B"H

Monday, Tevet 16, 5782 / December 20, 2021

This Shabbat we begin the second Book of the Torah – Shmot (Exodus).

The Parsha begins, “These are the names of the children of Israel who are coming into Egypt with Yaakov; every man came with his household.” The Torah then mentions the names of Yaakov’s children. “And all the souls that came were seventy souls… And the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, and multiplied and the land was filled with them.”

The Book of Shmot begins with the story of Yaakov (Jacob) and his children settling in Egypt. They moved there because of the famine in the land of Canaan. Joseph, who was the ruler of Egypt, urged them to come to him, where he would take care of all their needs.

Although this seemed to be the revealed natural reason for their move, G-d had a much deeper plan in all this.  G-d told Abraham, two hundred years earlier that his descendants will be enslaved in a foreign land but after that they will leave with great wealth.  With this move to Egypt began the Egyptian exile of the children of Israel, where they spent the next two hundred and ten years. 

Our sages say that Yaakov and his descendants would have had to go to Egypt even against their will. This was G-d’s decree. However, G-d chose to make the move to Egypt and their initial settling there in a pleasant way, by bringing the famine and Joseph becoming ruler of the land.

Although this second Book of the Torah begins with the Egyptian exile, it is called, the book of Redemption – Exodus.  The purpose of the exile was, as G-d promised Abraham, “And after they will emerge with great wealth.”

Indeed they came out of Egypt with great financial wealth and great spiritual wealth, for through the experience of the exile, they merited to receive the Torah at Mount Sinai and the Land of Israel.

Q.  Yaakov and his children came to Egypt over seventy years earlier. The Book of Exodus tells what happened after Yaakov and his sons passed away. Thus, the Torah should have said, “These are the names of the children of Israel who came into Egypt with Yaakov.” Why does the Torah say, who are coming,” in the present tense?  

A.   Our sages explain that this was the secret of how the Jewish people survived the over two hundred years of Egyptian exile and still managed to emerge as a people with their unique identity. It was because they never became settled and comfortable in their Egyptian environment. They always felt as if they were now “coming.” No matter how long they resided in Egypt, they considered themselves as just now coming there – as immigrants – as temporary residents. They knew that one day G-d will redeem them and they will return to the Holy Land. This kept their spirits up even when physically they were down.  This is also the secret of Jewish survival and identity during our 2000 years of difficult history. We always hoped for a better day and never gave up on our final redemption through Moshiach.

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY

B"H

Wednesday, Tevet 18, 5782 / December 22, 2021

This Shabbat we begin the second book of the Torah, the book of S’hmot (Exodus).

Q.   How old was Moshe’s mother, Yocheved, when she gave birth to Moshe?

A.   According to many Torah commentaries she was 130 years old! This is how we know this: When Yaakov came to Egypt, they were a total of 70 people. Moshe’s mother, Yocheved, who was born as they entered Egypt, completed the number 70. From when Yaakov came to Egypt, until the Exodus was 210 years.  Moshe was 80 years old at the time of the Exodus. If Yocheved was born as they entered Egypt and 210 years later, her son Moshe was 80 years old, she was 130 when she gave birth to him.

Q.  G-d’s first revelation to Moshe, where he is told to go liberate the Jewish people, was at a burning thorn-bush. Why did G-d reveal Himself to Moshe at a thorn-bush?

A.  G-d was showing Moshe that He too feels the pain of the people.

Q.  When G-d revealed Himself to Moshe, at the burning bush, G-d commanded him, “Take off your shoes from your feet, for the ground upon which you are standing is holy ground.”  What is the connection of Moshe becoming leader of the Jewish people and removing of his shoes?

A.  When one wears shoes, he is not bothered by small pebbles on the road.  G-d tells Moshe, to assume leadership of my people, "take off the shoes from your feet." In other words, as leader you must feel the pain of the people and deal even with the small problems that may affect them.

Q.   Pharaoh decreed that every Jewish boy be killed by drowning in the river. What difference did it make to him how the boys were killed?

A.    Pharaoh’s stargazers told him that the future leader of the Jewish people will be punished through water. However, their mistake was that what they saw referred to the story when G-d told him to speak to the rock and he, instead, hit the rock to make it give water. This story happened forty years later.

Q.    Our sages say that when Pharaoh’s daughter stretched out her hand to reach for the basket with Moshe on the river, it was beyond reach.  Yet, a miracle happened, and her hand stretched out and reached the basket. Why did she stretch out her hand when she knew she couldn’t reach it?

A.    Our sages say this teaches us an important lesson.  If ever we are in a situation where someone needs help, we shouldn’t give up just because it seems impossible.  We must try our best to help the other person and when we do our best, G-d will do the rest and help us achieve our goal.

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY

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In loving memory of Chaim ben Yosef Hakohen Neufeld, z"l.  Yartzeit was yesterday, Tevet 17. 

May his Neshama rest in peace in Gan Eden & may his memory be a blessing to his family

B"H

Thursday, Tevet 19, 5782 / December 23, 2021

In this week’s Parsha, Shmot, the Torah tells us that at one point Pharaoh wants to kill Moshe and he escapes to the land of Midyan where he meets his future wife, Tziporah, at a well. Moshe marries her and becomes a shepherd working for his father-in-law, Yitro.

One day, while tending his sheep, Moshe notices a bush burning without it being consumed. He approaches to get a better view, and G-d reveals Himself to Moshe through the burning bush and commands him, "Take off your shoes from your feet, for the ground which you are standing on is holy ground."  G-d commands Moshe, "Go to Pharaoh and take My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt".  

Q.   Who named him Moshe and why?

A.  Pharaoh’s daughter, Bitya, who pulled him from the water named him, Moshe.

“Moshe” comes from the word “to pull.”  She named him Moshe because she pulled him out of the water and saved his life. In the entire Torah, he is not called by the name which his parents gave him, but by the name Moshe, which Pharaoh's daughter gave him. It teaches us the importance of being grateful to someone who performed an act of kindness for you.

Q.    Moshe, who gave us the Torah and mitzvot, is called, “Moshe Rabeinu” – “Moshe our teacher.”  How does this name reflect that he was the one to give us the Torah and mitzvot?

A.Each Hebrew letter has a numerical value. The numerical value of the Hebrew letters, which spell Moshe Rabeinu add up to 613 (40+300+5+200+2+10+50+6=613). His name alludes to the fact that through him G-d gave us the Torah and its 613 Mitzvot. Torah is likened to water and the Mitzvot number 613. The name Moshe (from the water he was pulled) indicates his connection to Torah and Mitzvot.

Q. The Torah tells us that Moshe was tending to the sheep of his father-in-law, Yitro, when G-d revealed himself to him and chose him to liberate the people. What is the connection between Moshe being a shepherd and his being chosen leader of his people?

A.  The Midrash explains that Moshe and King David were both shepherds and both showed extra devotion and care to the individual needs of the sheep in their flocks. G-d said, "If they are so devoted to their sheep, they will certainly care for the individual needs of My people!"

Q.  How did Pharaoh's daughter get her name Bitya, which in Hebrew means G-d's daughter?

A.  Bitya's name was given to her by G-d.  The Midrash explains that G-d said to her, "You took Moshe, who wasn't your son and you raised him and called him your son. I too, will call you,

 My daughter; Bat-Yah (daughter of G-d)."

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY