Shmot 5771

Parshah Shmot
Exodus 1:1-6:1 Isaiah 27:6-28:13; 29:22-29:23 (Jeremiah 1:1-2:3)

The word 'Egypt' in Hebrew is transliterated 'Mitsrayim'. This word is said to originate in Genesis 10:6 "the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim (mitsrayim), and Phut, and Canaan." Parsha Shm'ot, which means 'names', picks up the story of the Israelites still in Mitsrayim "And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation." (Shemot 1:6) The title 'names' refers to a list of the twelve brothers in verses 2-4.

The stage is set for a confrontation when we learn "Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph" (1:8)

With the opening of chapter 2 of Shm'ot, the life of Moshe Rabbenu becomes central to the Torah; for it ends with his death in the last verses of Devram. This is a significant point for reflection. The Torah contains all 613 Mitzvot or commandments and a virtually unlimited store of knowledge yet fully
three-fourths of it are related in the course of one man's life time.

The implication is obvious. The Torah is instruction and inspiration for our entire lives. Least this lead to pride, we have the drama of the Israelites and their struggles with piety to remind us man is not the master of creation; though he has the unbelievable power to perceive the master in creation and be the object of the emanation of holiness. Not the 'eyes of the world' but exists to manifest goodness in the world. (I suppose my uptight old self would object to that statement as being full of abstractions, well he was a miserable fool anyway.)

Moshe Rabbenu, of a Levi mother and father we are carefully told, was born into perilous circumstances. Concerned the Israelites might leave the land or side with enemies, Pharaoh institutes a number of policies to weaken them and thin out their numbers. These measures include setting taskmasters over them (11) and hard labor with "mortar and in brick" (14). Despite the Pharaoh's actions the Israelites continued to multiply. Pharaoh then orders the Hebrew midwives to murder all male infants. When "they feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them" he charged all his people to carry out the genocide.

Like these virtuous women (Shiphrah and Puah), Moshe Rabbenu is aligned with life and G*d. Moshe Rabbenu is in a sense to become such a 'midwife' of a people. The nation is born out of Mitsrayim and at Sinai made holy.

To spare him, Moshe Rabbenu parents (identified in the next parsha as Amram and Yocheved, Levi's daughter) set him in a 'ark' on the river. (His sister Miriam is said to watch after him) He is found by the Pharaoh’s sister and named Moshe (from the root for 'take out," because Moshe Rabbenu was taken out of the river. Other sources say his father named him Chaver, and his grandfather called him Avigdor)

By verses 2:11-15, Moshe Rabbenu is a grown old enough that in defense of a Hebrew slave, he kills an Egyptian. When this is discovered and becomes known to Pharoh he flees to Midian.
Interestingly, the Torah relates "And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he smote the Egyptian." This is very important because it implies it was not without
meditation. We can surmise that he identifies himself as strongly as possible with the Hebrews plight and not with the Egyptians.

In Midian, Moshe finds refuge. After defending their flock from other shepherds, Moshe Rabbenu marries Zipporah one of seven daughters of Reuel (Jethro? it reads both) the priest of Midian.
Zipporah bears him a son Gershom (Meaning - stranger in a strange land). (2:16-23) During this time the lot of the Jews in Egypt worsens, the Torah relates "And God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God saw the children of Israel, and God took cognizance of them" (24:25)

In verses 3:1-10, while shepherding flocks (Another strong metaphor), an Angel of the Lord appears to Moshe Rabbenu on Mt. Horeb in a burning bush.

(3) And Moses said: 'I will turn aside now, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.'
(4) And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said: 'Moses, Moses.' And he said: 'Here am I.' (Moses like the Avot says 'Here I am')

It is easy to strongly identify with this 'calling', for G*d calls us all. At this very point, Moshe Rabbenu is called to become the greatest prophet and leader of Israel. (Although the word moshiach means anointed, it is not hard to imagine Moshe Rabbenu as the proto-type of the messiah).

As if this isn't stunning enough, the visitation is on the spot where the Torah will be given because Mt. Horeb is Mt. Sinai.

Though using different prophets and verses for the haftorah both the Ashkenazic Sephardic reflect on Moshe Rabbenu and Aaron as prophets. The Sephardic selection is Jeremiah 1 which includes his
reluctance to become a prophet which mirrors Moshe Rabbenu' request in S4:13. The Ashenazic haftorah portrays the suffering of his time and brings a similar message of deliverance by faith to that of Moshe Rabbenu. In a deeper sense, it shows that even though the prophets lived in the land promised in S3:8, they still suffer. To remember Egypt as we are asked to do daily is on one level a recognition that in each of our lives we face labor and oppression. Many see this as a reason not to believe. My life is dedicated to arguing with them as a friend. I'd start with Pascal's wager paraphrased, if you can't be certain of the existence of G*d you should believe anyway because you have everything to gain, and nothing to lose. I however have been walking that road a long time and
believe in miracles and prophets.

G*d relates his covenants with Abraham, Yitzok, and Yaakov to Moshe. G*d tells Moshe that he has 'seen' the Israelites affliction, 'heard' their cry, and 'knows' their pain. He commands Moshe Rabbenu "Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth My people the children of Israel out of Egypt." (3:10)

Moshe Rabbenu then asks how the people would follow him to which G*d replies that he will be with him. Moshe then says that the people will ask "What is his name?"
to which G*d replies "I AM THAT I AM'; and He said: 'Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel: I AM hath sent me unto you. And God said moreover unto Moshe Rabbenu: 'Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel: The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you; this is My name for ever, and this is My memorial unto all generations. (3:14-15). [Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh] (G*d is the only being and all are just forms of him. Some translate this - I will be what I will be or I am what I will be." Each slightly different in total only suggestive of G*d's nature.

G*d then commands Moshe Rabbenu to go with the elders to the Pharaoh and tell him they will go three days into the wilderness to make sacrifices. Yet clearly G*d states that " I know that the king of Egypt will not give you leave to go." Which corresponds then with the promise that G*d makes in verse 17, "I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, unto a land flowing with milk and honey"

Moshe Rabbenu protests that the Israelites will not believe G*d has appeared to him. So G*d gives him signs to show them and Pharaoh. A rod that can change into serpent,
the power to make and cure leprosy, and the power to make blood of water. Moshe is afraid and feels unworthy (who wouldn't!) He mentions he is slow of tongue (4:10)
G*d replies: And the LORD said unto him: 'Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh a man dumb, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? is it not I the LORD? (4:11)

This again strongly argues that G*d is the reason for our imperfections. Many 'evils' afflict the Israelites in the Torah, and all of us in our lives. We have to strive for faith that they are for greater good and part of G*d's design. (How hard this is to do in the face of a world of betrayal, pain, slavery, war, and genocide!).

Still both humble and scarred, Moshe Rabbenu asks G*d to send someone else to Pharaoh. This greatly angers G*d. Finally G*d declares that Aaron "shall be to thee a mouth, and thou shalt be to him in God's stead." (4:18) Here is a very powerful citation. One thinks of the death of Aaron and Moshe being refused his plea to enter the promised land. The reason was they failed to
sanctify G*d's name at the waters of Meribah Kadesh (Numbers 27:14). Sufficed to say from the start, Moshe was had much given to him and much expected. So to do all the great amongst us but have any
been as great as he? Oh I pray for the day when the like shall come again heralding the new temple.

Continuing to follow the narrative, Moshe returns to Egypt and G*d continues to command be with him and command him. First telling him to threaten Pharaoh, "Israel is My son, My first-born. And I have said unto thee: Let My son go, that he may serve Me; and thou hast refused to let him go. Behold, I will slay thy son, thy first-born." (4:22-23)

Then inexplicably, G*d turns on his chosen prophet. Moshe's journey is now violently disrupted with a few horrifying verses. "And it came to pass on the way at the lodging-place, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him." (4:23) G*d suddenly 'sought' Moshe's death? In the story it is averted by Zipporah circumcising Gershom with the perplexing phrase "Surely a bridegroom of blood art thou to me." (25)

What can this possibly mean? First, one must assume that if G*d 'sought' G*d would succeed. Second, if Gershom wasn't circumcised then Moshe had failed to live by the covenant?

Then the story continues and Moshe relates to Aaron what G*d has commanded him.

Through Aaron and Moshe Rabbenu G*d's message reaches the Jews believe a new (4:31) "they bowed their heads and worshipped."

In 5:1 Moshe Rabbenu beseeches Pharaoh for the first time, "Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel: Let My people go!" (5.1)

Pharaoh reacts by making the work of the slaves harder (They have to gather their own straw when making bricks.) This punishment makes the quotas impossible. They refuse to obey G*d speaking through Moshe (The first time but nowhere near the last!!!) Even Moshe Rabbenu asks G*d
again " wherefore hast Thou dealt ill with this people? why is it that Thou hast sent me?" (5:22)

Although this runs into the next parsha I add it:

6:3 and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, but.." did not with the name of Tetragramaton.

Interestingly, at Torah Study. Rashi pointed out that there was a reference to this name in genesis. We discussed such 'contradictions'. I was slightly rebuked for my insistence that
contradictions are because of our limitations. It was easy to use semantics to reconcile the contradiction but I strongly feel that G*d is just greater than our comprehension. Rabbi,
was concerned that I didn't appreciate the nature of study as 'striving' because I argued that our minds are 'evil'.

I couldn't prove that rationality is pointless using reason. Yet, this is exactly my point. If G*d contradicted himself, he would be limited and not G*d. I do not believe that logic
has such power. I do not believe that we can understand the transcendence of what we see as mutually exclusive. I find it sad that people always question G*d before questioning ourselves.