…a slave and serves in Potiphar’s house. There, Potiphar’s wife accuses him of a crime he did not commit, so he is sent to prison. The descriptions of Egypt in Bereishit, unlike those in Shemot, do not speak of violence but, as the Yosef story makes pointedly clear, there is immorality and injustice. The book of Bereishit gives us the…
…or in the middle of Bnei Yisrael? (See below for the answers) This Week’s Parsha Puzzle Answer: Moshe was at the back. The Ralbag says that this showed ultimate faith, as he was the most vulnerable to the approaching armies (Ralbag Shemot 14:19). This question has been adapted from Torah IQ by David Woolf, a collection of 1,500 Torah riddles,…
…Parsha Puzzle Question: When Bnei Yisrael heard God’s Voice at Har Sinai, how far back did they retreat in fear? (Have a guess, then check Rashi or see below for the answer.) (See below for the answers) This Week’s Parsha Puzzle Answer: According to Rashi (on Shemot 20:15) they fell back 12 ‘mil’. An amah (cubit) is approximately 1.5-2 feet…
This article was written in addition to the weekly C&C articles published by Rabbi Sacks in 2006-2007 (5767). It can be viewed as a bonus piece on parshat Shemot, for additional study of the story of Moshe, and how it contrasts to Greek myth. It was Freud’s greatest Freudian slip, and for some reason his commentators, at least those I’ve…
…hints are fascinating. At the beginning of the book of Shemot, God told Moshe that Aharon is “already on his way to meet you, and he will be glad to see you.” These sound like simple words, but they are far from common. Moshe was Aharon’s younger brother, three years his junior. It would have been natural for Aharon to…
…(See below for the answer) This Week’s Parsha Puzzle Answer: The passuk says “vaya’as Betzalel et ha-aron” – “and Betzalel made the Aron” (Shemot 37:1). Rashi says he is personally credited because he dedicated himself to this work so wholeheartedly. This question has been adapted from Torah IQ by David Woolf, a collection of 1,500 Torah riddles, available on Amazon….
…Yosef from his brothers travel via camel. In Shemot the camels are struck by the plague of pestilence. This week (Vayikra 11:4), and in Devarim (14:7) camels are listed as a non-kosher animal. This question has been adapted from Torah IQ by David Woolf, a collection of 1,500 Torah riddles, available on Amazon. DOWNLOAD AND PRINT THE FAMILY EDITION >…
The Summary This summary is adapted from this week’s main Covenant & Conversation essay by Rabbi Sacks. One of the most striking features of the Torah is its emphasis on love of and vigilance toward, the ger, the stranger: Do not oppress a stranger; you yourselves know how it feels to be strangers, because you were strangers in Egypt. Shemot…
…2012 Let’s zoom in on the usage of the word ‘charut’ by the Torah and see how Pirkei Avot connects it to ‘cherut’ – freedom. Pirkei Avot, analysing the verse in Shemot teaches us as follows: וְאוֹמֵר וְהַלֻּחֹת מַעֲשֵׂה אֱלֹהִים הֵמָּה וְהַמִּכְתָּב מִכְתַּב אֱלֹהִים הוּא חָרוּת עַל הַלֻּחֹת, אַל תִּקְרָא חָרוּת אֶלָּא חֵרוּת, שֶׁאֵין לְךָ בֶן חוֹרִין אֶלָּא מִי שֶׁעוֹסֵק…
…a holy nation.” This helps us understand the details of the book of Shemot. Painting doorposts with blood (Shemot. 12:7) is part of the separation stage, with the door symbolising leaving old life behind. The division of the Red Sea is a symbolic enactment of transition. Then began forty years of wandering. The journey through the desert was a time…