Questions tagged [yetziat-mitzrayim]
The redemption of the Jewish People from slavery in Egypt; performed by G-d through Moses.
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Looking for midrash source
A couple of years ago I heard a vort based on a midrash. The midrash apparently stated that when Yisrael were enslaved in Egypt, the Egyptians made them work very hard at building magnificent ...
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1answer
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Eggs in Salt Water at the Seder
Minhagei Yeshurun (119) writes
היה אסור לכהני מצרים עפ"י דתם לאכול מלח לזה צוו חז"ל לאכלו בפסח בסעודה
זו למען עשות נגד חקיהם טעם אכילת תחלה בצים מבושלות הוא גם כן למען
עשות נגד חוקי המצרים כי ...
2
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1answer
109 views
Did the Israelites erase their tracks from Egypt to Eretz Yisrael?
I remember reading that Moses gave one tribe of Israel the task of erasing every trace of the Israelites' journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. Is this accurate, what is the source, and what would ...
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5answers
128 views
Why were the plagues necessary if God hardened Pharaoh's heart?
The Torah tells us that God hardened Pharaoh's heart so that he would not let the Israelites go. [Ex. Ch. 4-14] Some commentators [e.g., Sforno] explain that this was in order to allow Pharaoh to ...
2
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1answer
54 views
Why does the Torah repeat 20 times that God hardened Pharaoh's heart?
The Torah tells us twenty times, in the space of just a few pages [Ex. Ch. 4-14], that God hardened Pharaoh's heart so that he would not let the Israelites go. Why this emphatic insistence on this ...
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1answer
58 views
Why does Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of Egypt?
Pharaoh hears that Joseph successfully interprets dreams. He summons him, and Joseph tells him that his dream means 7 years of plenty followed by 7 years of famine. So Pharaoh orders that food be ...
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0answers
20 views
Why is the narrative of Moses growing up in Pharaoh's house important?
I begin with the assertion that nothing is arbitrary in the Torah and the history followed the big plan as envisioned by the Creator.
The narrative of Moses' origin is fascinating but its necessity ...
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0answers
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Why aren't the walls also made of Schach?
The Gemmorah learns the obligation of Succah from the Clouds of Glory that surrounded the Jewish people on Exodus (and later).
It also learns (at least one opinion) that the Schach must resemble a ...
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0answers
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Why don't we say “this is a Succah our forefathers used in Exodus”
On the Seder Night, we say הא לחמא עניא - this is the bread our ancestors ate in Egypt.
The Torah says we should sit in Succos as G-d made Succos in Exodus (Lev 23.43).
לְמַעַן יֵדְעוּ דֹרֹתֵיכֶם ...
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Does Torah mention actual living in Sukkot?
IIRC, R' Akiva's view is that the Jews lived in actual Succot when exiting Egypt (Sukkah 11b "ענני כבוד היו דברי רבי אליעזר, רבי עקיבא אומר: סוכות ממש עשו להם"). But I only remember that the Torah ...
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0answers
51 views
Why was Pharaoh spared? [duplicate]
Pharaoh & many Egyptians were obviously evil men who enslaved our ancestors & foolishly refused to let them go free. Why was Pharaoh spared? As the main villain in this tragedy you’d think he ...
5
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1answer
88 views
What were the Hebrews' tents made out of?
There are multiple clear references to the Hebrews sleeping in tents during the Exodus. But what were they made of?
Keeping in mind that they did not have lots of time to prepare for the journey (...
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3answers
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Did Israelites who stayed in Egypt become halachically Jewish?
Some sources indicate that not all of the Israelites left Egypt during the Exodus. On the other hand, the initial "conversion" of the Israelites to Judaism occurred at Matan Torah at Mt. Sinai during ...
2
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2answers
168 views
Population of Jews at exodus seems unrealistically large [duplicate]
I am a preacher. Today I was talking with some Jews who talked about the 2.5 -3.0 million people who witnessed the miracles of the exodus.
But according to my knowledge, the population of Africa at ...
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2answers
68 views
Why were the 42 journeys needed to cross the desert?
Seemingly, the travel to the promised land could necessitate only one two stops - Crossing the Red Sea and at Mt Sinai to receive the Torah. Theoretically, the next stop would be Arvot Moab, before ...
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3answers
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What did the Jews do all day in the desert for 40 years?
They had food prepared for them.
Rashi says that during the first and last years they had a lot of journeys. But in the middle 38 years, there were only 20 journeys. Even though that doesn't tell us ...
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1answer
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Did any 100 y.o. Exodus survivors enter the Promised Land?
IIRC the decree of dying in the desert was limited for those aged 20-60 at the Exodus. Of those who were 60 at that time and 100 at the entering of the Land, did they all die in the decree, or did ...
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0answers
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What about Yetziat Mitzrayim should I remember?
One of the שש זכירות requires that I remember the Exodus from Egypt (זכירת יציאת מצרים). According to the linked Wiki document, in an effort to fulfill
(לְמַעַן תִּזְכֹּר אֶת יוֹם צֵאתְךָ מֵאֶרֶץ ...
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2answers
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Is there a source that says only 1/5th of the Jews will make it past the messiah?
I have heard an explanation, that since only 1/5th of the Jews were liberated from Egypt in the Bible, so too only 1/5th of us Jews will survive the eventual redemption. Is this true, and if it is, ...
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0answers
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Did the Israelites train for war in the desert?
During their forty-year trek in the desert, the Israelites knew they would have to fight their way into their promised land. Did they train for war during that time? Being former slaves, they had no ...
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3answers
224 views
How many Jews were in Egypt before the Exodus?
In Sanhedrin 111a, we read:
It is taught in a baraita with regard to the few that are destined to be redeemed: Rav Simai says that it is stated: “And I will take you to Me as a people” (Exodus 6:7),...
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How many erev rav people were there?
How many erev rav people came out with Moshe from Egypt (Ex. 12:38)? Was it a few thousand only or more?
Please source.
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1answer
281 views
Question about Shemot, locusts
I have a question that I've asked to multiple rabbis but that remains unanswered:
Dear Rabbi:
Question about Parasha. In Exodus 10:19 the locusts enter the Red Sea. What is the connection ...
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2answers
148 views
After the Exodus was Egypt totally ruined or not?
We had the 10 plagues, we had the Egyptians drowned in the sea, but what's the bottom-line - was Egypt at Egyptians totally ruined and the end of the story or despite the fact that some died, Egypt ...
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2answers
87 views
Expel them or kill them?
In some places the Torah tells the Israelites about to enter the Land of Israel to expel all its inhabitants. For example, in Numbers 33:52-33:55:
You shall drive out all the inhabitants of the ...
2
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0answers
33 views
Melachot on the original Shabbat Hagadol
I have been informed, this morning, from two different sources, that the original Shabbat Hagadol was the Shabbat on the 10th of Nissan when the Children of Israel were preparing for the Exodus. They ...
2
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1answer
60 views
Divine Name of Ehy-eh Asher Ehy-eh
Shemot 3:14 speaks about one of the name of Hashem called Eh-yeh Asher Eh-yeh.
How does this name go along with the redemtion from egypt? Why specifically this name is used?
2
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1answer
32 views
Why did the ploy to get Mitzraim to come to the sea require Ba'al Tzefon's existence and Bnei Yisrael's wandering aimlessly?
Shemos 14:1-4:
וַיְדַבֵּר יְהֹוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר׃ דַּבֵּר אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיָשֻׁבוּ וְיַחֲנוּ לִפְנֵי פִּי הַחִירֹת בֵּין מִגְדֹּל וּבֵין הַיָּם לִפְנֵי בַּעַל צְפֹן נִכְחוֹ תַחֲנוּ עַל־...
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1answer
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According to Seder Olam Rabbah, when did Bnei Yisrael travel to Refidim?
According to the chronology I cite here from Seder Olam Rabbah ch. 5,
ומאילם נסעו לאלוש, שנאמר ויסעו מאילם ויבאו כל עדת בני ישראל אל מדבר סין (שמות טז א) (הוא אלוש) בחמשה עשר יום לחדש השני לצאתם ...
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1answer
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How far was the basket away from Batya?
Midrashim says that the basket in which Moshe Rabbeinu was there was far away from batya. She reached our her hands which became elongated.
How far exactly was the basket away from Batya?
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1answer
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Why did Batya get tzaraat?
Midrashim says that Batya got tzaraat, so she use to go to the river nile to feel better after washing.
why did she get tzaraat?
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2answers
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Egyptians guarding Israelites
Rabbi Zitron quotes that there are twentyfour different types of ways to protect the jews from escaping.
(It may be a bit irritating seeing my questions always quoting from lectures from youtube. I ...
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0answers
32 views
How could a month-old at the time of the half-shekel donation have been through the sea?
The commentary of Haamek Davar to the first few verses of Ki Sisa (Exodus 30:11–16) explains that they refer to two different obligatory donations. Each was half a shekel per person, and each served ...
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2answers
86 views
Was Moshe punished for converting the Erev Rav?
Does anything in the Torah mention that Moshe was punished for converting the Erev Rav and taking them out of Egypt?
2
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1answer
79 views
Israel in Egypt after being freed but before the Exodus?
One of Artscroll's "Daily Dose of Torah" books, on parshat Vaera, says that the Israelites stayed in Egypt for a significant period of time after being freed from slavery but before the Exodus. I ...
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1answer
140 views
Why are the 10 plagues in this specific order?
Is there a specific reason for the sequence of the plagues? Why the plague of blood is followed by the plague of frogs, for example?
5
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2answers
209 views
Were Children of Israel killed in the plague of the firstborn?
We know from Torah that all B'nai Israel who:
Ate the Passover lamb
Did not eat leavening (bread and beer)
Were inside at midnight (and stayed inside until morning)
Were in a house whose doorposts ...
6
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1answer
188 views
Phinehas' Birth: When could Eleazar have met one of Jetro's daughters?
He distinguished himself as a youth at Shittim with his zeal against
the Heresy of Peor.
This line is in multiple places, including Wikipedia and The Israel Bible. It implies that Phinehas (aka ...
5
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1answer
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What were the scrolls that the Jews had in Egypt fortelling of the forthcoming redemption?
I was reading Rav Melamed's Peninei Halacha, the Shabbat volume, and on page 5 he mentions that when the Jews were slaves in Egypt they had scrolls (megillot) in their possession telling of the ...
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1answer
210 views
Children of the Exodus (families, names, ages)
I hope my question will not be considered too broad. I am writing young adult fiction taking place during the Exodus (from just before the 10th plague until just after the giving of the second set of ...
3
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1answer
57 views
Sources for the location of the Red Sea
I am looking for Jewish sources that touch on the question of where (on a modern map) the crossing of the Red Sea (Sea of Reeds) took place.
In my research, I'm finding several possible locations, ...
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1answer
47 views
Was Moses asking for problems by leaving the Israelites alone so soon after coming out of Egypt?
My understanding is the Moses went up the Mountain to get the 10 Commandments exactly 3 months after leaving Egypt, and a week or so later went up again for 40 (on g-ds command) days without out ...
2
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1answer
418 views
What date was the crossing of the Red Sea?
Some dates relating to Exodus are in the Book of Exodus, others are in other Books of Torah, or elsewhere in the Bible. And some are speculative, with evidence from a variety of sources.
Note: I'm ...
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2answers
61 views
What is the significance behind God splitting the seas?
I heard from one of my rebbeim that the inifinite God has an infinite amount of ways of performing any given task. With that in mind, it is interesting to note that twice in the Tanach, God splits the ...
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4answers
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The Orchos Tzaddikim in Shaar HaSimcha: What does Purim have to do with remembering the Exodus?
The Orchos Tzaddikim in the end of Shaar HaSimcha writes:
(Source from Sefaria.org)
גם צריך לשמוח בשבתות וימים טובים ופורים, כי כולם לזכר יציאת מצרים ולזכר הנסים שהפליא עם בחיריו
It is also ...
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1answer
86 views
No issue of techum during kriyas yam suf
The Torah says that the sea formed a wall to the left and right of the Jews. The Midrash clarifies that it became a solid wall.
The Chasam Sofer (to be precise, his grandson), to resolve a different ...
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3answers
117 views
Why do we quote the story of Rav Elazar Ben Azaryah in the Haggadah?
In the Haggadah, following the story of the five sages in Benei Berak, we quote the following Mishna (Brachos 1:5)
אמר רבי אלעזר בן עזריה: הרי אני כבן שבעים שנה, ולא זכיתי שתיאמר יציאת
מצרים ...
2
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1answer
114 views
Why did we deserve 400 years?
After Avraham's mistake of asking "How will I know?" (Nedarim 32a - ושמואל אמר מפני שהפריז על מדותיו של הקב"ה שנאמר במה אדע כי אירשנה), his great grandchildren needed 400 years of slavery.
...
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2answers
80 views
How far did the mixed multitude went along [duplicate]
I would like to ask a short question about Shemot 12:38, at the time of the Exodus there was a mixed multitude which went up with the Israelities.
How far did this mixed multitude went along? Did ...
0
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1answer
63 views
The signs at the burning bush
In the book of shemot (chapter 4:9) hashem demonstrates to Moshe 3 separate miracles as proof that he appeared to him. The third one involving water from the Nile being transformed into blood.
Is ...
