Torah: Exodus 6:2- 9:35
Haftorah: Ez 28:25-29:21
Aliyot:
1. Ex 6:2-13
2. Ex 6:14-28
3. Ex 6:29-7:7
4. Ex 7:8-8:6
5. Ex 8:7-18
6. Ex 8:19-9:16
7. Ex 9:17-35
Overview: God reveals His mission for Moses to return to Egypt and lead the children of Israel to freedom. However, the winning their release will not come easily. Moses must be a diplomat extraordinaire when confronting Pharaoh. The commitment between man and God is a mutual contract, reminiscent of marriage. The first seven plagues come to pass, touching every aspect of human life as Pharaoh refuses to acknowledge that he is not in control of the universe.
In Focus: Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, "O Lord, why did you bring harm upon this people? Ever snce I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has dealt worse with this people and still You have not delivered Your people. Ex 5:22-23
God spoke to Moses and said unto him, "I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as El Shaddai, but I did not make myself known to them by my name HaShem." /Adonai (YHVH) Ex 6:2
Pharaoh comes into a direct collision course with God. Pharaoh, himself, is worshipped as a god, causing problems to relinquish power. He's like the wagging tail claiming to hold the dog still.
Maimonides (Guide to the Perplexed, Part I Ch LXIII) derives the name El Shaddai from "dai" interpreting the name to mean, "he who is sufficient". What is different between the relationships of the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and that of Moses? God says to Abraham, "Pack your bags and leave," and he does. Not any of them question the identity of God. Each has a personal relationship that does not extend outside of his family or clan. Abraham intervenes in the War of Kings to save his nephew, Lot; but he allows Lot to go his own way in the choice of land settlement and domestic affairs. Abraham argues personally with God to save Lot from the destruction of Sodom.
Moses, though, grew up in the Pharaoh's palace, accustomed to the ritual pomp of the god-king. Although he identifies with the hardship of the Israelites, he does not have the same kind of relationship of the patriarchs. He doubts, questions and challenges God. "What should I say to the Israelites?" He receives an intranslatable cryptic answer of unknown pronunciation that roughly translates as "I am who I shall be", playing on the different interpretations of the indicative verb and its infinitive. Moses is left without a convenient handle to use when interrogated by his new people.
| Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: | View all related messages |
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to Mary C. Legg's The Torah topic, please visit the Discussions page.