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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