Dear All, I don't know what was at the beginning of this thread, but for convenience of discussion: Rashi on Ex. 1:1 comments "These are the names of the sons of Israel - even though He counted them by name when they were alive (Gen 46:8-27), He counted them again when they were dead so as to show how beloved they were, for they were compared to stars which He brings out by number and by name, as is said (Is. 40:26) "Who brings their (stars?/heavens?) host out by number, calling all of them by name". This comment is based on Midrash Shemot Rabbah. At the risk of imaginatively sermonizing and eisegeting, I assume that the prophetic reference to "taking out the stars" is behind the explanation, thereby inserting a hint of the coming Exodus at the beginning of the account of the enslavement. Perhaps it's even a sort of astral omen, predicting the Exodus. God mentions the names of the Israelites as he mentions the names of the stars. Just as He mentions the stars' names in the process of taking them out, so He calls the Israelites by name in anticipation of taking them out of Egypt. By the way, an additional connection is the word "host". Here, the prophecy alludes to Exodus 12:51. Victor
On Mon, 14 Jan 2002, Barbara Leger wrote: > > I am interested in this too. > > Barb Leger > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > Dear Peter, > > > > I'm sorry that I can't find the thread which you are responding to here. > > Would you mind repeating it? The Rabbinical sources make the same comparison, > > about the star names, as whom? Also, I don't have access to Rashi's > > commentary - could you summarize it? > > > > Thanks, > > Levia Shanken > > > > In a message dated 1/11/02 3:09:10 AM Eastern Standard Time, > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > > > Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 12:52:25 +0200 > > > From: "peter janku" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > Subject: Re: orion-list Definition of Essenes > > > > > > Dear George and Greg > > > > > > concerning the stars ( and the names) it might be useful to point out > > that > > > Rabbinical sources > > > (even if of late date) > > > make the same comparison (see Raschi´s commentary on "Shmot", the first > > line > > > of Exodus). > > > > > > For private reply, e-mail to Barbara Leger <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > ---------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from Orion, e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the > message: "unsubscribe Orion." Archives are on the Orion Web > site, http://orion.mscc.huji.ac.il. > (PLEASE REMOVE THIS TRAILOR BEFORE REPLYING TO THE MESSAGE) > For private reply, e-mail to avigdor horovitz <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ---------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe from Orion, e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: "unsubscribe Orion." Archives are on the Orion Web site, http://orion.mscc.huji.ac.il. (PLEASE REMOVE THIS TRAILOR BEFORE REPLYING TO THE MESSAGE)
