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Shemot > Parsha Q & A for Shemot
Shemot - Questions and Answers on the Parsha
Some Possible Answers to the
Questions on the Torah Reading
Exodus, Chapter 1- 5
1. ch. 1, verses 1-9: What transformation takes place?
answer: The Jews go from being 12 sons, or 70 souls, to being
a great nation.
2. v. 8-12: How does this typify Jewish history?
answer: It contains all the classic elements of anti-semitism;
The host nation forgets the valuable contributions which
Jews make. It sees Jews as disloyal, as a possible threat. It sees
the Jews as a nation, even as the Jews may be utterly
disorganized and even assimilated.
3. v. 17, 19: Are the midwives Jewish?
answer: v. 15 speaks of "the midwives of the
Hebrews." Grammatically, it can mean the midwives for the
Hebrews or the
midwives belonging to the Hebrews. Logically, it's hard to believe
Pharaoh would expect Jews to kill Jews. They feared G- d,
but Egyptians can do that too. In v. 19, they seem to speak of the
Hebrews as "them" not "us".
4. ch. 2, v. 1-5: Who are the heroes?
answer: They are anonymous, and the active heroes are women.
It is as if to say, somehow, the redemption came, through some
anonymous people, mere agents of a Divine plan. The prominence of
women here can be viewed in one of two ways; 1) The Talmud
simply says that it was in the merit of righteous women that the
redemption came about. 2) The slavery rendered the men weak
and inactive. The women were forced to take the lead, and they did.
5. v. 11-21: Describe Moses' youth and personality.
answer: He had the advantage of a full Egyptian education. He
then faced an identity crisis; The Midianite daughters saw
him as an Egyptian, and yet he identified with the Hebrews'
affliction. He tried to help his brothers but they betrayed
him. He is portrayed as passionate in his quest for justice and
brotherhood. The Torah places in the mouth of one of the
people he admonished, a foreshadowing of his role to be, " Who
made you as an officer and a judge over us?"
6. ch. 3, v. 1-10: What does the bush symbolize?
answer: 1) That G-d suffers along with his people. 2) That
the people may suffer but they will not be destroyed.
6a. v. 7-10: What is the essence of his mission?
answer: While G-d's mission is to bring the Israelites out of
slavery and into Israel, Moshe's mission is just to take them
out. This foreshadows Moshe's death before the arrival in Canaan.
7. ch. 3-4: Moshe complains. ch. 5, v. 22-23: How does Moses' mood
change, as he says, "Why have you made matters so bad for this
nation? Since I have come to Pharaoh things have only gotten worse, and
you certainly haven't saved your people!" (see the book of Judges 6,
11)
answer: Whereas initially, Moshe seems unmoved by G-d's
mission, now he begins to stir his natural emotions about
injustice, his empathy for suffering.
8. ch. 4, v. 14: Note the beauty of it. Why is Aaron chosen later to be
the High Priest?
answer: Aaron's ability to be totally devoid of jealousy is so
admirable, it outweighs the fact that he later is
responsible for the golden calf.
9. Try to explain v. 24-6: The angel tries to kill Moses or his baby.
answer: Nobody can totally explain v. 24-6. Although G-d chose
Moses, part of G-d (so to speak) wants to kill him. No person is
worthy of being chosen, and certainly not of arguing with G-d. One
cannot anger G-d without paying a price.
Furthermore, G-d is sending a strong message to this man with a
confused identity, that though he may be part Egyptian,
though he may not be able to feel the pain of those undergoing a
subjugation he never experienced, it behooves him to identify as a
Jew, to circumcise his son, to see himself as a part of his lost
family. This story may also be an allusion to the fact that
ultimately, his devotion to the community will mean the sacrifice of
his personal life. Moses' great grandchildren are recorded in the
book of Judges (18, 30) as having worshiped idols. |
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