Kehillat Yitzchak: Shemot

The 21st of Tevet is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Shlomo, Rav of Vilna at the time of the Vilna Gaon (1791). I couldn’t find anything in his name, so I offer some powerful thoughts from his contemporary:

“She hid him for three months.” (Exodus 2:2) “Vatizpineihu,” is used to describe hiding Moshe, rather than ‘vatitmineihu.” The former word is always used in reference to spiritual hiding, as in, “In my heart I have stored – Tzafanti – Your word, so that I would not sin against you.” (Psalms 119:11) “Although You have hidden this in Your heart, I know that this is still with You.” (Job 10:13)

“Vayitmon,” is always used for physical hiding, as in, “Jacob hid them underneath the terebinth near Shechem.” (Genesis 35:4) “They are hidden in the ground within my tent.” (Joshua 7:21)

Why does the Torah use the term for spiritual hiding to describe Yocheved’s hiding Moshe?

This hiding actually describes God “hiding” Moshe by having the Egyptians count Yocheved’s pregnancy from the time she remarried Amram, rather than by when she conceived.