Friday, Tevet 17, 5785 / January 17, 2025
B"H
Friday, Tevet 17, 5785 / January 17, 2025
In Parshat S’hmot we read about the birth of Moshe (Moses) and how G-d chose him to be leader of the Jewish people and to go command Pharaoh to let the Children of Israel out of Egypt (Mitzrayim). Moshe's parents, Amram and Yocheved, already had two children, Miriam and Aaron, before Moshe was born.
When Pharaoh ordered every newborn boy to be thrown into the river, Amram didn't want to have any more children and divorced his wife. Other Jews followed his lead and also divorced their wives.
Miriam, who was five years old, said to her father, "Your decree is even harsher than Pharaoh's! His decree affects only boys. But by not having any children, you are preventing girls from living too. Amram realized that his daughter was right, and he remarried Yocheved. As a result, Moshe was born.
The name Miriam comes from two words "Mar" (bitter) and "Yam" (water). It alludes to the bitterness of the Jewish plight at the time of her birth, with Pharaoh's decree of drowning every baby boy.
When Yocheved gave birth to a boy, she was able to hide the baby for three months. Then she had to find a way to save him. The Torah tells us that she placed the child in a basket and put it by the river. Miriam stood from afar to see what would happen to her little brother.
Pharaoh's daughter, Bitya, came to bathe in the river and saw the basket. Although the basket was far from her, she stretched out her hand and G-d performed a miracle. Her arm "grew" so she could reach and retrieve the basket. Inside she found a baby crying. She said, "It must be from the Hebrew babies."
Pharaoh's daughter called the baby, Moshe ("to pull out"), for "from the water I have pulled him..." Moshe's original name, which his parents gave him, was not Moshe. Yet, the name Moshe, given to him by Bitya, who saved his life, is the only name mentioned in the Torah and by which G-d called him.
One of the reasons for this is that the name "Moshe" also describes his great characteristic and special quality. The Midrash tells us that G-d chose Moshe as the leader of the people of Israel because, while watching his father-in-law's flock, he displayed great concern for each individual lamb.
Whenever G-d's anger flared against His people, Moshe stood steadfast to protect his people and to pull them out of every undesirable situation.
Thus, he is called by the name "Moshe" - just as he was pulled out from his personal danger, so too Moshe pulled out the Jewish people from all adverse situations throughout his leadership.
Q. On which day was Moshe saved from the Nile River? Why was that day significant?
A. It was the seventh day of the month Sivan. Moshe turned three months on that day. It was the same day in which, eighty years later, G-d gave the Torah to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai.
SHABBAT SHALOM
Montreal candle lighting time: 4:22 / Shabbat ends: 5:31
UNITED WE STAND WITH OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CAPTIVITY. MAY THEY ALL BE RELEASED NOW
Thursday, Tevet 16, 5785 / January 16, 2025
B"H
Thursday, Tevet 16, 5785 / January 16, 2025
This Shabbat we will begin reading the Second Book of the Torah – S’hmot (commonly called Exodus).
However, the correct translation for the Hebrew name for this book, S’hmot,is names. The second book of the Torah begins with, “These are the names (S’hmot) of the Children of Israel who came into Egypt..” The Torah mentions all the names of Yaakov’s children who came to Egypt to together with him and Yosef, who was in Egypt from before.
The Midrash has a deeper explanation why this book of the Torah which speaks about the enslavement and future Exodus from Egypt is called S’hmot-names. It is because one of the merits the Jewish people had which brought about the Exodus was the fact that throughout their 210 years in Egypt, they never changed their Hebrew names for Egyptian ones.
Through keeping their Hebrew names, Yaakov's descendants kept their Jewish identity, even during the years of hard labor and suffering.It teaches us how important it is to identify by our Hebrew names.
Parshat S’hmot begins with the story of the enslavement of the Jewish people by the Egyptians. Pharaoh decrees that every Jewish newborn boy be drowned in the Nile River. We read the story of Moshe’s birth and how he was saved from the river by Pharaoh’s daughter. Moshe grows up and when he sees an Egyptian officer beating a Jewish man, he killed the Egyptian. The next day he saw two Jewish men arguing. When one raised his hand to hit the other, Moshe reprimands him, “Why would you hit your friend?”
The man replied, “Who made you a man, a prince and a judge over us? Do you plan to kill me as you have killed the Egyptian?”
The Torah continues, “Moshe became frightened.”Pharaoh heard about the incident, and he attempts to kill Moshe, but Moshe managed to flee to the Land of Midyan and stops at a well. At the well he met his future wife, Tziporah, the daughter of Yitro.
Q. The Torah tells us that first, “Moshe became frightened” and then Pharaoh heard what Moshe did and wanted to kill him. It makes more sense that Moshe became frightened after Pharaoh found out and wanted to kill him.
A. There is a saying in Yiddish, “Tracht gut vet zein gut.” Translated it means, “Think positive and things will (turn out to) be positive.” The Torah teaches us here that it was an error on Moshe’s part to be afraid. The fact that Moshe was afraid shows that he thought negatively, and this brought about that Pharaoh wanted to kill him. The moral lesson is that when we are in a difficult situation we should do what it takes to get out of it, but we have to think positively and trust in G-d. Positive thoughts bring positive results!
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
UNITED WE STAND WITH OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CAPTIVITY. MAY THEY ALL BE RELEASED NOW
Tuesday, Tevet 14, 5785 / January 14, 2025
B"H
Tuesday, Tevet 14, 5785 / January 14, 2025
This Shabbat we will begin reading the Second Book of the Torah – S’hmot (Exodus).
In this Parsha we will read about the beginning of the Egyptian Exile and the enslavement of the Jewish people in Egypt (Mitzrayim).
We will read about the birth of Moshe (Moses), who would become the leader of the Jewish people. He would eventually lead them out of Egypt and be with them throughout their 40-year journey in the desert.
The Parsha begins, “These are the names of the Children of Israel who came to Egypt, together with Yaakov, each came with his household…. All the people who came from Yaakov were seventy souls, and Yosef was already in Egypt.”
Q. The Torah had already mentioned in Parshat Vayigash all the names of the descendants of Yaakov who came with him to Egypt, and that their number was seventy. Why does the Torah repeat it again here?
A. Our sages explain that it is mentioned again in the beginning of the Book of S’hmot, where we will eventually read about the Exodus. The Torah wants to show us that although Jews were oppressed and enslaved for all these years in Egypt, yet, from only 70 people, who came into Egypt, they multiplied into 600,000 men over the age of 20, besides the women and children- a total of a few million people.
Q. How many years after Yaakov and his family moved to Egypt did the actual enslavement begin?
A. As long as Yaakov or one of Yaakov’s sons, especially his son Joseph, who was ruler of Egypt, were alive, the Children of Israel were free. Only after the last of Yaakov’s sons passed away did the Egyptians enslave the Jewish people.
Of Yaakov’s sons, Levi lived the longest, 137 years. He was 43 when he came to Egypt and lived in Egypt 94 years. From when Yaakov came to Egypt until the Exodus was 210 years. If we deduct 94 from 210 we are left with 116 years. Thus, the total amount of years of enslavement was 116 years.
Q. How many years after coming to Egypt was Moshe born?
A. Moshe was 80 at the time of the Exodus. If we deduct 80 from 210 we have 130. Thus, Moshe was born 130 years after Yaakov and his family moved to Egypt.
Q.How old was Moshe’s mother, Yocheved, when she gave birth to Moshe?
A.Moshe’s mother, Yocheved, was born as Yaakov and his children came to Egypt. Thus, Yocheved was 130 when she gave birth to Moshe.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
UNITED WE STAND WITH OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CAPTIVITY. MAY THEY ALL BE RELEASED NOW
Monday, Tevet 13, 5785 / January 13, 2025
B"H
Monday, Tevet 13, 5785 / January 13, 2025
In last week’s Parsha, Vayechi, we read about Yaakov’s (Jacob) blessings to his children and grandchildren, before his passing.
Yaakov requests that he not be buried in Egypt. He makes his son, Yosef (Joseph), swear that he will bury him in the Me’arat Hamachpeila, in Hebron, alongside his parents, grandparents and his wife Leah. The Torah describes the great honor and royalty extended to Yaakov after his passing.
The Parsha ends with the passing of Yosef. Like his father, Yosef also requested to be buried in Israel. But contrary to his father, whose body was carried back to Israel soon after his death, Joseph's body stayed in Egypt until the Exodus when the entire Jewish people left Egypt. He and his brothers were then carried out of Egypt to be buried in Israel. Yosef was buried in the city of Shchem.
Yosef was sold into slavery and brought to Egypt at the age of 17. Egypt was the most immoral culture of its time. He spent many years exposed to the Egyptian culture. He spent years in an Egyptian prison. Yet he stayed true to his religion and to his moral values. He ultimately became the ruler of the land of Egypt and saved the people of starvation. The Torah describes his life story in great length.
Q. At what age did Yaakov pass away? How long after Yaakov & at what age did Yosef pass away?
A. Yaakov was 147. Yosef was 110. Yosef passed away 54 years after Yaakov.
Q. Which of the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) lived the shortest and who lived the longest?
A. Yaakov lived the shortest; Abraham lived to 175. Yitzchak (Isaac) lived the longest to 180.
Q. Why wasn’t Yosef buried in Israel right after his passing just like Yaakov?
A. Yosef was the ruler of Egypt; thus, he had the power to fulfill his father’s wish. But when Yosef died, Pharaoh didn’t allow his body to be taken out of Egypt.
Q. How many years passed from Yaakov's coming to Egypt until the Exodus?
A. Two hundred and ten years.
Q. Of Yaakov’s children who lived the longest and who lived the shortest?
A. Yaakov’s third son, Levi, lived the longest, 137 years. Yosef, who was the ruler of Egypt, lived the shortest. He passed away, before his brothers, at age 110. Our sages say that leadership is not a recipe for long life. Although Yosef’s life span was the shortest, he overcame many adversities and achieved much more during his lifetime. The length of one’s life is not necessarily measured in quantity, but in quality and accomplishments.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
UNITED WE STAND WITH OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CAPTIVITY. MAY THEY ALL BE RELEASED NOW
|
Torah Fax is published daily (except Shabbat & Sunday) so you can learn something new every day |