Shemos 4:20 · unit 1 — he caused them to ride

Parashas Shemos

The Complete Passuk

וַיִּקַּ֨ח מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶת־אִשְׁתּ֣וֹ וְאֶת־בָּנָ֗יו וַיַּרְכִּבֵם֙ עַֽל־הַחֲמֹ֔ר וַיָּ֖שׇׁב אַ֣רְצָה מִצְרָ֑יִם וַיִּקַּ֥ח מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶת־מַטֵּ֥ה הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים בְּיָדֽוֹ׃

So Moses took his wife and sons, mounted them on a donkey, and went back to the land of Egypt; and Moses took the rod of God with him.

Chabad.org — 4:20

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to school of R’ Yishmael — Pesachim / TT (verified).

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text

וירכיבם — תנא דבי ר׳ ישמעאל: לעולם יספר אדם בלשון נקיה.

English: “And he caused them to ride” — a teaching of the school of R’ Yishmael: A person should always speak in clean language.

On the daf / in context: The choice of the verb is noted in the broader discussion of refined speech (contrasted with terminology used for a zav versus a zavah).

Type of Learning

Custom

What Is Learned

Chazal cite the verse as an example of the Torah’s preference for refined language.