Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat (link to original page) Parashat Shemot THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PERSONS THAT WERE OF JACOB'S ISSUE CAME TO SEVENTY, YOSEF ALREADY BEING IN EGYPT. YOSEF DIED, AND ALL HIS BROTHERS, AND ALL THAT GENERATION. BUT THE ISRAELITES WERE FERTILE AND PROLIFIC; THEY MULTIPLIED AND INCREASED VERY GREATLY, SO THAT THE LAND WAS FILLED WITH THEM. (Shemoth I:5-7)   "They multiplied and increased very greatly… " "I will bestow my blessing upon you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven and the sands on the seashore; and your...

Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat (link to original page) Parshat Shemot "Now let me turn aside that I may see . ." – I will observe and see 'why the bush does not burn up' – why , with all their beatings cannot the Egyptians prevail, similar to "and they shall burn it and devour it." (Sforno, Shemot 3:3) "There Is No Place Where He Is Not" Said Rabbi Eliezer: Just as the bush is the lowliest of all the world's trees, so were the Israelites low and degraded in Egypt, therefore the Holy One revealed...

Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat Shemot (link to original page) Parshat Shemot "All Those Who Seek Your Life Have Died" by Yaakov Bing At the burning bush, G-d appointed Moshe to carry out a great mission: to approach Pharaoh and take the Children of Israel out of Egypt. G-d saw the distress of His people in Egypt and heard their cry. Moshe tries to refuse G-d's command and claims that the mission is too great for him ("Who am I?"). The Children of Israel won't believe him, he isn't a man of "words", and even refuses...