Warn or warm?

Rabbi Dr David Nossel

Co-rabbi of Waverley Shul Campus

The way we translate this one word in Rashi can change our lives. If we want it to.

How should we translate this short two-word commentary of Rashi? As “warn AT him” or “warn THROUGH him?” And how did Rashi see in the words of the verse “And G-d said to Moses: Come to Pharaoh” that Moses’ mission was to “warn [at/through] him” in the first place? And why does the verse use the specific four letter Name of G-d that signals mercy?

The solution to our questions lies in the verse’s big surprise: the use of the word “COME”. Why did G-d say “COME to Pharaoh” and not “GO to Pharaoh”?

The answer is: Don’t be divisive!

It is for this reason that G-d appears to Moses using His attribute of mercy. He tells Moses to come to Pharaoh. G-d says “COME to Pharaoh” because G-d, together with His attribute of mercy, is also headed towards Pharaoh! “Come with Me,” says G-d to Moses, “so that together we can try and help Pharaoh come with us.”

And then, says Rashi: And DON’T warn him. DON’T warn him. It’s not a typo.

When Rashi says vehatreh bo he means “warn THROUGH him” – get together with him in order to warn OTHERS. Engage him, establish a closeness with him, invite him to come with you.

Don’t WARN him – WARM him! And once you have established a commonality, together you can both warn (or warm) the Egyptian people that they are on a mistaken path.

Rashi is teaching us one of the most valuable lessons in life: Let us not wag our fingers at others. Not even at the Pharaohs in our lives. Let us accompany G-d’s attribute of mercy and come to them, reach out to them and engage with them. Tell them: “WE have a problem”, not “YOU have a problem”, or worse yet “YOU ARE the problem” …

Don’t translate bo as at! 

If you fall into this finger-wagging translation of “AT him” you will find no expression of mercy, you will not have explained why G-d said “Come” instead of “Go”, and you will have no life-lesson.

When WE adopt the latter translation of “THROUGH him”, WE will be able to tap into mercy, come closer together with G-d and man… and change our lives.