B"H
Friday, Tevet 20, 5782 / December 24, 2021
Parshat Shmot 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 and one wanting to hit the other one. Moshe reprimands him. The man replied, “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. Moshe became a shepherd attending to his father-in-law’s flock. One day as he was attending to the flock, he saw a bush burning but the bush wasn’t consumed by the fire. When he came closer, G-d tells him to go to Pharaoh with a mission to take the Jewish people out of Egypt.
Q. On which day was Moshe saved from the Nile River? Why was that day significant?
A. It was the seventh day of Sivan. Moshe turned three months old on that day. On this day, eighty years later, Moshe was on Mount Sinai when G-d gave the Torah to the Jewish people.
Q. Why did Pharaoh choose drowning the Jewish children as the method of killing them?
A. G-d punishes measure for measure. Pharaoh knew that G-d made a vow to Noah, after the Great Flood, that He will never bring a flood again as He did at the time of Noah. Pharaoh figured if he drowns the Jewish babies, G-d will not be able to punish him, measure for measure, through water because of G-d’s vow not to bring a flood again. In the end, Pharaoh and the Egyptians were punished by drowning when they chased after the Jewish people.
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 he became frightened after Pharaoh 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 must think positively and trust in G-d. G-d will then direct things to turn out positive.
Today, the 20th of Tevet, is the day when our great sage, philosopher, physician, and scholar, Rabbeinu Moshe ben Maimon, known as RAMBAM (Maimonides) passed away, in the year 1204. May his memory be a blessing.
SHABBAT SHALOM
Montreal candle lighting time: 3:57 / Shabbat ends: 5:07
B"H
Monday, Tevet 23, 5782 / December 27, 2021
In the beginning of this week’s Parsha, Va’eira, G-d reprimands Moshe for complaining to G-d , “Why did you send me to speak to Pharaoh to let the Jewish people out. For since I came to Pharaoh it became much worse for the people and You have not saved Your people.”
G-d commands Moshe to encourage the Jewish people that they will be freed. Tell them that, “I will take you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgment; and I will take you to me for a people and I will be to you a G-d and you shall know that I am the L-rd your G-d who brought you out from the burdens of the Egyptians..."
When Moshe told them this, “They didn't heed to Moshe due to their crushed spirit and their cruel bondage." G-d then tells Moshe, "Go speak to Pharaoh, King of Egypt, that he shall send away the children of Israel from his land."
Pharaoh refused and was punished with the ten plagues. At each plague, Pharaoh promised to free the people, but as soon as G-d removed the plague, "His heart was hardened and he refused to let them go.” Seven of the ten plagues are mentioned in this Parsha.
Q. How old was Moshe, Aaron and their sister, Miriam, when they led the Jewish people out of Egypt?
A. Moshe was 80; Aaron 83 and Miriam 85.
Q. Since Yaakov (Jacob) came to Egypt until the Exodus was 210 years. How many of the 210 years were the people actually enslaved by the Egyptians with very difficult work?
A. 116 years. The real enslavement began only after the last of Yaakov's children died. Yaakov's third son, Levi, lived the longest. He died at the age of 137. From his passing until the Exodus was 116 years. This is the total number of years that the Jewish people were harshly enslaved by the Egyptians.
Q. How do the names, Moshe and his sister, Miriam, attest to the harshness of the Egyptian exile?
A. Moshe was named Moshe because Pharaoh’s daughter said, “From the river I pulled him out.” Moshe comes from the word Meshisihu – to pull out. His name attests to the terrible decree of drowning the Jewish baby boys in the river.
Miriamcomes from the two words, Mar & Yam. Mar means Bitter and Yam is Sea. She was named Miriam as she was born during the height of Pharaohs decrees against the Jewish people. Her name also attests to Pharaoh’s harsh decrees against the Jewish people.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
Tuesday, Tevet 24, 5782 / December 28, 2021
Questions & Answers on this week's Parsha, Va’eira.
Q.In last week’s Parsha, Shmot, the Torah tells us that Moshe married Tziporah. Whom did Aaron and Miriam marry?
A. In this week’s Parsha, Va’eira, we read, "And Aaron took Elisheva, the daughter of Aminadav, the sister of Nachshon, to himself for a wife" (Exodus 6:23). Nachshon was the prince of the tribe of Yehuda (Judah).
Moshe’s sister, Miriam. Married Kalev ben Yefunah, of the tribe of Yehuda. He was one of the 12 spies, sent by Moshe, who went to scout the land of Israel before entering it. He and Joshua were the only two who came back with a good report and as a result merited to go into the land.
Q.What is the significance of the Torah telling us that Elisheva’s brother was Nachshon? We would know that after the Torah tells us that she was the daughter of Aminadav, who was the father of Nachshon.
A.According to the Talmudic sage Rava, this teaches us that, "Before one takes a wife, they should check out her brothers; for most children will take after the mother's brothers." Thus, the fact that she was the sister of Nachshon, who was a righteous person, was a factor in Aaron marrying Elisheva.
Q. In the Parsha we read about seven of the Ten Plagues, which G-d brought upon the Egyptians. The first two plagues were blood and frogs. The Torah says, "And G-d said to Moshe, say to Aaron take your rod and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over the rivers, over their streams and over their pools and over all their ponds of water so that they will become blood.” The same was with the plague of frogs which was brought about by Aaron. Why were the waters smitten by Aaron and not by Moshe?
A.According to Rabbi Tanchum, G-d told Moshe, "Because the waters protected and saved you when your mother placed you in the river, you should not be the one to punish them.” This is the reason why the first two plagues, blood, and frogs, which came from the river, were brought about by Aaron.
Q. The third plague which was lice, was also brought about by Aaron: "And G-d said to Moshe, say to Aaron stretch out your rod and smite the dust of the earth and it shall become lice..." (Exodus 8:12). Why did this plague have to be brought by Aaron?
A. Here too G-d told Moshe, "You should not be the one to punish the earth, for it protected you when you killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand (Exodus 2:12). Aaron should be the one to bring this plague instead." Here we see how important it is to be grateful for a kindness one does for us. The fact that the river and the earth helped Moshe, he had to be thankful and show gratitude to them.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
B"H
Thursday, Tevet 26, 5782 / December 30, 2021
In this week’s Parsha, Va'eira, the Torah tells us about the first seven plagues which G-d brought upon the Egyptians for enslaving the Jewish people. They are: Blood; Frogs; Lice; Wild beasts; Plague; Boils and Hail.
The Torah states the following about the hail: "And the hail struck throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field and broke every tree of the field." Then the Torah says, “Butthe wheat and the rye were not smitten for they were not grown up yetand they were soft.” Thus, they were able to withstand the hail without breaking.
Q. What was the lesson to Pharaoh in that the wheat and rye were spared because they were soft?
A.The Talmud tells the following story: Rabbi Elazar was once riding on his mule, coming from the house of his teacher. He was feeling very happy because he had studied diligently and acquired great Torah knowledge from his master. On the way, he met a person who was extremely ugly. The man greeted Rabbi Elazar, to which he replied, "Are all the people of your town as ugly as you are?"
The man said, "I do not know, but go tell the Craftsman who made me, 'How ugly is the vessel which you made!'" Rabbi Elazar realized that he had done wrong. He dismounted and begged the man, "I have sinned. Please forgive me!"
"I will not forgive you until you go to the Craftsman who made me and say, 'How ugly is the vessel you have made!'" he replied. Rabbi Elazar continued walking behind the man begging his forgiveness.
Finally, they came to the city where Rabbi Elazar lived. When the people heard that Rabbi Elazar had returned, they came out to greet him, "Shalom unto you, our great rabbi and master!" The man who was walking in front of Rabbi Elazar said to the crowd, "If this man is a teacher, may there not be more like him in Israel!"
Everyone was shocked at this unexpected remark. "Why do you say so?" they asked. The man told them what happened. "Please forgive him," they pleaded, "for he is a great scholar".
The man replied, "I forgive him for your sake, but on the condition that he not act like this again!"
After this incident, Rabbi Elazar entered the Beth Hamidrash (study hall) and preached, "A person should always be bending as a reed and never unyielding as a cedar. For this reason, the reed merited to make from it a pen to write a Torah, Tefillin and Mezuzuot."
This was the lesson of the plague of hail. G-d showed Pharaoh that the stiff trees were broken while the "wheat and the rye" which were soft and bending, survived. G-d’s message to Pharaoh was that his punishments were a result of Pharaoh’s hardeninghis heart and not letting the people free.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
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