The Torah refers to Passover as the holiday of Matzot. The reason is to teach us that leaving Egypt was the first step to becoming a nation. We had to learn what it means to be free.
Category: Israel
-
You Have to Earn It
The big mistake that Aaron’s sons made was that they assumed that they would inherit the status of their father without having earned it. This is to teach us that just because your parents are great does not mean that you will be. You have to earn it.
-
Why The Jews?
The question is why the Jews are the only people who have faced genocide throughout history. The answer is simple. The Jews represent a morality from God. And many people do not want to be moral.
-
We Are God’s Vessels
The reason that the Jews built the Golden Calf was that they thought that without Moses that they would not have been redeemed. The lesson is that our leaders are vessels for God. They succeed when they do what God expects.
-
Unity in Our National Mission
The Torah uses the singular verb when Moses and Aaron we commanded to go to Pharaoh. This is to teach us that whatever our disagreements among ourselves we have to be united when facing our foes.
-
Natural Redemption
All the plagues in Egypt could be explained scientifically. This ties in with the concept of natural redemption. Nothing seems abnormal until you realize that there has been a change in the world.
-
What’s In A Name?
The name Hebrew is a derogatory name for the Jews. The reason is that the goal of enslaving the Jews was to destroy them. Thus it is the same throughout our history. First they will denigrate the Jews and then murder the Jews.
-
Know Before Whom You Are Standing
Moses was admonished at the burning bush to know before whom he was standing. This was also an admonishment to remember that he would be speaking to slaves would not really be interested in long speeches. They wanted their freedom.
-
Fear God More Than Man
When the midwives in Egypt get the order to murder all male Jewish babies they resist. The Torah states that they fear God more than Pharaoh. Fearing God will get you to do the right thing.
-
Listen To Your Elders
The reason that the tribe of Levi was not enslaved was that Levi was still alive when Pharaoh succeeded in fooling the Jews. Levi, though saw through Pharaoh’s plot and told his descendants not to be fooled.