B"H

Wednesday, Tevet 18, 5780 / January 15, 2020

In this week's Parsha, Shmot, we read about G-d’s first revelation to Moshe. "And Moshe was feeding the flock of Yitro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midyan; and he led the flock to the farthest end of the wilderness and he came to the mountain of G-d, to Horeb. And G-d’s angel appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a thorn bush; and Moshe looked and saw the bush was on fire, but the bush was not consumed.” 

“And Moshe said: I will go closer now and I will see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.  G-d saw that Moshe turned to see, and G-d called to him out of the midst of the bush and He said, 'Moshe, Moshe, and he [Moshe] said, 'Here I am.'  And G-d said, 'Remove your shoes from your feet for the place upon which you are standing is holy ground.'" 

G-d then tells Moshe that He has heard the cry of the Jewish people due to the Egyptians' oppression.  "Therefore, now I will send you to Pharaoh so that you may bring forth My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt."

Q. Why was G-d’s first revelation to Moshe from a thorn bush?

A.The Midrash tells that a gentile once asked Rabbi Yehoshua ben Karcha, "Why did your G-d speak to Moshe from the midst of a bush and not from a different tree?"

Rabbi Yehoshua answered, “G-d wanted to show Moshe that there was no place where He cannot be found and that He rests not only in the tall trees but also in a low bush.”

Rashi, explains that by revealing Himself through a thorn bush, G-d was saying to Moshe that, just as the Jewish people were suffering,He too, is in pain, which is symbolized by the prickly thorn bush.

Q.   Why from a “burning” bush?

A.   To show Moshe that just as the fire didn't destroy the bush, so too, the Egyptians, or for that matter any other nation,willnot be able to destroy the Jewish nation.

For thousands of years the Pharaohs of every generation (their names may have changed, but their goals were the same), tried to destroy us. In G-d’s first revelation to Moshe, G-d made it clear that, just as the bush was not consumed by the fire, because G-d was there, so too, the Jewish people will not be consumed, for G-d is always with us.

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY

In loving memory of Bessie Miller- Chaya Basya Sima bat Tzvi Hirsh & Miriam - z"l.

Yartzeit is today, Tevet 18.  May her Neshama rest in peace in Gan Eden.  May her memory be a blessing.

From her son, Irwin Miller

B"H

Monday, Tevet 23, 5780 / January 20, 2020

In this week's Parsha, Va'eira, G-d commands Moshe to deliver the following message to the Jewish people, who were enslaved in Egypt; "I am the L-rd and I will bring 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..."

The four cups of wine at the Seder commemorate the above four expressions of redemption G-d used in connection with the liberation from Egypt: 1) I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 2) I will deliver you from their bondage. 3) I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgment.  4) I will take you to me for a people.

In the Parsha we also read about seven of the ten plagues which G-d brought upon the Egyptians.  The fourth plague consisted of wild animals roaming throughout Egypt.  In response to this plague, Pharaoh finally told Moshe and Aaron, "I will let you go that you may sacrifice to the L-rd your G-d in the wilderness; only do not go very far away; pray for me." But as soon as this plague was over Pharaoh, changed his mind and didn't free the Jews.

Q. After all that Pharaoh did to the people of Israel, how could he have asked them to pray for him?

A. There was once an emperor who was very cruel to the Jews living under his rule.  Things became so unbearable that Jews prayed to G-d that the ruler die. When the emperor finally died, his son became ruler.  The Jews thought that now their lot would improve.  However, they had an unfortunate surprise-- the young monarch was much worse than his father.

One day the young ruler asked a Jew,  "Tell me what are Jews praying about me," he asked.

"We ask G-d to grant you long life," was the Jew's answer.

"I do not believe you!  Why would you pray that I live long when I'm so cruel to you?"

"To be honest," replied the Jew, "When your father was alive, we prayed that we should get rid of him.  But since he died and you became ruler and things have become so much worse for us, we now pray that you live a long time -- for who knows how much worse your replacement may be."

The same was with Pharaoh. In last week's Parsha we read, "A new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph."  With the new ruler things became much worse for the Jewish people. Pharaoh said to Moshe, “Pray for me,” for who knows how much worse things may be if a new king rules over Egypt.

In loving memory of Lara – Liora bat Yosef - Her yartzeit is today.

May her beautiful Neshama,which G-d recalled in the midst of her bloom,rest in peace in Gan Eden.

From her family

B"H

Thursday, Tevet 26, 5780 / January 23, 2020

This Shabbat we read the second Parsha in the Book of Exodus, Parshat Va’eira.

Q.  In the Parsha we read, "And Aaron took Elisheva, the daughter of Aminadav, the sister of Nachshon, for a wife." The Torah previously mentioned that Nachshon was the son of Aminadav.  Why does the Torah, when telling us that Aaron married the daughter of Aminadav, inform us that she was the sister of Nachshon?  

A.  According to the Talmudic sage Rava, this teaches us that, "Before one takes a wife, he should check out her brothers; for most children take after the mother's brothers."

Q.  In the Parsha we read, “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."  Why were the waters smitten through Aaron, not through Moshe?

A.  Rabbi Tanchum says, "Because the waters of the Nile protected Moshe when his mother placed him in the river, he could not be the one to punish them.  This is the reason why the first two plagues, blood and frogs, which came from the water, were brought about by Aaron.

Q.  In the Parsha we read, "G-d said to Moshe, say to Aaron stretch out your rod and smite the dust of the earth and it shall become lice."  Why was the third plague, lice, also brought by Aaron?

A.   G-d told Moshe, "You should not be the one to punish the sand for it protected you when you killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand (2:12).  Aaron should bring this plague instead."

Q.   Moshe is called, “Moshe Rabeinu” – “Moshe our Rabbi-teacher.”  Why is he called Moshe before Rabeinu, while other sages are called rabbi-teacher before their personal name?

A.   For all other Rabbis, throughout the generations, the Torah, for which they are called rabbi-teacher, came before them.  But, Moshe was already eighty years old when the Torah was given.  For eighty years of his life he was Moshe, there was no Torah yet. Only when he got the Torah, did he become, Rabeinu – our teacher.

Q.   How are the 613 mitzvot, which G-d gave the Jewish people, through Moshe, hinted in his name?

A.    The numerical value of the Hebrew letters which spell, “MOSHE RABEINU” amounts to 613.

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY & SHABBAT SHALOM

In loving memory of Lynn Cohen – Malka.   Yartzeit is today. 

May her Neshama-soul rest in peace in Gan Eden.  May her memory be a blessing.

Dedicated by her beloved husband, Bert, & children, Erin, Amy and Robert.