Shemos 2:5 · unit 3 — she sent her amah

Parashas Shemos

The Complete Passuk

וַתֵּ֤רֶד בַּת־פַּרְעֹה֙ לִרְחֹ֣ץ עַל־הַיְאֹ֔ר וְנַעֲרֹתֶ֥יהָ הֹלְכֹ֖ת עַל־יַ֣ד הַיְאֹ֑ר וַתֵּ֤רֶא אֶת־הַתֵּבָה֙ בְּת֣וֹךְ הַסּ֔וּף וַתִּשְׁלַ֥ח אֶת־אֲמָתָ֖הּ וַתִּקָּחֶֽהָ׃

The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe in the Nile, while her maidens walked along the Nile. She spied the basket among the reeds and sent her handmaid to fetch it.

Chabad.org — 2:5

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to R’ Yehudah and R’ Nechemyah — Sotah 12b (verified).

Sefaria — Sotah

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text

ותשלח את אמתה — חד אמר ידה וחד אמר שפחתה.

English: “And she sent her amah” — one said [it means] her hand, and the other said her maidservant.

On the daf / in context: On the view that it means her hand, the arm was miraculously lengthened to reach the ark; on the other view a single maid remained after the others were struck.

Type of Learning

Custom

What Is Learned

The word amah is read either as “hand” (miraculously extended) or as the remaining maidservant.