Parsha Shmot
This post is made in a form of short notes on the basic lessons from the parsha. Before reading this – remember basic principle:
If only to understand events in their historical context back then, – why would we need this unless you are a historian by profession?
But we need to understand and to learn because the morals applied to this Universe are BEYOND TIME!
The lesson is as alive today as it was back then and as it will be in the future.
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Time goes on. New king rose who did not know Joseph – whence no benefits for Israelites any more.
This is not a “historical accident”. This is a God given change. Nation cannot evolve continuously feeding on the benefits of the single event (blessings bestowed on Joseph). New king cuts off old “entitlements” and GRADUALLY introduces harsh order. Transition to the worst is gradual enough to allow a resistance from the nation which is feared by regime (“Let us deal smart with them”- says Pharaoh).
Yet, resistance did not arise. What does it mean? – Israelites accepted the idea imposed by Pharaoh that they should become subjugated. First decree calls for the heavy labor enough to break spirit. “Breaking spirit” is a language to denote a state of mind where mind thoughts become based on idea of being subjugated, no freedom – a typical mind of slave.
Next phase from this “mental subjugation” – heavy labor to break the body – completes physical subjugation.
Lesson: any calamity in the physical world never starts from the heaviest form. It always starts gradually, as if checking out if the potential victim (not yet a true victim but potential only) accepts the role of victim or, otherwise, does he recognize that he is imposed a role which he might not consider himself to be destined to. If individual (or a nation) does not accept this role, a full scale calamity will not unfold. If he accepts the role, next more dramatic phase is surely forthcoming.
Similar sequence of unfolding events could be traced in all the stories of the Holocaust.
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Story of Shifra and Puah.
What should it take to disobey order from the most powerful man in the world – Pharaoh ?
Enough to remember how Moses distorted the words of God in his first meeting with Pharaoh. His fears were obvious even before he took off on the Divine mission – he angered God by continuously refusing to go to Egypt and to pass a Divine message to Pharaoh.
Yet, two Jewish midwives, Shifra and Puah disobeyed the order. They lied to Pharaoh to cover their deeds but they saved Jewish newborn boys. They were rewarded – not only Pharaoh did not execute them (as would be a norm according to the laws of the kingdom) but God rewarded them with their own households – in the midst of the cruelty and oppression of slavery!!!
Lesson: trials might be very harsh. Mass events seemingly do not leave any chance for justice for individual. Yet, there is another dimension for escape from physical reality – escape into the “twilight zone” where all the deeds performed for the sake of King of all kings – for the Creator of all current events… Individual who serves the True Master places himself into another dimension where no earthly king has access to…
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As Moses tended sheep of his father-in-law, God’s angel appeared to him in bush fire. Moses noticed that bush was on fire, yet was not burned. “Moses said to himself: “I must go over there and check out this wonderful phenomenon. Why doesn’t bush burn?”
Curiosity. It is part of the all-around awareness. This awareness goes beyond immediate material needs of individual and therefore it crosses into the spiritual realm. You can always see that more curious individuals are more spiritually charged, and visa versa, all the spiritually charged people always have this trend – curiosity.
Torah highlights this fact in next sentence: “When God saw that Moses was going to check this out, he called him from the bush”.
And sure enough, the curious mind, which investigates the wider scope of reality is ready to respond: “Hineni – Here I am”. The rest is the story of Exodus.
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Purpose of the mission is outlined right from the start:
“All of you (Israel) will become God’s servants on this mountain”. Not for the idealistic “freedom” preached by Rabbinical comments to the Passover holiday. But for replacement of serving human dictator with servitude to the Creator of the World. The Ultimate Goal of human life is to become an intimate servant of the Creator. In the nature of things – it is the same as to become a Self-Realized.
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God’s names.
“What is your name to reveal to Israel?” Asked Moses.
“Ehye Asher Ehye” – “I am Absolute Existence” translation according to Rambam. Strangely, the translation of the #2 commentator in Jewish tradition was never made into any published Torah translation. As if this translation was never discovered by Jewish scholars in his “Guide for the Perplexed” book. Tradition went the Rashi way, making the Eternal Name (the Name which is beyond time) into the future tense – “I will be that I will be”… omitting the fact that time is also an element of creation.
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On pronouncing the God’s name.
Regarding the God’s name YHVH, as taught over centuries by Rabbinical tradition: ” This name cannot be pronounced under any circumstances.”
What does God have to say about pronouncing (calling) His name ?
The answer regarding this Holy name, the Tetragrammaton, is in Exodus 3:15 –
“This is my eternal Name and this is how I must be recalled for all generations.“
Which part of the Divine commandment Rabbis do not understand?
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Moses refuses to go to Egypt for too long, God displayed anger while talking to him.
What is it with Moses?
When he falls deadly sick while on the way to Egypt, there is only one reason – he is still in the Midian’s territory. After two appearances by God encouraging him to go, he is still … stuck. Observe this – after talking to Moses, God talked to Aaron who then took off on the trip to meet Moses and he meets him … where? … near God’s Mountain! Same place where Moses met God first time!!! He is still in Midian land!
As God said later, Moses is the most humble man on the surface of the earth.
“Humble” feature is bordering with indecisiveness, often comes in package with a bit of cowardliness.
Yet, God loves those who are humble. Yet incisiveness is something to be worked out. And so does the Moses later on.
Here he is not the same Moses who will later face Pharaoh in his other subsequent meetings and pass to Pharoh undistorted harsh Divine warnings… The change in Moses’ behavior we will observe in subsequent events is quite dramatic.
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Read in more details my other post on TorahTruth about Moses’ first meeting with Pharoh. He got scared. He distorted God’s message commanded to him. The outcome? Pharaoh decree turned harsh and more unbearable.
Israelites and their taskmasters blamed Moses. In fact, those who understand what happened, are right – it was Moses to be blamed.
Moses complained to God. He still did not understand his own role in new Pharaoh decree.
God answered: “Now you will begin to see what I will do to Pharaoh”.
But we are curious, why God did not make Moses see a complete picture of what is to happen, earlier, without a need to suffer by all Israelites?
Let us think. May be the answer is simple? –
Moses already had to see earlier, since his first encounter with God, but his fear of Pharaoh overshadowed the vision given to him by Divine… He had to see the reality from the time of revelation on God’s Mountain –
– the burning bush and Divine voice
– the miracle of stick turning to snake
– the miracle of his flesh turning to leprosy and back
– the miracle of Aaron following the Divine voice to come to Moses
Should all these be enough for Moses TO SEE the Divine powers at his disposal?
If those powers are misused (like in case of his first meeting with Pharaoh), all Israel would suffer…
If powers are to be used properly (as in subsequent meetings with Pharaoh) all Israel wil be redeemed…
These are the workings of Divine Powers. Back then, today and tomorrow. Learn this and be careful to not misuse them…
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