Slavery in Egypt
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Shmot 12: The Hidden World of Korban Pesach
Rabbi David Fohrmanתאריך פרסום: תשע"ג | | Hour and 18 minutes
There seems to be a disconnect between the book of Bereisheet and the book of Shemot. After reading narratives about families in Bereisheet, we begin the book of Shemot to find Bnei Yisrael enslaved. How do the two books fit together? We contend that they indeed fit together in a profound way. We explore this as we examine linguistic and literary devices in the passages detailing Korban Pesach.
"They were fruitful and increased greatly and multiplied and became mighty"
Rabbi Yaakov MedanHow long was the exile in Egypt? 420 years, or 210 years? How many generations passed between the descent to Egypt and the redemption? How is it possible that 70 people descended to Egypt, and 600,000 emerged?
By the Virtue of Righteous Women
Rabbi Yaakov MedanAs learned in the laws of Pesach, women participated in the miracle of Pesach in an active manner, and not merely as “people who were redeemed”. How were women connected to the deliverance of Israel? As we can see by examining the text, although Moshe was the key figure in the exodus from Egypt, Moshe’s actions were undoubtedly influenced by those righteous women who surrounded him from the moment of his birth – righteous women by whose virtue the people of Israel were delivered.
Moshe: National Leader and Divine Representative
Rabbi Yair KahnThe story of the beginning of Moshe's leadership in the beginning of sefer Shemot seems to be interrupted by the list of the family lineage of Moshe and Aharon, which seems entirely out of place. However, a close examination of the verses in question will reveal a sharp difference regarding the role of Moshe Rabbeinu, as described at the beginning and the end of the chapter, and Moshe's lineage is critical specifically for the role described at the end. By noticing these differences we can gain a new understanding about Moshe's leadership and his unique role as the representative of God.
The Exodus from Egypt as a Social Revolution
Rabbi Meir Lichtensteinתאריך פרסום: תש"ע | |
Why is the Exodus a cornerstone of our identity as Jews? What was so important about the transformation that Am Yisrael underwent during the Exodus and in the desert? By going back to the stories in Sefer Bereishit and examining the nature of society, we can see many examples of what it means to be a self-sufficient civilization, disconnected from God, morals, and ethical principles. The experience of the Exodus is meant to teach us how to revolutionize a society, and how to build a civilization while simultaneously always standing before God.
The Length of the Sojourn in Egypt
Rabbi Michael HattinHow many years was Am Yisrael's slavery in Egypt? The Torah's stated period of four hundred and thirty years is difficult to corroborate, for elsewhere the Torah indicates that the period of enslavement could not possibly have extended for so long. The commentaries strive to reconcile this number with the rest of the chronology that the Torah provides concerning this event. However, if we begin the count with Avraham's initial journey from his birthplace of Ur, we can realize that the story of the descent to Egypt and the enslavement is thus recast as part of a much larger matrix, one that is characterized by the unsettled state of wandering and homelessness. His life of trust, of trial and of eventual triumph is thus reflected in the lives of his descendents, who eventually emerge from the crucible of Egypt as a nation.
Parshat Bo
Rabbi Menachem LeibtagAlready four hundred years before the Exodus, Pessah was celebrated in the city of Sdom! According to Rashi, Lot baked matzot, because his guests arrived on Pesach. At first glance, this statement seems rather absurd, for what possible meaning could there be in commemorating an event which had not yet taken place! While examining the purpose and significance of the Korban Pesach, we uncover the fundamental biblical theme of "Yom Hashem". This theme helps us understand the relationship between the destruction of Sdom and the process of Yetziat Mitzraim.
Prophecies to Egypt
Dr. Tova GanzelEgypt’s long-term stability in the region, its geographic proximity, and its historic connection with Israel form the foundation of Yehezkel’s prophecies to this country. The prophet points an accusing finger at Egypt in three areas:
The first and most central accusation, common to Tzor and Egypt, is the sin of arrogance towards God. The kings of Tzor and of Egypt attribute their successes to themselves. They pride themselves on their successes, boast about them, and scorn the God of Israel. However, the prophet assures Egypt that even when the Temple is in ruins and God’s nation is exiled, it is God Who determines the fate of all nations, including Egypt, and its king.
This was a period when Egypt hoped to become a superpower with influence beyond the region, following the fall of Assyria and prior to Babylon reaching its zenith. Therefore, Egypt encouraged Tzidkiyahu to rebel against Babylon which ultimately brought upon the downfall of Yehuda. Yehezkel’s prophecies put an end to the possibility of an Egyptian empire, not only in the worldly realm, but also from the Divine perspective. From now onwards, as in the past, Egypt will be a “lowly kingdom,” not an empire.
Finally, Egypt is accused of the religious harlotry that infiltrated Israel.
Sara, Hagar, and the Egyptian Oppression
Rabbi David SilverbergTanakh and Archaeology
Part 5 - The Exodus
Rabbi Amnon BazakUntil recently, doubts as to the veracity of the story of the exodus were rejected out of hand by most biblical scholars in Israel for two reasons:
- The unlikeliness that a people would invent a tradition of subjugation at the very outset of their existence.
- The many mentions of the Exodus from Egypt in the Bible as a central event in the life of the nation.
Nevertheless, the arguments that are raised against the veracity of the Biblical story of the Exodus and deny the servitude in Egypt are based on various claims of lack of evidence and instances of anachronism.
It must be emphasized that theories based on a lack of evidence must be treated with much reservation. As to the absence of any mention of the exodus in Egyptian records, we must take into account that kings of the ancient world, including the pharaohs, used to construct monuments glorifying their victories and achievements, not their defeats and failures.
In the case of the exodus there is proof that the narrator possesses extensive knowledge about the details of the period in question, and especially the sort of details that changed in later times. Had the biblical account indeed been written only in the 7th century B.C.E, it hardly seems likely that the narrator could integrate such precise details of Egyptian reality some six hundred years prior to his or her own time.
Two Chapters - Two Perspectives
Rabbi Dr. Tamir GranotThe transition from Chapter 1 to Chapter 2 of sefer Shemot is the change from a general, historiographical overview to a personal, biographical one.
We may describe the same chronicle on two different levels. On one hand, the national process; on the other hand, we see the private story of Moshe. The descriptions parallel and complement one another. Each contains that which the other fails to convey. Here lies the crux of the introduction to Sefer Shemot: the realization that both chapters are taking place at the same time, in parallel; that these are not events that are following one another, but rather occurring simultaneously – this changes our understanding of the relationship between slavery and redemption, between anguish and salvation.
The Matza Mystery - The Meaning of the Command to Eat Matza Prior to the Exodus
Rabbi Yair Kahnתאריך פרסום: תשע"ג | |
Sefer Shemot describes how Bnei Yisrael baked matza as they were being rushed out of Egypt because they didn't have time to wait for the leavening process in bread. But there was already a law about matza that appeared in the instructions before the Pesach in Egypt. - that Bnei Yisrael were to eat the lamb with matza and maror. Why are Bnei Yisrael commanded to eat matza for Pesach Mitzrayim-- what is the symbolism for the matza before Bnei Yisrael left in haste? We find clues in earlier chapters in Shemot as well as in the Brit Bein HaBetarim (Covenant Between the Parts) that present the matza as paralleling two different parts of the exodus. Multiple aspects of the matza experience are important in commemorating the Exodus, as the matza may symbolize the enslavement, oppression (innuy), and redemption.
In the Land of Egypt - In the Land of Goshen
Rabbi David SilverbergRamses or Ra'amses - Rashi and Ibn Ezra
Rabbi David SilverbergSheep that Egyptians Exchanged for Grain
Rabbi David SilverbergA Quick Look at Vaeira - Moshe's Announcement and Bnei Yisrael's Responses
Rabbi Ezra Bick | 7 minutesThe parsha begins with Bnei Yisrael not listening to Moshe. What happened? Bnei Yisrael were first excited, and then, after Moshe speaks to Pharaoh again, they do not listen out of “shortness of spirit.” What does this mean? What accounts for this change?
Shemot - Purpose and Nature of Exile
Rabbi Jonathan Snowbell | 20 hoursParashat Shemot makes us think of many issues of galut and geula (exile and redemption). -What is the nature and purpose of this exile? Is it a punishment for the selling of Yosef? But how would this explain God telling Avraham that his descendants would be enslaved for hundreds of years, after which they would leave triumphantly?
Should we really be asking why the exile happened, or what our response should be - what behavior or changes should exile prompt?
Re'eh: The Strange Laws Of Jewish Slavery
Rabbi David Fohrman |In this week's parsha, we are given the commandments relating to a Jew having a Jewish slave. The laws here seem strange: we give gifts to the slave? If he wants to stay, we must pierce his ear? Rabbi Fohrman goes through these oddities to show us that the Torah is reminding us of our own national slavery in Egypt.
If you enjoyed this video, please visit AlephBeta.org to watch more.Parshat Shemot Part 1: Israel in Egypt: Enslavement and Genocide
Dr. Yael Ziegler | 36 minutesThis podcast starts Sefer shemot with the story of the beginning of enslavemet and Pharaoh’s terrible decree against Bnei Yisrael. A close examination of the text reveals the shift from Avraham’s family into the nation of Israel.
Courtesy of www.tanachstudy.com
Pharaoh’s Decrees
Rabbanit Dr. Michal TikochinskyEikha: Chapter 1 (Continued 1)
Shiur #11
Dr. Yael ZieglerPicking up the theme of loneliness from the previous verse, this verse emphasizes the haunting absence of comforters. Tears remain undried on Jerusalem’s face; emptied of her inhabitants, the city lacks community or consolers. Loved ones have abandoned her; friends betray her.
Throughout these two verses we pick up on the themes of friends, betrayals, exile, and hints at the slavery in Egypt. In requesting that God see her afflictions, Jerusalem endeavors to enlist the compassionate God who redeemed His nation from Egypt and returned them to the land of their forefathers. The echoes of Egypt may sound ominous, but they also allude to God’s eternal promise, His assurance of divine commitment. Evoking the Egyptian exile at this early stage of the Babylonian exile hints to the possibility of redemption and offers a quiet message of hope.
Parshat Shemot Part 6: Moshe and Aaron's First Meeting with Pharaoh: Disaster and Despair
Dr. Yael Ziegler | 36 minutesThis final podcast of Parshat Shemot describes the initial stages of Moshe’s mission- the meeting between Moshe and Aharon, the exhibition of the signs, and their clash with Pharaoh and the nation.
Courtesy of www.tanachstudy.com
Competing and Completing Perspectives:Yehoshua, Yechezkel, and our Idolatrous Forefathers
Atara Snowbell | 52 minutesThe overwhelming biblical evidence of widespread idolatry by Bnei Yisrael in Egypt is countered by the glaring omission of this detail in the story of the Exodus from Egypt. We will analyze these contradictory perspectives, and discuss the timeless and contemporary messages they represent.
A certain man of the house of Levi went …
Rabbanit Dr. Michal Tikochinsky…in the morning, as he is coming out to the water
Rabbanit Dr. Michal Tikochinsky“Due to the Virtue of Righteous Women”: Their Heroic Stand Against Egyptian Tyranny
Rabbi Yair Kahnתאריך פרסום: 2023 | | Hour and 3 minutes
According to our sages, during the enslavement in Egypt, women played a crucial role in leading the nation to freedom. We will examine the scriptural roots from which this conclusion seemingly sprouted and attempt to understand why the singular feminine contribution was critical at this specific historical juncture.