Tzemah Yoreh Four Source Theory

The Four Source Theory is a well-known concept among the religious community that attempts to explain how the Pentateuch was written. The plagues in the book of Exodus are great examples of how these sources have come together throughout history. One plague in particular, the plague of hail can be attributed to the Elohist (E) source with some additions from the Yahwist (J) source and the Priestly source (P). This text also reveals much about God and his power. Dr. Rabbi Tzemah Yoreh discusses how the stories of the plagues from the book of Exodus came to be according to the Four Source Theory in his essay, “The Three Redactional and Theological Layers of the Plagues”. According to his research, the plagues were originally written by the E source, but these original plagues are much different than the ones found in the current canon. In this version, Moses is chosen by God to bring the Israelites out from Egypt and he is to perform this task by himself. When Pharaoh doesn’t let the Israelites go, Moses puts three plagues on Egypt, hail, locusts, and darkness. There is no warning given, no negotiations made with Pharaoh, and, quite significantly, no assistance from God. Then the J source comes in, which produces a story that is more similar to the one that can be found in the Bible. With the J source, God’s role in the plagues is added, five more plagues are also added bringing the total to eight, and the element of Pharaoh hardening his heart. Pharaoh also begins to receive some warning regarding the plagues.
At first glance, it may seem that Moses is responsible for the plague, but as discussed previously, it is actually God who is performing that action. With that being said though, Moses still plays a key role in the plague by relaying God’s messages to Pharaoh. The beginning of this plague starts