In Parshat VaEra (Shmot 9:18-19) we encounter the plague of hail: Tomorrow at this time, I will cause it to rain a tremendously heavy hail. There was never anything like it in Egypt, from the time that it was founded until now. Now send word and gather your...
Parshat VaEra (Shmot 6:6-8) lists five languages of redemption: I will bring you out (v’hotzeiti) from under the burdens of Egypt. I will save you (v’hitzalti) from slavery. I will redeem you (v’ga’alti) with an outstretched arm and with acts of great judgments. I...
In Parshat Shmot (Shmot 4:10) when God first chooses Moshe for the job of taking B’nai Yisrael out of Egypt, Moshe explains: “I am not a man of words- not since yesterday, not since the day before- not from the time You first spoke to Your servant, for...
In Parshat VaEra, we read about the first seven plagues. The third plague (Shmot 8:12-15) especially resonates with anyone who had an outbreak of lice in their home, school, camp or community: God said to Moshe, “Say to Aharon, Extend your rod and strike the...
In Parshat VaEra (Shmot 6:23), we are introduced to Elisheva:“Aharon took Elisheva, daughter of Aminadav, sister of Nachshon, for a wife and she gave birth to Nadav, Avihu, Elazar and Itamar.”We learn in the Talmud, Zvachim 102a and in the Midrash,...
Sponsored by David Frankel commemorating the 5th yahrzeit of his mother, Basha bat David z”lAccording to the Midrash, Shmot Raba 10:7, the dust in Egypt was transformed into lice to punish the Egyptians who forced B'nai Yisrael to sweep up the...
In Memory of David Margolin z”l on his 36th YahrzeitI made aliya 14 1/2 years ago with my husband and two young children. We all read Yediot Aharonot every day. We are Israelis with citizenship and ID cards just like our third son who was born in Israel. We...
In the beginning of Parsha VaEra (Shmot 6:1-3), Elokim, God appears to Moshe and says: “I am HaShem, the Lord. I revealed Myself to Avraham, to Yitzchak and to Yaakov as E-l (Almighty) Shaddai, but by My Name the Lord (HaShem) I did not make myself known to...
A few weeks ago, in Parshat Vayeshev (Breisheet 40:11) we read Pharaoh’s butler’s description of his dream which mentioned Pharaoh’s cup three times: “Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand. I took the grapes and squeezed them into...
Sponsored by Barbara BEISS Muskin in memory of, zecher nismat SARAH BEISS, SARAH BAT YITZHAK EISIKIf Pharaoh was the one who had the idea to enslave B’nai Yisrael, then why did the plagues affect all of the Egyptians? Did the Egyptians deserve a...
In Parshat Vaera, God requests that Moshe ask Aharon to perform the first three plagues:Shmot 7:19, God said to Moshe, “Say to Aharon, ‘Take your rod and extend your hand over the waters of Egypt- over the rivers, over their canals, over their lakes,...
As a teenager from New York, I spent three summers in France immersed in the Jewish community through a program called The French Jewish Connection. My high school math teacher, Mr. Harvey Blech z”l couldn’t understand why I went to France on...
In Parshat Shmot we read about when God appears to Moshe at the burning bush. Moshe asks God how the Jewish people will believe that he was sent by God. God tells him (Shmot 4:3) “Throw it (the rod) on the ground. He threw it on the ground and it turned into...
In Parshat VaEra, Shmot 6:23 we read: “Aharon took Elisheva, daughter of Aminadav, sister of Nachshon, for a wife and she gave birth to Nadav, Avihu, Elazar and Itamar.” Why does the Torah bring us so much background information about Elisheva,...
In Parshat Vaera, we see that Pharaoh’s sorcerers through their incantations were able to duplicate the staff turning into a snake as well as the plagues of blood and frogs. When it came to the third plague, the sorcerers were not able to produce the...
“…Behold I shall strike your entire boundary with frogs. The river shall swarm with frogs and they shall ascend and come into your palace and your bedroom and your bed and into the house of your servants and of your people and into your ovens...
In the beginning of Parshat VaEra, God appears to Moshe and reestablishes the covenant that He made with Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov. The Land of Israel will be given to the Jewish people. God is now ready to take B'nei Yisrael out of slavery and bring them to the...
In Parshat Vaera (Shmot 6:6-8) God tells Moshe "Say to B.nai Yisrael I am God Vehotzeiti- I will bring you out from under the burdens of Egypt, Vehitzalti- I will save you from their slavery. Vega.alti- I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with acts of...
In Shmot Raba 9:8 the following question is asked: “Why were the waters first transformed into blood? The answer: Pharaoh and the Egyptians worshiped the Nile. God said “I will strike first his god and then his nation!”Mishnat R. Eliezer 19 asks...