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Why Do People Love The Exodus Story: Parsha Shemot (Torah Video Mashup)

January 3, 2013 by Patrick Beaulier

If you want to know more about the Exodus, then movies like The Prince of Egypt are probably not the way to go.

See, Dreamworks took lots of artistic license in capturing the essence of the story, but they weren’t so hot for a literal, visual translation of the Biblical narrative.

Let’s see, where to begin…

  • Moses is not reunited with his mother as an infant (his mother was the one who nursed him)
  • Moses speaks flawlessly (he was actually a stutterer)
  • Moses kills the Egyptian by accident rather than murdering him
  • Aaron is reluctant to support Moses (he actually spoke on his behalf)
  • Basically everything in the Passover ritual is…well…passed over

I could go on.

We all know the Exodus story, or, at least some version of it. The real question is “not what happened”, but why does this story inspire us so much? Of all the stories that the human race has told, why does this story mean [Read more…]

Filed Under: Rants Tagged With: book of exodus, convert to judaism, convert to judaism online, darshan yeshiva, dreamworks, Moses, online conversion, Parsha Shemot, patrick "aleph" beaulier, patrick aleph, pharaoh, prince of egypt, punktorah, rabbi beaulier, rabbi patrick aleph beaulier, shemot

Haftorah Shemot: Blame It On The Alcohol

January 3, 2013 by Patrick Beaulier

haftarah

Exodus 1:1 – 6:1

Isaiah’s message of redemption mirrors that told to Moses at the burning bush in this week’s Parshah. Isaiah suggests the return of all the Jews lost in Assyria or exiled in Egypt will make their way to the Holy Mount in Jerusalem upon the sounding of a great Shofar.

But of course, there’s rarely promises of future good fortune without some kind of admonition about bad behaviour. Isaiah reprimands folks for what seems like some pretty hefty drunken revelry which left “vomit and odure” on the tables, and turned usually well-behaved men into errant and corrupt men, who at some point wronged the prophet and “justice stumbled.”

There’s also plenty of smiting foretold, and of the offending nation, Isaiah warns that the fortified city is a solitary city. It will eventually burn up its own resources and its people will be ignorant of their situation. “When its branches dry out, [Read more…]

Filed Under: Jewish Text (Torah/Haftarah/Talmud) Tagged With: convert to judaism, convert to judaism online, darshan yeshiva, haftarah shemot, haftorah shemot, online conversion, Parsha Shemot, patrick "aleph" beaulier, patrick aleph, punktorah, rabbi beaulier, rabbi patrick aleph beaulier, shemot

Parsha Shemot: Gift from a foreign G~d (Ex. 1:1 – 6:1)

January 10, 2012 by Jeremiah

Shemot is another Torah portion where a lot happens in the span of just a few chapters and verses. It is one of the darkest times for the ancient Hebrews a new Pharaoh is in power, unlike his predecessor he does not have a Joseph to befriend and rely on. He is a Pharaoh who is unabashedly loyal to Egypt and Egyptians. Times were a lot different than now and so was the economy and for the perceived other lower menial jobs channeled through slavery is the preferred form of domination.

The Hebrew numbers are vastly multiplying and since dominance is about resource management fear of the other burns brighter and hotter in the hearts and minds of the Egyptians. Enter baby Moses, nothing special about him and the other newly born Hebrew boys except his mother has that rare perfect balance between fear and cunning. Knowing it is only a matter of time before Moses’s short life is made even shorter she places him in a basket and sets him afloat in the same river Pharaoh’s Daughter likes to bathe and relax in; and the stage is set the Hebrew G~d gives the royal family a beautiful baby boy via the sacred Nile River.

Nursed by his own Hebrew mother and loved and courted throughout his adoptive Grandfather’s kingdom Moses truly is the gift from the Hebrew G~d. In fact Moses is Egyptian for “because I drew him out of the water” and he keeps this name for the rest of his life. Like all of us Moses has a weakness, a character flaw, unlike the Patriarch’s flaws he is easily moved to a violent anger. After killing an Egyptian to protect Hebrew slaves he flees to the wilderness finds a wife and is content to settle down and live a quiet full life. Hashem allows this time to run its course before confronting Moses with a charge to return the Hebrews to the Promised Land. Hashem adjusts the spark within Moses allowing him to approach the Egyptians in a way their magicians will understand and respect if not fear.

Returning to the grand halls of his youth this quiet soft spoken man mutters “Pharaoh, let my people go,” and Pharaoh says “no.” Immediately following this discourse Pharaoh strengthens his people’s dominance over our people, what was hard before is now unbearable. The age of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs is unabashedly over and Hashem ushers in the Age of the Prophets with Moses and Aaron.

What symbolism does Moses in a Basket floating in another faiths holy land mean to you? Why do you think Hashem gives Moses the ability to perform miracles in a way the Egyptian magicians will be in awe of? Should Moses have a Hebrew name? Share your thoughts comment below or send me a message jeremiah@punktorah.org Twitter: @circlepitbimah

Filed Under: Community Member Blogs, Jewish Text (Torah/Haftarah/Talmud) Tagged With: Aaron, Circle Pit The Bimah, convert to judaism, convert to judaism online, darshan yeshiva, exodus, jeremiah satterfield, Moses, online conversion, Parsha Shemot, patrick "aleph" beaulier, patrick aleph, punktorah, rabbi beaulier, rabbi patrick aleph beaulier

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