The Ten Plagues that were sent to persuade Pharaoh to let the Children of Israel leave Egypt. Originally the request was for temporary leave but the longer the negotiations dragged, the heavier the price became! That’s a lesson! But what were the plagues and why did it require ten of them to change Pharaohs mind? Some argue that they were,…
Author: Jeremy Rosen
Who was Pharaoh?
The challenging question that these early chapters of Exodus raise is whether Pharaoh had any freedom to act or was it all determined when God says, “I will harden his heart”? Perhaps he had no choice at all. On the other hand, you might say that everything about Pharaoh’s background and education made his response predictable. After all he was…
What Makes a Great Leader?
The Book of Genesis, Bereishit, ends with Joseph as the primary character. Exodus, Shemot, introduces us to Moses. Both are emblematic of the Jewish people. The greatness of our tradition is that it has survived conquests, tragedies, oppression, near extinction and yet somehow has managed to overcome them. Some see this as the result of Divine Intervention. But Divine Intervention…
A New King
There is a well-known difference of opinion as to whether “A new king arose in Egypt who did not know Joseph” means literally a new king, or one who changed his mind. A new king could have been the result of an invasion and a completely new rule, like when Cyrus of Persia defeated Babylon and created the Persian Empire.…
The Role of Women
We read about Shifra and Pua the two midwives who defied Pharaoh’s instructions to kill the Israelite male children. Their reward was establishing dynasties within the Children of Israel. Think of the times. Kings, Pharaohs had the power to kill at a whim. To try to eliminate a whole nation. It must have taken amazing fortitude and huge risk to…
Moses Runs Away
Sometimes even the bravest of men have to know when to get out of the way and lie low. Moses, brought up in the Palace, went out to see “his people.” It was clear where his loyalty was. Moses struggled with both Egyptian and Israelite opposition. And after killing an Egyptian task master he flees towards Midian. There he arrives…