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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Shmot
- Bo
"And the Children of Israel, 600,000 males, not counting children, journeyed from Ramses to Sukkot" (12:37).
But this is not the only dramatic event in our Sedra of Bo which hardly draws any attention, & yet is a particularly powerful phenomenon. There is another happening that also seems to somehow slip "under the radar:"
"Hashem granted the people favor in the eyes of Egypt; moreover, the man Moshe was very great in the eyes of the servants of Paro & in the eyes of the people." (11:3)
This is truly an amazing, mystifying statement! Coming as it does after nine plagues, when the country has been decimated physically, financially & emotionally, you would have thought that the average Egyptian – not to mention those in a leadership position – would be incensed with Moshe, that they would blame him for all their problems & consider him Public Enemy #1. And yet, they actually respect him; they actually like him!
This is an even more striking phenomenon considering that in the very next pasuk, Moshe announces that the final, ultimate blow is at hand: Every first-born - who are the elite of Egypt - will die. In fact, "there will not be a single house in the country where there will not be a corpse," even if there is no firstborn to be found there! So how could these same people have a positive feeling about Moshe, the "public face" of the relentless onslaught of the 10 Plagues?
It would seem to be counter-intuitive, but Moshe was respected because, in the end, he represented Truth, & Justice. The Egyptians, deep down, knew that enslaving other people & cruelly denying them all human rights was wrong. They may have benefited from the work of the slaves, but they recognized that no person should have to endure such torture. Moshe, as the one who most prominently stood up for justice & freedom, may at first have been fought against, but ultimately he was admired for his idealism & integrity.
What a message this sends to us! Today, Israel is defamed & denigrated by so many, even dragged to bogus international courts to answer for our "crimes." But we have nothing to apologize for; we are the just, the moral party. We must stand tall & stare the world in the face, proud of our actions. Like Moshe, we shall ultimately be vindicated.
Rabbi Stewart Weiss
Was ordained at the Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, Illinois, and led congregations in Chicago and Dallas prior to making Aliyah in 1992. He directs the Jewish Outreach Center in Ra'anana, helping to facilitate the spiritual absorption of new olim.
Jewish Laws and Thoughts Shul “etiquette:” can we honor Hashem while respecting our fellow congregants?
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Chukat "HOW ENTEBBE STOLE THE BICENTENNIAL
The Difference Between Historic & Eternal"
As we approach America's 250th birthday, it's worth remembering her 200th Bicentennial birthday, on Jul. 4th 1976, when Israel "stole the show" by shocking the world & miraculously saving 101 hostages in a foreign continent. As Pres. As Pres. Trump decides which countries get priority in his new Middle-East, it's worth reminding him of the difference between historic events and eternally historic ones. This obviously connects with this week's parsha, as well!
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 6 - The Parable of the King of India
The advantages of testimony over circumstantial evidence or philosophical speculation.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 5- "Proofs of G-d"
This may be the most important class of the entire book, where we finally get to the Jewish proof of the existence of G-d and truth of the Torah. We should follow His own direction where He tells us how to get to Him: through the Nation of Israel: Jewish history, Jewish prophets (and today, prophecies fulfilled), and national reward & punishment towards Am Yisrael.
Ein Aya One Humanity, One Creator, One Jerusalem
Rav Kook innovatively and beautifully explains this aggadeta where our sages say that after Jerusalem was destroyed her cinnamon fragrance is only found locked in a particular kingdom's treasury.
Shlach Lecha "Why So Many Don't Make Aliya?" - Parshat Shlach
This short article deals with the weird phenomena that every single time Am Yisrael is meant to enter the Land of Israel, throughout the Tanach, 2nd Temple and until today, they "chicken out" and look for excuses. What's the problem with this mitzvah that proves so challenging. The article, based on sources, suggests that the difficulties of Eretz Yisrael is precisely her secret and beauty!
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 4
The class deals with Islam and how the Muslim tries convincing the King of the Khazars, and why he was also rejected.
Beha'alotcha JEWISH STATE= GUIDE TO G-DLINESS & SELFLESSNESS
A Jewish State not only is a good idea, but educates us towards selflessness, altruism and G-dliness in our daily lives.
Ein Aya In Zion Even the Smoke of the Bark is Sweet
Just as Jewish nationalism is different from others, so too our capitol of Jerusalem is totally different than other national capitols. Rav Kook beautifully explains the passage in the Talmud that the trees of Yerushalayim were cinnamon trees.