Shemos 4:8 · unit 1 — the latter sign

Parashas Shemos

The Complete Passuk

וְהָיָה֙ אִם־לֹ֣א יַאֲמִ֣ינוּ לָ֔ךְ וְלֹ֣א יִשְׁמְע֔וּ לְקֹ֖ל הָאֹ֣ת הָרִאשׁ֑וֹן וְהֶֽאֱמִ֔ינוּ לְקֹ֖ל הָאֹ֥ת הָאַחֲרֽוֹן׃

“And if they do not believe you or pay heed to the first sign, they will believe the second.

Chabad.org — 4:8

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to TT (verified).

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text

האות האחרון — מכאן שדרך הכתוב לקרוא אחרון גם לאמצעי.

English: “The latter sign” — from here [we learn] that Scripture’s way is to call even a middle one “latter.”

On the daf / in context: A third sign (blood) is still to come; calling the second “acharon” shows that the term can mean “the next” relative to what precedes it.

Type of Learning

Custom

What Is Learned

Chazal note that “acharon” need not mean the absolute last item in a series.