ ָע ֶ֥ה אֲשׁ ִר דּ ֶ֖בּ ַר ל ֲַע֥שְׂוֹת לע ֽמּוֹ׃ 2 Source #3B: Parashat Ki Tisa - Shemot Rabbah 42:9 God and Moshe on Har Sinai “Now, let Me be, that My anger may blaze forth against them and that I may destroy them.” Is it possible that Moshe was holding on to the Holy One Blessed Be that [God] said “Let Me be”? But to what is the matter similar? To a king, who becomes angry with his child. Taking him into a small room to strike him, the king begins to yell, "Leave me alone to strike him!" The child's teacher is standing outside and wonders: “The king and his child are alone inside the room. Why does he shout, ‘Leave me alone?’ if not to say that he wants me to come in and make peace between him and his child. That is why he is yelling ‘Let me be!” Such is the case with what the Holy One Blessed Be says to Moshe. “Now, let Me be,” Moshe said, “The Holy One Blessed Be is saying ‘Let Me be!’ because [God] wants me to help make peace with Bnei Yisrael, that’s why [God] is saying ‘Now, let me be!” Immediately, Moshe began to ask for compassion for Bnei Yisrael. ַ"ע ָתּ ַה הנִּ ָיח ִה לי וְיִ ַח ַר א ִפּ ָי בּ ֶהם וַ ַאֲכ ֵלּ ִם." וְכ ֶי משׁ ָה היָ ֵה תּוֹפ ַשׂ בְּה ָקּ ָדוֹשׁ בּ ֶרוּ הוּא שׁהוּא ֵאוֹמ ַר "הנִּ ָיח ִה ל ֶי"? א ָלּ ָא לְמ ַה ה ָדּ ָב ֶר דּוֹמ ֶה? לְמ ֶל ֶ שׁ ָכּ ַע ַס ע ִל בְּנוֹ וְהכְנִ ִיסוֹ לְק ַיטוֹן וּמתְ ִחיל ַלְב ֵקּ ַשׁ לְה ָכּוֹתוֹ. וְהיָ ַה ה ֶמּ ֶל מְ ַצ ֵע ִק מ ַן ה ִקּ ַיטוֹן "הנִּ ָיח ִה ל ֶי שׁ ַא ֶכּ ָנּוּ!" וְהיָ ַה פּדְ ֵגּוֹג עוֹמ ַד בּחוּץ. ַאָמ ַר ה ַפּדְ ַגּוֹג, "ה ֶמּ ֶל ִ וּבְנוֹ לפְנִ ַים בּ ִקּ ָיטוֹן, ל ָמּ ֵה הוּא אוֹמ ַר 'הנִּ ָיח ִה ל ֶי'? א ָלּ ִא מפְּנֵ ֶי שׁ ַה ֶמּ ֶל מְ ַב ֵקּ ֶשׁ שׁ ֵא ֵל וַ ַאֲפ ֶיְס ַנוּ ע ָל בְּנוֹ, לְכ הוּא מְ ַצ ֵע ַק 'הנִּ ָיח ִה ל ָי!'" כּ ַ אָמ ַר ה ָקּ ָדוֹשׁ בּרוּ הוּא ֶלְמשׁ ַה. וְע ָתּ ַה "הנִּ ָיח ִה ל ַי" אָמ ֶר משׁ ִה, "מפְּנֵ ֶי שׁ ַה ָקּ ָדוֹשׁ בּ ֶרוּ הוּא רוֹצ ֶה שׁ ַאֲפיֵּ ַס על יִשְׂ ָר ֵאל, ִלְפ ָיכ ֵ הוּא אוֹמ ַר 'וְע ָתּ ַה הנִּ ָיח ִה ל ִי!'" מיָּ ִד התְ ִח ַיל לְב ֵקּ ֵשׁ עֲל ֶיה ַם ר ִחֲמים. 3 Source #4 Parashat Korach - Bamidbar 16:1 -11 Moshe and Korah 1) Now Korah, son of Izhar son of Kohath son of Levi, betook himself, along with Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—descendants of Reuben— to rise up against Moses, together with two hundred and fifty Israelites, chieftains of the community, chosen in the assembly, men of repute.
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