Parsha Moment

Why by the plague of the firstborn did the Jewish people need to do something to protect themselves? Why by this plague was Pharaoh informed when the plague would arrive? The plague of the firstborn unlike the previous nine was to punish. Many Jews were idol worshipers and they may have needed to be punished as well therefore they had to protect themselves. The plague occurred at midnight because...

Those Jews who wanted to stay in Egypt because they loved the land they perished. Those Jews who were frightened to leave because they felt living in the desert would be far worse than living in Egypt they were driven out by Pharaoh

In this week's have Torah we read how the mighty army of nebuchadnetzar defeats the army of mitzrayim one of the reasons given for this battle was to convince the The handful of Jews who had still not come to believe in the prophecies of yechezkel we see from this that we need to do whatever we can no matter what it takes to encourage one single Jew to do an extra mitzvah.

Why by the plague of hail did the hail contain within it fire as well? To impress upon Pharaoh even though your nature is to want to subjugate the Jewish people you must still listen to G-d's instruction to let them go free. As we see by the hail that fire and water were able to coexist and go against their nature to fulfill the desire of G-d

The ultimate reason for the plagues and indeed the reason for everything that occurs in the world is for the Jewish People

Aaron's staff swallowed the staff's of Pharaoh's sorcerers not when it was the snake but when it reversed back into being the staff. To use a staff you need two qualities you must be like Aaron and love every Jew and conditionally and secondly you cannot be in the state of a snake full of venom and anger when you need to discipline someone. Rather you need to be like the staff that is not driven b...

Why are we informed that Amrom married his aunt Yocheved a relationship that is prohibited after the giving of the Torah? It is prohibited because it is a union of such spiritual heights that the average person could not experience. However great people were able to create a union with such spiritual heights.

Hashem informs Moshe that He appeared to Abraham Isaac and Jacob and they did not question his actions. Rashi tells us that Hashem appeared to our forefathers. What is Rashi trying to add with this information we know very well that Abraham Isaac and Jacob were our forefathers? Since they were our forefathers we inherit their qualities and we too should strive to accept the will of God just as our...

When nitel falls on Friday night

Moshe was concerned since the Jewish people were not united they therefore could not be considered one nation rather they would be viewed as groups of individuals. And only the Jewish nation was to be redeemed from Egypt not the Jewish individual.

Why was Moses instructed to remove his shoes by the burning bush? The verse tells us because the land was holy. Similarly the priest in the temple would work without shoes on. We wear shoes to separate ourselves from the mundane and the physical the worldly. In the temple where the earth and the ground was holy we did whatever we could to connect to that level of spirituality and therefore the pri...

The lesson we learn from Moshe leaving the palace and seeing to the needs of his fellow Jew

Whas it a new pharoah or did he just forget Yoseph ? Rashi shares 2 opinions Rav and Shmuel and both are consistent with their main focus of learning

By creation on the first day it says the word light oir five times. Let there be light. The whole book of Shmot is about going from darkness to light firstly the Exodus from Egypt secondly the giving of the Torah and thirdly the building of the Tabernacle

Why didn't Lev and Joseph carry the ark the coffin of their father yakov? Moishe carried the coffin of Yosef? With the passing of yakov the servitude began but as long as Joseph and then Levy were still alive it did not begin in full earnest. Therefore it would have been inappropriate for Levy and Yosef to be involved in carrying yakov's coffin which represents beginning of servitude when they in...

The custom is that the Sandek the person who holds the boy at a bris can only be Sandek for one boy in the family. If so how was it possible for Yosef to be the Sunday for the son's of Mochir? We compare the Sundek to bringing the ketores in the Bes Hamikdosh. The high priest could bring the ketores as many times as he wanted likewise the head of a community will be compared to the high priest and...

Yakov neshama contained within it the souls of all Jews to the end of time. Therefore when we are told that yakov did not pass away it means that every Jew has within them part of the soul of yakov and therefore yakov is alive physically not in his own body as that body passed away but rather in the body of all the Jewish people till end of time.

The fact that the enemy surrounded the walls of Jerusalem on this day is also offering us an insight on how we can turn this day into a day of happiness. By surrounding the walls the Jews were not allowed to leave and no one could enter so in a sense the Jews were physically one. But we needed to have done was to become united in spirit as well

Why does yakov tell Joseph that I want to bless your two sons ephraim and menasha who were born in Egypt isn't it obvious that they were born in Egypt? This is to impress upon us that Jacob valued them greatly even though they were not exposed to any religious family members they still remain faithful to their tradition and their faith

Since we are following in the footsteps of yakov he too is very much still alive. Even though we have experienced great suffering throughout our history. And the exile has been lengthy we still walk in the footsteps of yakov. This further brings home the notion that yakov is very much still alive

Why was yakov scared to leave Israel he had left before? He believed that the Jewish nation would flourish only in Israel. He wasn't concerned about him leaving he was concerned about the future of the Jewish people. Therefore Hashem told him don't worry when you get to Egypt I will make you into a great nation.

Why did Yosef specifically send his father old wine? He knew that his father had not drunk wine for the whole period of time that he was not in his father's household. He also was a strong belief that one day he would be reunited with him so he put away wine which matured over time that he would one day present to his father

Why did yehuda confront Joseph and and as the midrash says was willing to go to war. How could he possibly imagine that he could defeat the mighty Egyptian army? Yehuda new that based on reason and logic he would not be successful. However desperate situations call for desperate actions and he would do whatever it took to save his brother. And this is a message for every parent as well

Why is the last day of chanuka called zois chanukah?

Why did the miracle occur with the menora and not with any of the other activities that took place in the beis hamikdosh? The purpose of the Menora was to demonstrate Hashem's love for the Jewish people therefore the miracle took place with the menorah to further demonstrate Hashem's love for the Jewish people.