The first commandment that the Jewish people received was to declare the 1st of Nisan to be the beginning of the Jewish year. Rosh Hashanah is the day that the 1st man was created. The 1st of Nisan is when the Jewish people became a people.
Category: History
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Do The Right Thing
The Torah gives a lot of rules and laws on the sacrificial service. The reason is to avoid us falling into anarchy and losing sight of what the service is for.
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Jewish Unity Defeats All
The main lesson of Purim is that we are required to have a festive meal with our neighbors, give charity, and give each other gifts. This is to promote Jewish unity. As Rabbi Kook mentions, the Temple will be rebuilt through senseless love.
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A Lesson in Bad Governance
The story of Purim tells us that the real danger to the Jewish people is not people who are evil. We can find them easily enough, but of leaders who are venal and corruptible. Without them the evil doers do not have a chance to do evil.
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Take a Stand
In the story of the Book of Esther all the action revolves around the fact that Mordechai refuses to bow down to Haman. What frustrated Haman was the opposition of Mordechai. That Mordechai stood against evil.
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Slaves Cannot Serve God Fully
If a slave states that he prefers slavery to freedom, he is punished. This is to teach us that slavery is not the normal state of a person. God wants us to be free people.
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The Basis of a Good Society
The 5th Commandment is more than good advice. It is pointing out that the basis of a good society is the two parent family. Without which society would fall apart.
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Even Moses Had His Limits
When Jethro comes to visit his son in law, Moses, he gives him the advice to delegate responsibilities. He does not have to carry the full burden on himself.
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Freedom Comes With a Price
The portion starts out with the Jews avoiding going directly to the Land of Israel lest they get into a war with the Philistines and run back to Egypt. It ends with the Jews fighting Amalek. They had to learn that there was no going back to Egypt.
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Getting Egypt Out of the Jews
More important that getting the Jews out of Egypt was to get Egyptian culture out of the Jews. God wanted the Jews to be a moral and ethical people and to reject the immorality of Egypt.