Parshas Lech Lecha
Rashi says in Parshas Ha'Azinu (32:48) that the expression 'b'etzem hayom
hazeh' ('on this very day' ) is used three times in Chumash to indicate
that the event in question was done in broad daylight, so to speak, and
was unstoppable. The three events listed there by Rashi are the
mabul/Flood, yetzias mitzrayim/Exodus and the petirah/death of Moshe
Rabbeinu: People swore they would never allow Noach to enter the Ark, so
HaShem had him enter in broad daylight to show it was unstoppable. The
Egyptians swore they would never let the Jews leave, so the Exodus
happened openly, showing it was unstoppable. And the Jews swore they would
never let HaShem take Moshe away from them to die, so it occurred in broad
daylight to show it was unstoppable.
The question on all of this is that in this week's Parsha there seems to
be a fourth example, identical in every way to the first three, yet
ignored by Rashi in Ha'Azinu. Furthermore, it is Rashi himself who points
it out - (17:23) at the bris milah of Avrohom Avinu the
expression 'b'etzem hayom hazeh' is used and Rashi says it was done in
broad daylight to show that none of the cynics who wished to prevent his
bris milah would be able to do so. Why doesn't bris milah make Rashi's
list in Ha'Azinu?
Perhaps the answer is that in the first three instances it was HaShem
Himself who caused the 'b'etzem hayom hazeh', whereas concerning Avrohom's
bris milah it was Avrohom who steeled himself to overcome the cynics and
did it 'in broad daylight'; Avrohom gets the credit for this achievement
and therefore, although it is an example of 'in broad daylight', it does
not belong on Rashi's original list which is focused exclusively on the
occasions when it was HaShem who instigated the 'b'etzem hayom hazeh'.
Gal Einai, Copyright © 2006 by Gedalia Litke and Torah.org
