Click for this TableTalk

THE MEN AND THE BOYS

The Baltimore community has been blessed with the good fortune of having the thoughts of Rav Tzvi Einstadter on Chumash recently published and available to all. The following was culled from Rav Tzvi’s second volume on Sefer Shemos.

In our Parsha the Torah states “And Moshe grew up and he went out to his brothers to share in their difficulties”. This verse indicates a direct correlation between Moshe becoming ‘grown up’ and his sense of responsibility to his brothers. To appreciate this connection let us consider the following.

Click for this TableTalk

WOOD OR ELEPHANT?

As we begin the Book of Shemos in which our people are born, I would like to share an insight presented by the Maharal through which we can appreciate who we, as a people, and how we ought to perceive ourselves. The importance of our self perception goes beyond feeling proud of who we are. It impacts how we feel towards our fellow Jew and the responsibility it places on us.

Everything in this world can be defined in two ways; by its chomer or by its tzura. Chomer is the physical material from which it is made. Tzura is the form which it holds. Let us give two illustrations, the first a concrete the second abstract.

Click for this TableTalk

BOOT CAMP

With this week’s Parsha, Shemos, the Egyptian exile begins and will last 210 years. In the final 86 years of this period, the slavery intensifies. This horrid experience was the prelude to our becoming HaShem’s chosen people. How do we understand this? Should HaShem’s chosen people not have great beginnings instead of horrid degrading slavery? What was the purpose of slavery and how did it prepare us for our destiny?

Click for this TableTalk

MERIT ON CREDIT

In this week’s Parsha, Shemos, when HaShem tells Moshe to tell the Jewish people that He will redeem them, Moshe expresses concern that the people will not believe him. Why was it necessary for the people to believe Moshe that there would be a redemption? There was still a year of the most dramatic miracles in the form of the plagues that was going to transpire before they left Egypt, would that not be enough to convince the people?

Click for this TableTalk

THE TRAVELER AND THE FARMER

In this week’s Parsha, Shemos, the Torah teaches us the power of yearning and hoping.
After informing us of the political atmosphere in Egypt how it was slanted against our people, the Parsha discusses the birth of Moshe. As it continues discussing the development of Moshe the Parsha breaks with the situation in Egypt how it took a turn for the worse and how our people cried out to HaShem. The commentaries explain the reason for this break was to indicate that the next stage of Moshe’s development was a result of our people’s crying out to HaShem. Immediately following that break HaShem appears to Moshe and instructs him to return to Egypt to take his people out. The Parsha is telling us that HaShem chose this moment to appoint Moshe to his mission because the people cried out; their situation had become unbearable.

Click for this TableTalk

THE HISTORICAL ANOMALY

This week’s Parsha, Shemos, begins the second Book of the Five Books, the Book of Shemos. This Book is dedicated to the creation of our people. As we learn this Book we will follow our people’s development from their very genesis through their exodus. As the Book continues we follow our people’s growth until they finally achieve their mission of housing the Presence of HaShem within their camp.