MHA-FYOS Dean's Blog

This week’s parasha , Parashat Beshalach, describes the final steps of the liberation of the Jewish People from Egypt. In last week’s parasha , the Torah describes b’nei yisrael leaving Egypt. After destroying the Egyptian firstborns, Hashem guided b’nei yisrael out of Egypt – leaving Ra’amses on the way to Sukkot. The Torah then inexplicably leaves aside the exodus story and introduces a series of commandments – specifically, the mitzvot of Pesach, tefilin , and redeeming the first born. The Torah resumes the exodus story in the beginning of our parasha . Why does the Torah interrupt the exodus story with the presentation of specific mitzvot? In resuming the exodus story, the Torah writes: vayasev Elokim et ha’am derecho yam suf; vachamushim alu b’nei yisrael me’eretz mitzrayim – And Hashem took the nation the long way, the way of the desert to the Reed Sea; and the children of Israel brought arms up from the land of Egypt. (Shemot 13:18) The Midrash is puzzled by the Torah’s incl...

In the beginning of this week’s parasha , Parashat Va’Era, Hashem shares with Moshe Rabbenu that He has heard the groan of b’nei yisrael as a consequence of their slavery and that Hashem remembered His covenant. The response of b’nei yisrael to the slavery is also recorded in another place in the Torah. In the description of the mitzvat bikkurim – the commandment of the first fruits – the farmer brings his first fruits to Yerushalayim. In presenting the fruits to the kohen , the farmer recites a confession – a viduy . As part of this confession, the farmer briefly recounts the experience of the children of Israel in Egypt. The farmer begins, “An Aramean tried to destroy my forefather. He descended to Egypt and sojourned there, few in number, and there he became a nation – great, strong and numerous. The Egyptians mistreated us and afflicted us and placed hard work on us.” In the next passage, the farmer describes the reaction of b’nei yisrael to the affliction. He says, “Then w...