Weekly Torah portion from Exodus 1:1 - 6:1
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Why are the Egyptians more concerned with the Exodus of the Jews than their own defeat?
In the Haggada we read the following verse (Shemos 1:10 from Chabad.org):
הָבָה נִתְחַכְּמָה לוֹ פֶּן יִרְבֶּה וְהָיָה כִּי תִקְרֶאנָה מִלְחָמָה וְנוֹסַף גַּם הוּא עַל שׂנְאֵינוּ וְנִלְחַם בָּנוּ ...
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What happened to the second אהי-ה?
Before going to redeem the Jews Moshe asks God what his name is. God says to Moshe in the pasuk (shemos 3:14) that he should be referred to as אֶהְיֶ-ה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶ-ה. To which Moshe responds (see ...
4
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60 views
Dagesh for adornment
On Sh'mos 2:3 and 15:17, Minchas Shay notes that הַצְּפִינוֹ and מִקְּדָשׁ have a dagesh in their respective second letters "for adornment (tif'eres)".
Is this aural or visual adornment?
How/Why is ...
3
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1answer
107 views
Who is speaking in Ex. 3:17?
Sh'mos 3:15–18 reads:
15 וַיֹּאמֶר עוֹד אֱלֹהִים אֶל מֹשֶׁה…. 16 לֵךְ וְאָסַפְתָּ אֶת זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם יהוה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבֹתֵיכֶם נִרְאָה אֵלַי… לֵאמֹר פָּקֹד ...
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2answers
122 views
Why did the Egyptian “astrologers” tell Pharaoh that a savior would be born?
רש"י suggests that Pharaoh's astrologers told him that they had a vision that a savior would be born on a certain day (שמות א:כב & שמות א:טז). Assuming the “astrologers” had no real power of ...
5
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1answer
41 views
Why does Moshe tell Hashem that he is 'heavy of mouth and heavy of tongue' - twice?
Shemot 4:10-15 is a dialogue between Hashem and Moshe where Moshe tells Hashem that he is 'heavy of mouth and heavy of tongue'.
In pssukim 14-15 Hashem tells Moshe that he will tell Aharon what to ...
2
votes
2answers
82 views
Why did Pharaoh try to kill Moshe?
Moshe Rabbeinu was raised in Pharaoh's house. Yet when Dasan and Aviram claimed that Moshe killed an Egyptian taskmaster, Pharaoh tried to kill him (Shemot 2:13-15).
Why would an all powerful tyrant ...
3
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1answer
138 views
Haman's sons in three p'sukim
Me (quoting Ester 9:7–10):
7 And Parshandasa and Dalfon and Aspasa
8 and Porasa and Adalya and Aridasa
9 and Parmashta and Arisay and Ariday and Vayzasa,
10 the ...
7
votes
3answers
125 views
Moshe's speech impediment(s)
In Sh'mos 4:10, after Hashem instructs him to speak to the Jews, Moshe describes himself to Hashem as not an "אִישׁ דְּבָרִים", literally "man of words", and as "כְבַד פֶּה", literally "heavy of ...
5
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2answers
109 views
Translation of Ex. 4:8–9
Sh'mos 4:8–9:
וְהָיָה אִם לֹא יַאֲמִינוּ לָךְ וְלֹא יִשְׁמְעוּ לְקֹל הָאֹת הָרִאשׁוֹן וְהֶאֱמִינוּ לְקֹל הָאֹת הָאַחֲרוֹן.
וְהָיָה אִם לֹא יַאֲמִינוּ גַּם לִשְׁנֵי הָאֹתוֹת הָאֵלֶּה וְלֹא ...
10
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3answers
143 views
Why “Moshe Moshe”?
When Hashem appeared to Moshe at the burning bush in parshot shamot perek gimil why did he call Moshe's name twice? He could have just said "moshe" ONCE!
