10 years ago
Chp. 1 verses 1 - 8: Introduction, portion begins with the names of all the sons of Yaakov. It tells us that there were 70 souls total and that Yosef was in Egypt. That generation died. The next generation was exceedingly fruitful and the land was filled with them. A new king arose who did not know Yosef.
10 years ago
Chp. 1 verses 9 - 21: The new king of the Egyptians tries to cunningly enslave the Jewish nation. Through hard work he hopes to slow down their numbers. But Hashem has other plans the more they are oppressed the more they multiply. He tries to enlist the help of two Jewish midwives to kill the Jewish male newborns. Thinking that he would be able to kill their savior at birth. They not only do not kill the males they help in their survival. Hashem was pleased with their action and blessed them with houses.
10 years ago
Chp. 1 verse 22, Chp. 2 verses 1 - 6: Chp. 1 ends with Pharaoh commanding his people to cast all male babies into the Nile and all females would live. Chp. 2 begins with a man and a woman from the tribe of Levi marrying. She gives birth to Moshe whom she hides for three months. She then places him in cradle and puts it into the Nile. The daughter of Pharaoh goes down to the Nile and takes the basket.In it she sees a Jewish infant crying and she has compassion for him and she decides to adopt the child as her own.
10 years ago
Chp. 2 verses 7 - 14: Moshe refuses to nurse from an Egyptian woman, so Miriam suggests that she bring a Jewish woman, his mother, and Pharaoh's daughter agrees. She weans him and returns him to her. She raises him and calls him Moshe. When he gets older he goes out among his people and sees an Egyptian beating a Jew he kills the Egyptian and buries him in the sand. The next day he sees two Jewish men fighting and he rebukes them. The aggressor responds "are you going to kill me as you did the Egyptian?" Moshe now feared because he felt that his deed would be reported to Pharaoh.
10 years ago
Chp. 2 verses 15 - 22: Pharaoh hears that Moshe killed the Egyptian and tries to execute him. Moshe escapes to Midian where he meets Yisro and his daughters. He marries Tziporrah and has a son whom he names Gershom. The king of Egypt dies and the Jewish people cry out to Hashem because of the severity of their bondage. He hears their groaning and remembers them in the merit of the forefathers.
10 years ago
Chp. 3 verses 1 - 8: Moshe is out tending to the sheep of his father in law and he sees a bush burning but not consumed. He turns to inspect the spectacle. Hashem calls out to him twice from the bush and he answers. He is told to remove his shoes since the place he was at was holy. Hashem introduces Himself as the G-d of his father and the patriarchs. He is told that G-d has seen the affliction of the Jewish nation and He was ready to deliver them from the hands of the Egyptians. He would bring them to the land that flowed with milk and honey,the land of the six/seven nations.
10 years ago
Chp. 3 verses 9 - 18: Hashem continues to speak to Moshe. He tells him that He is now ready to take the nation out of Egypt. He tells Moshe which of His names to tell them and the special words to say that would prove to them that he was Hashem's messenger. He assures Moshe that they would believe him and that he and the elders would go before Pharaoh. They were to tell him that the G-d of the Hebrews has appeared to us and wants us to go take a three day journey out to the wilderness where will pray and bring sacrifices to Him.
10 years ago
Chp. 3 verses 19 - 22 Chp. 4 verses 1 - 9: Hashem tells Moshe that Pharaoh will not agree to let the people go until He smites him with all His wonders. Also that they would leave Egypt with gold, silver, and clothing that they would borrow from the Egyptians. Chp. 4, Moshe says to G-d that the people would not believe that Hashem had appeared to him. Then G-d gives him three signs, the snake, leprosy, and blood, to present before the people so that they would know that he was the true redeemer and the time for the redemption was now.
10 years ago
Chp. 4 verses 10 - 24: Hashem finishes speaking to Moshe, he then politely tells G-d that he has never been able to speak due to his speech impediment. G-d reminds him that speech and all other powers come from Him. Moshe still declines and Hashem gets angry and informs him that Aaron his brother is coming and he would be his spokesman. Hashem tells him to take the staff in his hand with which he would perform the signs. He says good bye to Yisro who wishes him well and he takes his wife and two children puts them on the donkey and he travels to Egypt. G-d warns him that Pharaoh would not listen to his request to let the people go and that the end would be that Hashem would kill the firstborn of Egypt. Moshe stops at an inn where an angel of G-d tries to kill him.
10 years ago
Chp.4 verses 25 - 31 Chp.5 verses 1 - 23 & Chp. 6 verse 1: Tzipporah circumcises her son and saves Moshe's life. Aaron comes to meet Moshe. They go Egypt and Aaron tells the people all that G-d had told Moshe and he shows them the signs and they believe him. Chp. 5, Moshe and Aaron go to Pharaoh and tell him that Hashem had asked that he let the people go out to the desert to serve Him. Pharaoh answers " who is G-d that I should listen to His voice and let Israel go?" Instead he increases the burden on the people by making them collect their own straw to make the bricks. Moshe complains to Hashem that He has dealt badly with the people, and since he came to Pharaoh things have only gotten worse. Chp. 6, Hashem tells Moshe that now you will see that Pharaoh will let them go but only with a strong hand.