Exodus 1:1–6:1
Parshat Shemot
A new Pharaoh enslaves the Children of Israel and orders their baby boys thrown into the Nile. Moses is born, hidden by the river and raised in Pharaoh's palace; he flees to Midian after striking an Egyptian, and at the burning bush G-d sends him to redeem his people. Moses and Aaron's first appeal to Pharaoh only makes the slavery harsher.
Essays
Parsha Shmos – Born a Leader G-d’s first encounter with Moses at the burning bush occurred when he was grazing the sheep of his father-in- law Jethro. According to the Midrash, this was G-d’s final test to determine Moses qualification for the job of leader. By showing how he was concerned with every little lamb, giving it what Parsha Shmos – Don’t Forget Your Name When a person or a nation degenerates, but, nevertheless remembers their G-dly essence and are aware of their unique role in G-d’s plan, there is much to salvage. There is hope. Parsha Shmos – A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Tamper with As Jews we must remember that exile conditions, no matter how good – nay, especially when they are good – should never lull us into thinking that we can feel secure living a non-Jewish lifestyle in exile. The longer we delude ourselves that we are just like everyone else and we can prosper indefinit Parsha Shmos – Exodus or Names? One cannot be liberated from bondage, without a sense of self-hood. A person who is not secure with his/her own identity is susceptible to virtually every other influence that imposes itself on the individual. This is not true freedom. We cannot surrender ourselves to G-d’s authority and accept the Parsha Shmos – Give Credit Where Credit Is Due It is impossible to fathom the suffering of good people. We dare not look for rationalizations for their pain and suffering. This will change in the future Messianic Age. The prophet Isaiah proclaimed of the Messianic Age: “You will say on that day, ‘I thank you, G-d, for you were angry with me, and Parsha Shmos – Hijacked! Pharaoh’s diabolical plan was to enlist women to serve as agents in continuing and deepening the exile. Redemption is the power to rebel against any and every power that tells us what to do. It is an inner fortitude that is impervious to all outside influences. Pharaoh therefore enlisted the two mos Parsha Shmos – Hitting Bottom We are living in times that parallel the generation of the Exodus. Many Jews have descended so low, in terms of their Jewish identities and affiliation, that we might think that their situation is hopeless. Are we a hopeless bunch of people who are beyond rehabilitation and spiritual growth? Or are Parsha Shmos – It Depends on the Name Yehudah, which means gratitude, is a name that is associated with Redemption. Only a person who is free from the pressures that come from the outside can truly express sincere gratitude to, and full acceptance, of G-d. Parsha Shmos – Left, Right and Center The lesson for us here in the last generation of Galus and first generation of Geulah-Redemption is that we must bury the exile constraints in the sand, i.e., recognize that Torah, unlike other disciplines, is not a “man.” Torah is Divine. When we internalize and live by the Moses-model of humility Parsha Shmos – Names, Language, Slander and Chastity The virtue of not changing their names suggests that their identities were intact. The worst part of slavery is arguably the loss of identity. A slave is just chattel; the property of his master no different from his house or his animal. Even the most benign form of slavery, is still slavery, wherei Parsha Shmos – No Denial in the Nile Dealing with the pain and suffering of others is a most difficult matter. Many grown people develop a coping mechanism, whereby they desensitize themselves to the pain of others or they are in denial that such suffering is real. This coping mechanism, while it might be necessary to prevent one from Parsha Shmos – No Rest Moses, the paragon of truth could not countenance the idea that his actions would be a “temporary fix.” It was so contrary to his nature and ideal. Therefore, Moses asked G-d to let a more consistent leader begin the process that will end in ultimate and permanent success. Parsha Shmos – Obsession for Life Whether it is praying for children, nurturing life, saving lives, showing contempt for those who take the lives of others lightly, women were always in the forefront of the Jewish nation, when it came to the quest for and promotion and preservation of life. Parsha Shmos – Reach Out and “Touch” Someone In Kabbalah we are taught that the bodily functions derive from their spiritual counterpart. Each part of our body is a reflection of G-d’s attributes, that He uses to relate to His creation. The most important and most dominant Divine attribute is kindness (chessed); G-d’s way of reaching out. Our Parsha Shmos – Remove Your Shoes In truth, every Jew was charged with the responsibility to be a leader. Being a leader is a delicate tightrope act, maintaining a healthy and productive balance between feeling the pain of others and not falling apart in despair. Parsha Shmos – Seeds of Liberation The Rebbe explained the reason for celebrating our birthdays is because it is the anniversary of G-d’s declaration to us: “You are needed and special! “Your soul is unique and its contribution to the world cannot be matched by anyone else. “If I had another soul identical to yours, it would not have Parsha Shmos – Stand Far and Close We can compare our situation to reading a mystery novel. Even if we read the first and last pages and know the outcome, we still have to read the book to discover how the events unfolded and lead to that climax. We are now in middle of the novel, closer to the end to be sure, but we still are in the Parsha Shmos – The Princes of Egypt The Rebbe has suggested that the Final Redemption will be ushered in by our dedication to the teachings of Maimonides—the second Moses—who has illuminated the world with the light of the entire Torah. Moreover, more than any other Jewish scholar, Maimonides has taught us about—thereby preparing us f Parsha Shmos – Take Off the Mask! There are restrictions that have been placed on the study of the mystical teachings of the Torah. These restrictions were not intended as red lights. They were merely stop signs to prepare us for the entry into these very powerful areas of study. Don’t go to areas that are beyond your level; find a Parsha Shmos – Were You Invited to the Inauguration? The capacity to detach oneself from the exalted palace life, literally or figuratively, in order to see another’s plight is the first criterion for a liberator. The second criterion is to never look down at the person one goes out to. And the third criterion is the ability to go into the other perso Parsha Shmos – Whose Who in Exile? In these times of freedom and prosperity we can comfortably say: “You have satisfied us with Your goodness”! So now we can truly appreciate the second part of the prayer: “Gladden our hearts with Your salvation.” G-d for Your own sake bring Moshiach and an end to exile in all of its incarnations and Parsha Shmos – Workaholics and Egyptian Bondage There are people who are so dedicated to their profession or business that they have no sense of time; they are workaholics. Frequently their obsession with constant work will cause them to neglect their families, their religious and Jewish educational responsibilities. For all intents and purposes, Parsha Shmos – Y6k Shabbos is the ultimate expression of freedom. When a Jew liberates himself from work on the day that G-d sanctified, the individual experiences an unparalleled sense of freedom. All the demands made on us from the outside world are suddenly removed. We no longer feel subservient to our employer, th