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.
Tag: Slavery
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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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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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You Need a Good Spokesman
Aaron had remained in Egypt while Moses was in Midian. For that reason, Aaron was better suited to speak the Jews. He felt the pain that they felt.
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The Cure for Ingratitude
פרשת חקת / ט’ בתמוז תשפ”ב
When the well that was following the Jews in the wilderness dried up after the death of Miriam the people complained that they had a better life in Egypt. What is amazing is that the people complaining were born after they left Egypt. They were totally taken care of by God. They did not have to earn their food. They were not grateful for all that God gave them.
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Slaves Eat For Free
פרשת נשא / ט’ בסיון תשפ”ב
In this week’s portion we again hear the complaints of the Jews regarding the food that God is providing. They remember the good food that they ate in Egypt. They seem to be forgetting the real price they had to pay for that “free” food. They were slaves and God does not want us to slaves.
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Freedom Means Being Responsible
פרשת בהר / י”ד באייר תשפ”ב – כ”ט בעומר
In this week’s portion we learn about the Jubilee year in which all Jewish slaves are to set free whether they want to be free or not. The question is who would not want to be free? The answer is that a slave has no worries about his sustenance. His master makes sure he has food, housing, etc. The goal of the Torah is that we should be free to make our own decisions.