Vaeira 9:29 · unit 1 — as I go out of the city

Parashas Vaeira

The Complete Passuk

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ מֹשֶׁ֔ה כְּצֵאתִי֙ אֶת־הָעִ֔יר אֶפְרֹ֥שׂ אֶת־כַּפַּ֖י אֶל־יְהֹוָ֑ה הַקֹּל֣וֹת יֶחְדָּל֗וּן וְהַבָּרָד֙ לֹ֣א יִֽהְיֶה־ע֔וֹד לְמַ֣עַן תֵּדַ֔ע כִּ֥י לַיהֹוָ֖ה הָאָֽרֶץ׃

Moses said to him, “As I go out of the city, I shall spread out my hands to GOD; the thunder will cease and the hail will fall no more, so that you may know that the earth is GOD’s.

Chabad.org — 9:29

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to TT / Midrash (verified).

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text

כצאתי את העיר — אבל בתוך העיר לא התפלל, מאי טעמא? מפני שהיתה מלאה עבודת כוכבים.

English: “As I go out of the city” — but within the city he did not pray. Why? Because it was full of idolatry.

On the daf / in context: Moshe delays his intercession until he is outside the idolatrous environment of the Egyptian capital.

Type of Learning

Custom

What Is Learned

Chazal teach that Moshe would not pray inside a city filled with idolatry.