Archive for the Shemos Category

“G-d benefited the midwives – and the people increased and became very strong.  And it was because the midwives feared G-d that He made them houses.[1]” Yocheved and Miriam risked their lives to save Jewish baby boys from being murdered by the Egyptians. Hashem rewarded them by making

After Hashem informed Moshe Rabbeinu that he was to be the messenger who would take the Jewish people out of Mitzrayim, Moshe declined[1], claiming (Shemos 4:10) “Ki chevad peh u-chevad lashon anochi” – “For I have a heavy mouth and a heavy tongue.”  Chizkuniand Rashbam explain that

After enslaving the Jewish people, Pharaoh was informed by his astrologers that a baby boy was destined to be born who would redeem Klal Yisroel from their terrible galus (exile). Pharaoh responded with great efforts to prevent this prediction from being fulfilled, including his order that every

Rabbi Yehoshua Eliyohu Berman Parsha Questions and Answers – Shmos 1)      Where do we see that being afraid (in a normal way) of dangerous creatures is not an expression of lacking faith or trust in Hashem?   In 4:3 it says that Moshe fled from the snake, and this

*For the full article please go to: http://www.aishinside.com/data/Class_Materials/Contemporary_Issues/Kornbluth/Kornbluth_Miriam.shtml* MIRIAM Miriam was one of the greatest prophetesses who ever lived. Born in the year 2363, or 1398 BCE, in Egypt, she was the great-granddaughter of the patriarch Jacob, the older sister of Aaron and Moses, and the ancestor of the

It’s all in the Name By Rabbi Simcha Barnett This week I had the pleasure of meeting Ben – short for Benjamin or Binyomin, in Hebrew, a bright 12-year-old boy who I am going to help prepare for his bar mitzvah.  I was trying to connect with him

Living to Work “The Egyptians started to make the Israelites do labor designated to break their bodies.” (Exodus 1:13) In order to keep the Israelites occupied so that they would not have time to think about Moses’ words heralding their freedom, Pharaoh decreed that henceforth the Jewish slaves

The book of Shemos called Exodus in English repeats the shamos names of the sons of Yackov who have all passed on to emphasis their righteousness and greatness. Yackov accomplished his mission in having all his 12 sons be whole and a part and the seeds of

How Far Does One Go to be a Kafuy Tov? The pasuk says that a new Phaaroh became king that did not know Yosef. Rashi brings a machlokes between Rav & Shmuel whether the new king was literally a different person or was the same person but

Rabbi Pinchas Morse Verse To save Moshe from Pharaoh’s decree of death on newborn male babies, his mother placed him in a basket on the Nile, in the hope that he would be found and raised as a foundling child. What actually happened was that Pharaoh’s daughter

Rabbi Pinchas Morse Verse To save Moshe from Pharaoh’s decree of death on newborn male babies, his mother placed him in a basket on the Nile, in the hope that he would be found and raised as a foundling child. What actually happened was that Pharaoh’s daughter

Rabbi Pinchas Morse Verse After Moshe was raised in Pharaoh’s palace, a number of years later the verse Shemos 2:11 tells us that “Moshe grew up, went out to his brothers and saw their burdens”. Problems Moshe’s true identity was a well-guarded secret from Pharaoh. For an

Rabbi Pinchas Morse Verse After Moshe was rescued from the Nile by Pharaoh’s daughter, he was raised in Pharaoh’s palace. His identity was a well-guarded secret. Years later the verse Shemos 2:11 reports that “Moshe grew up, went out to his brothers and saw their burdens.” Problems

Rabbi Pinchas Morse Verse After Pharaoh’s daughter rescued Moshe from the Nile she tried to have him nursed by various Egyptian mothers. He refused to suckle from any of them. His sister, Miriam, who had been watching in secret since Moshe was placed in the basket on

Rabbi Pinchas Morse Verse After Pharaoh commanded the midwives to kill the male babies as they were born, the verse (Shemos 1:17) reports their reaction to his orders. The verse states: “The midwives feared Hashem and didn’t do as the king of Egypt told them and they

Rabbi Pinchas Morse Source By the incident of the Burning Bush, which precluded the exodus from Egypt, Moses, while attending his father-in-law’s sheep, was presented with the phenomena of a bush in the middle of a fire, but not being consumed. The verse Shemos 3:3 gives his

Rabbi Pinchas Morse Rav Chaim Shmulevitz Zt”l once said if you’re not awake one night a month because you’re worrying about the plight of the Jewish people then you’re a cruel person. How do you feel when you hear a statement like this? Insulted, pretty heavy, well,

Rabbi Pinchas Morse The Chumash tells us what happens if we don’t care about each other. Verse The day after he killed the Egyptian, Moshe came upon two Jews fighting (Dasan and Aviram) and tried to intervene. They responded insolently to him and asked if he intended to kill the protagonist as he

Rabbi Pinchas Morse Miriam and Amram Pharaoh’s final decree against the Jews was to have all their newborn males thrown into the Nile. To ensure that this would be done, the babies would have to be taken from their mothers right at the time they were born,

1:1 Rav K. brings from the Midrash, Shmos Raba 1:3, that B’nai Yisrael were equivalent to the stars and here Hashem was counting them just as He counts the stars. He explained the Midrash to mean that all the time Yaakov Avinu was alive he was like the sun, so his sons were not outstanding, just like when the

Based on Rav Noach Weinberg Why did the Jewish people need to be enslaved in Egypt? Why was Job punished for remaining silent when nothing he could have said would have influenced Pharoah? Amram, Moshe’s father and the leader of the generation, decreed that all couples divorce

Based on Rav Noah Weinberg What are the qualities that make a great Jewish leader? For the answer we look to the timeless wisdom of our Torah, in the opening Chapter of Exodus. Here we meet Moses, destined to become our first and greatest leader as we