Derasha on Bo 11:7 — Torah Temimah note 2

Parashas Bo · Shemos 11:7 · TT note 2

The Complete Passuk

וּלְכֹ֣ל ׀ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל לֹ֤א יֶֽחֱרַץ־כֶּ֙לֶב֙ לְשֹׁנ֔וֹ לְמֵאִ֖ישׁ וְעַד־בְּהֵמָ֑ה לְמַ֙עַן֙ תֵּֽדְע֔וּן אֲשֶׁר֙ יַפְלֶ֣ה יְהֹוָ֔ה בֵּ֥ין מִצְרַ֖יִם וּבֵ֥ין יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Chabad.org — English translation + Rashi

Source Citation

Torah Temimah on Shemos 11:7, note 2 (on לֹא יֶחֱרַץ כֶּלֶב לְשֹׁנוֹ) links this restraint of the dogs to the later law of a tereifah thrown to the dog (Mishpatim), teaching that the Holy One does not withhold the reward of any creature.

Sefaria — Exodus 11:7
Sefaria — Torah Temimah on Exodus 11:7
Sefaria — Exodus 22:30 (Mishpatim parallel)

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text — classical derash (via Torah Temimah)
לֹא יֶחֱרַץ כֶּלֶב לְשֹׁנוֹ — לְפִיכָךְ אָמְרָה תּוֹרָה בִּטְרֵפָה (פָּרָשַׁת מִשְׁפָּטִים) לַכֶּלֶב תַּשְׁלִיכוּן אֹתוֹ, לְלַמֶּדְךָ שֶׁאֵין הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְקַפֵּחַ שְׂכַר כָּל בְּרִיָּה.

English: “A dog shall not whet its tongue” — therefore the Torah said regarding a tereifah (in Mishpatim), “You shall throw it to the dog,” to teach you that the Holy One, blessed be He, does not withhold the reward of any creature.

Type of Learning

Linkage of this passuk’s quiet dogs to the later mitzvah of giving a tereifah to the dog: measure-for-measure reward for the creature that held its tongue in Egypt.

What Is Learned

Because the dogs did not bark against Israel, the Torah later assigns them the tereifah, teaching that God does not withhold reward from any creature.