by Arlene Kushner
Today I participated in a tour of eastern Jerusalem, which incorporated the Shepherd hotel of Sheikh Jarrah as well as part of the Shimon HaTzaddik neighborhood. Other commitments prevent me from doing justice, today, to relevant information regarding this area and its history that I want to share in a posting. And so this will come tomorrow.
We read that how Yitro, Moshe’s father in law, the chieftain of Midyan, heard all that God had done for Moses and for Israel, His people that HaShem had taken Israel out of Egypt.( Exodus 18:1)
What exactly did he hear that prompted his joining Moshe and the people of Israel?
Overview of the Torah Portion Yitro (Exodus 18: 1-20: 23)
Moshe s’ father-in-law, Yitro, hears of the great miracles which G-d performed for the people of Israel, He hears about the splitting of the Red Sea and the war against Amalek. Meaning G-d’s mastery over nature and Man Yitro comes from Midian to the Israelite camp, bringing with him Tziporah Moshe’ wife and two sons.One son was called Gershom, because Moshe said, “I was a stranger in a foreign land( Ger Sham ) and the second who was named Eliezer, because Moshe said”The God of my father came to my aid and rescued me from Pharaoh’s sword.( Eli Ezer)
We see an unusual formulation in the text of our parsha ( Torah portion) that is almost universally translated in a fashion that is clearly different than what the Hebrew actually says.
It begins when the Egyptians set out to recapture the people of Israel”
Egypt ( Mitzrayim) chased after them and overtook them encamped by the sea every horse of Pharaoh’s chariots, his horsemen, and his force beside Pi hahiroth, in front of Ba’al Zephon ( Exodus 14:9)
It ends in the same chapter:
On that day the Lord saved Israel from the hand of Egypt ( Mitzrayim), and Israel saw Egypt ( Mitzrayim), dying on the seashore.31. And Israel saw the great hand, which the Lord had used upon Egypt ( Mitzrayim), and the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in Moses, His servant.( ibid:30)
We read in the book of Shmot, “This month shall be to you the head of the months” (Exod. 12:1).
Yet throughout Jewish history the Jewish new year or Rosh Hashana, has been viewed as occurring on the first day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei.That is the day that traditionally is understood as the day in which the world was created.
Parshat Bo el Paroh – “Come To Pharoah” (Exodus 10:1-13:16)
Spiritual liberation before the physical liberation.
G-d commands them to do three distinct and important actions.To declare a new month, the Seder meal and the Passover sacrifice and the blood on the lintel. Why?
Rabbi Chanan Morrison
The blessings recited over most foods refer to God as the Borei, the Creator: “Creator of fruits of the ground”, “Creator of fruits of the tree”, “Creator of fruits of the vine”, “Creator of types of food”, and so on.
But the blessing for bread — Hamotzi — doesn’t fit this pattern. Before eating bread, we say, “Who brings forth bread from the earth”. Why do we not acknowledge God as the Creator of bread, as we do with other blessings?
How long is the long voyage?. How circuitous must the road to redemption be?. How much patience must this people have to endure the perilous path of exile? These were the painful question that perplexed Moshe in Egypt when he cried out to G-d:
“O Lord! Why have You harmed this people? Why have You sent me? Since I have come to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has harmed this people, and You have not saved Your people.” ( Shmot 5:22)
G-d’s answer was harsh:
“And G-d spoke ( VaYidaber Elokim) to Moshe and said to him, ‘I am Hashem [ibid 6:2]
