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Shmot

Weekly Parsha Summary

The children of Israel multiply in Egypt. Threatened by their growing numbers, Pharaoh enslaves them and orders the Hebrew midwives, Shifrah and Puah, to kill all male babies at birth. When they do not comply, he commands his people to cast the Hebrew babies into the Nile.

A child is born to Yocheved, the daughter of Levi, and her husband, Amram, and placed in a basket on the river, while the baby’s sister, Miriam, stands watch from afar. Pharaoh’s daughter discovers the boy, raises him as her son, and names him Moshe.

As a young man, Moshe leaves the palace and discovers the hardship of his brethren. He sees an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, and kills the Egyptian. The next day he sees two Jews fighting; when he admonishes them, they reveal his deed of the previous day, and Moshe is forced to flee to Midian. There he rescues Yisro’s daughters, marries one of them, Tzipporah, and becomes a shepherd of his father-in-law’s flocks.

Hashem appears to Moshe in a burning bush at the foot of Mount Sinai, and instructs him to go to Pharaoh and demand: “Let My people go, so that they may serve Me.” Moshes’ brother, Aaron, is appointed to serve as his spokesman. In Egypt, Moshe and Aaron assemble the elders of Israel to tell them that the time of their redemption has come. The people believe; but Pharaoh refuses to let them go, and even intensifies the suffering of Israel.

Moshe returns to Hashem to protest: “Why have You done evil to this people?” Hashem promises that the redemption is close at hand.


Rabbi's Shabbos Message

Your Holy Space

"Do not come closer to here, remove your shows from your feet, for the place upon which you stand is holy ground" (Shemos 3:5)

Often time, people complain about their lot in life. They say things like, "If I had the mind of so-and-so" or "If I were born to such a family" or "If I had more money". With these excuses, they pardon themselves mentally from growing spiritually.

The Chofetz Chaim uses this pasuk to teach us differently.

"The place upon which you stand is holy". What is that place? The place in which Hashem put you. The place that which you are currently standing. THAT place is holy. Hashem put you in that specific situation because FOR YOU, it is holy, since it is your holy mission to make do with the tools you were given and to grow with them.

A person who was born rich, for example, might not have the spiritual mission to work on his emunah, while instead that might be the mission of the poor person. And if the poor person were to be born rich? It might be a setup for failure in his spiritual mission!

Each individual was put on earth with their specific spiritual goals. Included with these goals, are tools for that person to use, whether it be in the realm of health, wealth, family, children, IQ, etc...

Don't think you know what's best for you and that you know what tools you need. Hashem knows your goal and will give you the appropriate tools. Sit back, be happy with what you have, WORK with what you have.

Have a great Shabbos!