Author: Shlomo Bar-Ayal

God caused the Red Sea to be split with a strong wind. Why didn’t He just split it in an open miracle? The answer is to teach us that miracles are all around, all we have to do is to be aware.

After all that the Jews saw in Egypt and the Sea of Reeds, they were complaining that God was not supplying them with what they wanted. Those who complain but do not offer solutions are whiners and God does not want to be whiners but doers.

At the sea Moses begins to pray for God to save the people from the Egyptians. God replies, “quit yelling and take action.” This is to teach us that God wants us to act, not just pray.

The reason that God freed the Jews from slavery was to give them a mission. To bring God’s law to the world by their behavior.

Before the plague of the death of the first born, God states to the Jewish people that He is God and that He is a judging God. This is remind us that we will receive reward or punishment for the things we do.

The problem that the Egyptians had was that they did not treat their slaves with respect since they considered them not to be human. The Torah teaches us that even a slave has to be treated with respect and that they were also created in the image of God.

The reason that the first commandment that the Jews receive is to teach them the responsibility of being free. A free person is also responsible for their actions. A slave is not.

When Pharaoh says that only the men can go to worship God Moses immediately refuses the offer. All the Jews, men, women and children, will go. This is a basic principle in the Torah. We leave no Jew behind.

The biggest problem that Pharaoh had was that he was not able to admit he was wrong. He chose to blame the Jews even though he was at fault for not heeding God.