From TorahVort.com
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Shalom! This week’s reading is both packed with stories and mitzvot. Arguably one of the most detailed readings in the Torah. This weeks Parshah actually starts off with the eighth of the ten plagues, the plague of Locusts. Pharaoh still didn’t learn his lesson and allow the Jewish people to go by this point and Hashem in retribution brought swarms of Locusts all over the land of Egypt, which destroyed nearly all the rest of the natural food supply which was not destroyed in the previous plague, the plague of Hail. Pharaoh requested then of Moshe to stop the plague, Moshe prayed and the plague terminated. Moshe was then instructed by Hashem, to request of Pharaoh to let all the people go for three days so they could make sacrifices to Hashem, taking along with them all the children, possessions and animals that they possessed. However, when Moshe requested this off Pharaoh, he agreed to let them go, however only on the condition that they leave the children and wives behind. Moshe could not agree, as when the Jews are serving Hashem, we believe in the religion that all activities, especially prayers, meals, lectures, should include people of all ages. Part of the point of Judaism is to include the children and all family members. In fact the whole point of the ‘Seder night’ during Pesach is for the children to ask questions on the topic of leaving the land of Egypt. As Pharaoh didn’t agree, the plague of Darkness befell in the land of Egypt which had serious ramifications. In fact, unlike all other plagues, the Jews were also affected badly in this plague. The Darkness was so thick that during the second half period of the plague, no Egyptians could even move, many of the Egyptians perished. However all the ‘non believing’ Jews also perished, those that denied G-d, obsessed with idolatry and assimilated totally into Egyptian culture. In fact the sages teach, that as much as 80% of the Jews died during this plague, however, they died an instantaneous death and were buried almost immediately so that none of the Egyptians would realize that Jews perished during this plague, which would then lead the Egyptians to further deny Hashem’s ways. None of the other Jews were affected directly by the plague, in fact, the rest of the Jews were commanded by Hashem to visit the Egyptians houses and see what possessions they owned, so that when later leaving the land, later on, they could claim some possessions due to the strenuous unpaid labour work the Egyptians had tortured them to do. This plague lasted 6 days in total and wiped out a very large part of the countries population. Pharaoh this time, in a temper, arrived to Moshe requesting that the plague be terminated, Moshe prayed for it to end and then instantaneously warned Pharaoh about the coming ‘tenth plague’ they plague of the killing of the first born – which in turn could kill Pharaoh as he was a first born. Then the storyline takes a break and the reading progresses explaining details on the laws about Rosh Chodesh and Korban Pesach (which I will write about in second part of Dvar Torah). On the night of 14th Nissan in the year 2448, the plague of the slaying of the first born commenced, killing all the Egyptian first born males at exactly midnight, in fact, all first born Egyptian’s born to different fathers also perished. The Egyptian women were so immoral, that they had shared children on average with about ten different men each, which shows the level of adultery taking place in the country at that time!! Pharaoh, with his life at serious threat (as he was a first born) screamed out load to the whole Hebrew nation ‘YOU ARE ALL FREE, PLEASE LEAVE THE COUNTRY NOW!’ however, Moshe, under Hashem’s instruction, said that they would leave the following morning, as it is dangerous to set out on a journey at night. In fact while all the Egyptian firstborns were being killed, The Jews were instructed to eat from the Korban Pesach (Pesach sacrifice) in a luxurious banquet like aristocrats. The only first born that actually survived this plague was Pharaoh, he would be allowed to live so that he would witness the Jews having the sea split for them and recognising that Hashem is the real G-d. In fact, there are very strong opinions that Pharaoh survived the destruction of the Egyptians at the sea also and then went on to live a very long life and became a huge Kiruv worker, proclaiming G-d’s greatness to the world. Strong opinions actually say he later on promoted a mass repentance almost 500 + years later when the prophet Jonah urged the land of Nineveh to repent to save the city from being destroyed similar to Sodom. Pharaoh, whom the commentaries say was the King of Nineveh at that time, urged on a mass repentance, furthermore, if this actually was the same Pharaoh who was around at the time of Yosef, this could mean he lived a life of around 1000 + years!! This shows the power of repentance, the rewards that it can provide and also the power of an individual being humiliated to such a degree that Pharaoh was and how it brings someone to recognise G-d’s ways. The Parshah finishes off relating how the Jews left the land of Egypt and ends off relating the laws of Tefillin. n this weeks action packed parshah, we are introduced to the mitzvot of Tefillin, Korban Pesach, redemption of first born and Rosh Chodesh, I have written a brief summary on each of the topics. After the ninth plague, the plague of Darkness, we are introduced to the laws of Rosh Chodesh. The Jewish calendar comprises of 354 days, which follows a lunar calendar, unlike the calendar we follow in various countries outside of Israel which comprises of a calendar of 365 days. Every Rosh Chodesh is accompanied with Hallel and reading portions of the Torah. At the times of the Mishkan and the temple, various sacrifices would be given to Hashem. It is a time to look for renewal and try and always improve one’s ways and look for a better month. The Jewish New Year is always on Rosh Hashanah, which falls in the month of Tishrei. However in this weeks reading, as the ‘leaving of Egypt’ took place in the month of Nissan, we name this month as the first and head of all months, because, the purpose of being released from slavery in the land of Egypt was that we would now solely have only one master, Hashem. In the Hebrew calendar, to compensate for the lost days we have in comparison to the Solar Calendar, we have a leap year to the ratio of seven times in every nineteen years. This leap year takes place after the month of Adar, which is known as ‘Adar Sheini.’ We are then introduced to the laws of the Korban Pesach (Pesach Sacrifice); the korban Pesach is very unique and very different from all other sacrifices. First of all it must be roasted over a fire. It also has to be eaten only by a group that has joined together beforehand. One is also not permitted to break any bones in order to eat the marrow within them. Also in order to partake in a feast of the Pesach sacrifice, one has to be circumcised. Interestingly enough during the forty years that the Jews spent in the wilderness, they could not partake in the Korban Pesach as they were in a constant state of traveling, and if a Jew has a child that was born in the wilderness and was not circumcised (due to the danger threat of circumcision while traveling), the family was not at all allowed to part take in it. In the night of the slaying of the Egyptian first born, the Jews roasted the Lamb (which was an Egyptian deity) over the fire, the aroma of the lamb was so strong, it added to the fury of the Egyptians, as there ‘G-d’ was being destroyed, which in turn, sanctified Hashem's name and admonished their idols. We are also introduced to the mitzvah of the ‘redemption of the first born,’ it states in this weeks reading, "Every first born of the mother of the children of Israel and of the beast shall be mine." Originally Hashem had in mind that the first born would be sanctified to serve in the Temple, however after the atrocity of the sin of the golden calf, the service was taken away from the first born of every tribe (as the first born had a part to play in the sin) and it was given to the tribe of Levi (as they protested against the golden calf), and to the descendants of Aaron the high priest (known as Kohanim). Therefore all the first born sons of Kohanim and Levites, or whose mothers' father is Kohan or Levite are exempt from this obligation, as the Temple work was incumbent upon them. The custom is to gather together friends and relatives for a festive meal. This may not take place during the first thirty days after birth. In the middle of the meal, the father must bring five silver shekels or objects that have the intrinsic value of five silver shekels; the father then redeems the son by giving the Kohan the five silver shekels. We are also introduced to the mitzvah of Tefillin at the end of the Parshah; the Tefillin are two small square black boxes made of the leather of a kosher hide, with black leather straps stuck to them. The straps and boxes must be dyed black with a special dye. They have to be worn on the head and the weaker arm, this is to testify that ones thoughts should always be done correctly and actions done well with their arms and that they fear and love Hashem at all times. Many of the sages in the Tanach attributed these characteristics, including, Iyov, Moshe, King David, King Soloman, Aaron, King Chizkiyahu and many more! We saw a few weeks ago how Reuven really feared Hashem after he sinned by moving his fathers bed, he repented with both fear and love of Hashem. And we learn by the actions of the great gentile, ‘Iyov’ who brought mass sacrifices to Hashem along with his children after par taking in lavish banquets, in fear if any of them had sinned against the almighty. Iyov was in fact so great; a book of his tragic story is featured in the Tanach. Hope you all have a fantastic Shabbat, Dvar Torah is by Michael Zaroovabeli.
