by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 6, 2022 | Bible Study
Exodus (12:37) is quite explicit in stating that 600,000 Hebrew men, more specifically men between the ages of 20-60, left Egypt. In his Aramaic translation of the Torah, Rabbi Yonatan ben Uziel assumes that each man had an average of five children. Hence, 600,000 men...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 5, 2022 | Bible Study
The final plague that struck Egypt was exceptional in several respects. It hit both man and animal and, for the first time, a plague killed people outright. Unlike the other plagues which left the Jews untouched, the Jews were required to paint their doorposts with...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 29, 2021 | God, Va'eira
When Moses and Aaron confronted Pharaoh, his court magicians tried to refute their demand to release the Hebrews by mimicking their miraculous acts. This proved to be within the magicians’ abilities when they faced the rod-born serpent, the Nile turning to blood, and...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 29, 2021 | Repentance
God sent Moses to demand that Pharaoh release the Hebrews from bondage, threatening that should the Egyptian king refuse, the country would suffer. So it seems incredibly unjust that God would harden Pharaoh’s heart (Exodus 9:12), seemingly taking away his free will...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 27, 2021 | Bible Study
Every schoolchild knows that Egypt was struck by ten plagues before the Hebrews were set free. But a different count is given in Psalms and several different options for enumerating the plagues are given during the Seder on Passover. According to the simple reading...
