"

MiMizrach Shemesh A Shtark High School Publication

Edition 1, Volume 1

Parshat Shemot
Candle Lighting: 4:41 Havdala: 5:46
Note: The Halachic times listed here are from www.myzmanim.com.

The Need to be Named: Anonymity in the Parsha

By Eli Meyers, 9 t h Grade
As I was looking into this weeks parshah, parashat Sh'mot, I noticed something puzzling. We are told the story of Moshes birth. Perplexingly the whole story is told in the Torah without the names of the protagonists. We are simply told that a man from Shevet Levi married the daughter of Levi and had a child. We are not told the name of the man or the woman. It is not until later, in Parashat Vaera that we are told the names of the father and mother, Amram and Yocheved, along with the rest of the descendants of Levi. Also, when the daughter of Pharaoh finds the baby in the Nile and names him Moshe we are told that the infants sister was watching over him. Once again her name is not identified. In fact we are not told her name until Parashat Bshalach, right after Az Yashir, when it says that Miriam, sister of Moshe, sings with the women. It is bewildering why no one, besides Moshe, is named in Shmot. The parashas name means names!? The Or HaChaim comments that in next weeks parshah, right before the section that names Moshes parents along with the other descendents of Levi it says that Hashem commanded Moshe and Aharon about Bnei Yisrael and Pharaoh. He explains this to mean that Hashem is telling them how to rule over Bnei Yisrael. He also cites a halachah which says that a person cannot rule over Bnei Yisrael until he is ancestrally traced back to Yaakov. So, because of that Moshe only needed to trace his lineage when he was identified as ruler. This reflects the fact that the Torah doesnt waste words; it only mentions Moshes parents when necessary. By not naming Amram and Yocheved from the beginning the Torah is telling us that they weren't important people by themselves. The Torah also shows Miriams inconsequentiality, her insignificance at the time, by not naming her then. It is only when she is a leading figure in the nation, in parashat Bshalach that the Torah identifies her, and when the Torah does identify her she is Miriam Haniviah- Miriam the prophetess. We can learn a very important lesson from this. Even if you are not so special, like Amram and Yocheved who were just regular people, you still have the ability to produce greatness. Amram and Yocheved went from being some random Jews in Egypt to being the parents of Moshe Rabeinu. Also Miriam who was just a normal girl became a leader and prophetess. We should all take this lesson to try as hard as we can to become as great as we can be regardless of our background. Shabbat Shalom!

Page 1 of 5

"

Making the Right Decisions

By Zak Fleischman, 10 t h Grade
This weeks haftorah is found in the book of Yeshayahu. It starts with an uplifting note with promises of a resurgence of Israel and the final geulah. However, Yeshayahu turns to reprimand the recently destroyed kingdom of Israel stating that their sins and terrible behavior brought their own destruction upon themselves. He tells them that because of their actions they will be lost forever and will not participate in the final geulah. This sounds harsh at first-maybe even too harsh, but this is the same message which is given to Bnei Yisrael on their journey from Mitzrayim to Eretz Yisrael. Bnei Yisrael learns that their choices can have long term affects. We see choices which lead to good and evil in the first Aliyah when the Jewish midwives (according to Rashi, Yocheved and Miriam) disobey Paros order of Jewish infanticide. Immediately, they are rewarded for their bravery. Yocheved gives birth to Moshe, and Miriam later becomes a Niviah. Later on we see Moshe making a choice to stand up for justice when he kills the Mitzri. This choice began his path to becoming the leader of the Jews during this time period. These are choices which seem obvious to all of us, as doing the right thing is our nature. We make decisions without considering their ramifications. Between the haftorah and the parsha we see how much our choices can influence the world. In Shemot proper choices lead to great things, and in the haftorah we see that terrible choices can destroy ones future. This is why Chazal put this haftorah at the beginning of Shemot, the beginning of the journey from exile to freedom. They wanted to remind us that our choices can affect ourselves and others in so many ways, and that at a pivotal moment, when one starts their journey their choices will define them. So, what are you going to choose to do with your life?

Our Search for Meaning: In Egypt and Beyond

By Rav Rick Schindelheim
Why were the Israelites enslaved in Egypt? This question can be understood in two ways1; the first being philosophical and the second being educational. The philosophical question is quite familiar to us indeed. It is the question of Job, Jeremiah and countless other unfortunate souls throughout our turbulent history. That is, God, why would you allow such a thing to happen to your chosen people? Some have suggested that the Israelite enslavement in Egypt was due to assimilation . Professor Nehama
2

Leibowitz points out a textual basis for this interpretation. When the brothers meet Pharaoh they tell him, " "... ... , we have come to sojourn in the land for there is no grazing for your servants flock for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan 3. Their intention is to wait out the famine in Egypt and then return to their homeland. However, the image depicted at the end of Parshat Vayigash is different. " " , Israel settled in the land of Egypt in the land of Goshen and they took hold of it and they were fruitful and multiplied there4. Accordingly, the

In reality the question can be understood in more than two ways depending on what word one chooses to emphasize. For example we can ask, Why were the Israelites enslaved, as opposed to any other nation. Alternatively, Why were the Israelites enslaved in Egypt? For our purposes,

however, we will focus on, Why were the Israelites enslaved in Egypt? 2 Shemot Rabbah 1:8; Yalkut Shimoni; Netziv in HaEmek Davar to name a few. 3 Gen 47:4 4 Ibid 47:27

Page 2 of 5

"
Israelites were therefore punished by God for losing their identity in this land that was not theirs. Alternatively, the enslavement was born out of resentment by the Egyptians towards the Israelites for attempting to be like them. No matter how hard they tried, the outsiders remained outsiders. In any event, the analysis of these arguments 5 is not the purpose of this article. I would like to briefly discuss the educational aspect of the question. That is, what lessons are we to learn from the enslavement of the Israelites in Egypt? Once again with the help of Professor Nehama Leibowitz, we can see that the Torahs perspective on the matter is clearthe bondage in Egypt was meant to instill within us a profound sense of compassion for other human beings. Here are a few examples: . , - : ,- Do not wrong a stranger and do not oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt (Ex. 22:20) , --- - , ; , . Do not oppress a stranger and you know the soul of a stranger for you were strangers in the land of Egypt (23:9) , , -- , - , . , , , . - , ; And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God with your son, daughter, male-servant, maidservantthe stranger, orphan and widow who are among youand you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt (Deut. 16:11-12) In addition to the obvious moral we are to learn about human compassion, I believe there is another message we can take away from these verses. The very fact that the Torah views the devastating experience of the Egyptian bondage as an educational opportunity can teach us a lesson about dealing with trauma in general. Psychologist, author and Holocaust survivor, Victor Frankl argues that we can overcome just about any challenge in life as long as we can find a way to attach meaning to our suffering. In his book, Mans Search for Meaning, Frankl writes, it did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from usLife ultimately means taking responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual. By taking a lesson out of the Egypt experience, the Torah is not only telling us that oppression of man by fellow man is not to be tolerated, it is teaching us a more global lesson. The slavery in Egypt is a paradigm for all traumatic experiences we face. Just as there was meaning in the Egyptian bondage so is there meaning in all of our suffering. Our challenge is to find that meaning and use it to help us grow as individuals and as a nation.

In essence this is the question of, Why do bad things happen? A question that is not within the scope of a Dvar Torah packet article. Certainly not in the first issue. Perhaps we can dedicate a full issue to this question when we are a more established publication. That should probably be enough.
5

Additionally, any attempt to explain the bondage in Egypt would have to contend with the fact that God promised Avraham that his offspring will be slaves in a land that is not their own. Another doozy.

Page 3 of 5

"

): " ( ..."
By Rav Micha-el Weinstein
The story of the Egyptian exile is seen in most Judaic literature as the archetype of all Jewish hardships, both national and individual. The name is related to the word which means boundary or straits, as we say in Hallel - . Therefore there is much to learn from the story about how difficulties arise and how we must deal with them. Towards the end of the Parsha, after the people hear and believe the words of Hashem as brought to them by Moshe and Aharon, the Torah relates a fascinating discussion between Paroh and Moshe. Moshe comes with the demand to Paroh to free Bnei Yisrael. Paroh arrogantly denies both Hashems existence and the demand. Instead he interprets Moshes request as one being made because the people have too much time on their hands, and are beginning to think of other things. His solution words of Hashem and the message of freedom is more exhilarating and sensational than we can imagine. There is euphoria, as dreams that have been repressed for so long burst forth into the collective imagination of the people. They suddenly remember who they are and who they want to be. We can only try to imagine. Paroh understands full well that all this endangers his rule. Dreams tend to interfere with reality, and shift the situation in irreversible ways. The way to counter dreams is to drown them in a larger dose of reality in the most basic of fashions work. We all have dreams. We all knew once who we are and who we want to be. We even tend to remember every now and then. But it seems like life gets in the way all the time. There are so many have tos - Have to make a living, have to do well in school, have to go to college None of these things are necessarily wrong. They even may be in line with our dreams. But unfortunately we tend to always be buried by reality and so often find ourselves raising our heads after what seems like forever and asking wheres the spark? Where is our hope? How are my greatest dreams and prayers being actualized? How is it that the day to day work is so affective in smothering us? The retelling of the story of on the seder night is built around questions because questions are at heart the beginnings of reframing reality, and allowing us to glimpse at the world from a different perspective, one that may release us from the servitude of existing norms and reconnect us to who we really want to be. Parohs answer to moshe ! may the work increase!- is the time tried weapon of our worst enemy - the Yetzer Hara. Our souls yearn to reach Hashem, to sparkle with Kedusha, to be good, kind, loving and compassionate just like Him. To fulfill Page 4 of 5

But the number of bricks they have been making yesterday and the day before yesterday you shall impose upon them; you shall not reduce it, for they are lax. Therefore they cry out, saying, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God. Let the labor fall heavy upon the men and let them work at it, and let them not talk about false matters (Shmot 5,8-9)
Paroh demands the continuous production of the currant quota of bricks while at the same time commands to discontinue the handing out of the raw materials needed to manufacture them. By doing this Paroh is certain that Bnei Yisrael will be so busy they will have no time to think of anything else. To really understand Parohs tactic, a better understanding of the situation is necessary. Bnei Yisrael have been slaves in a brutal and homicidal dictatorship for what amounts to generations. They are so downtrodden that hope is only the faintest flicker in their souls. Moshes appearance, with the

the mitzvot and be one with ourselves on our deepest level of being Jews. says reality let them work in the real world and stop dreaming false dreams.

" We all have our personal . May Hashem give us strength and courage to question existing frameworks and reconnect to our real dreams.

Shabbat Table Discussion Questions:

By Avi Hartstone, 10 t h Grade
1. Why was Yosef the first of his brothers to die? 2. Why was Yocheved the only person to think of saving her son, like she did for Moshe? 3. If nobody else was present, how did people find out that Moshe killed the Egyptian? 4. How could Paroah so swiftly decide to kill his own grandson, adopted or not? 5. Why does Moshe need the support of the Elders of Israel?

Brought to you by: Staff: Editor in Chief- Ari Bar-Shain Associate Editors- Etan Soclof and Yosef Coleman Layout Manager- Zev Karasik Faculty Consultant-Rav Rick Schindelheim Distribution Manager-Rivka Coleman Faculty Manager-Yael Blau Student Writers: o Alan Soclof o Avi Hartstone o Ben Jaffe o Bentzion Goldman o Eli Meyers o Jennifer Brenis o Joey Senders o Michael Brenis o Mordechai Blau o Sarah Pincus o Seth Weiss o Talya Engelhart o Zach Zlatin o Zak Fleischman

!
Page 5 of 5