TMT 011: Why is God Important? – Pre Ch. 10 Class

chess-68076_640Is God important and Why?

Why is God such a big deal?

(By the way this not in any order of importance – nor are these the handouts from class…)

  • As shown through the “plagues” in the Exodus story, God teaches us that He manipulates nature and, in fact, is not nature.  He is the creator of all that is created.  All the other things that many may “worship” (i.e. Mother Earth, the Nile, animals, weather, etc.) are simply things He created and controls.  To demonstrate this, God desanctifies nature through the 10 plagues.

These other “things” that people worship, or pray to, or look to for insight are amoral… Nature has no morality.  There is no good or evil in Nature.  Natural law is:  Survival of the fittest.

God, however, is moral.  He creates morality.  He teaches us morality.   Please remember, the Bible over and over again spells out the ethics we take for granted today.  IE, human and child sacrifice was common before God demanded we not.

  • The God of Israel set forth the movement for linear history.  By this I mean that our current understanding of progressive time and the ability to improve from one generation to the next is directly linked to the God of the Bible.  Prior to the biblical age, cultures basically existed in cyclical history.  There was minimal, if any, “progress” of societies up until the age of Israel and God’s revelation at Mount Sinai.

Most ancient people simply existed in their cycle of life (you’re born, you work doing what your father did, you die and so on for the next generations.)  Therefore. they did not progress ethically or technologically in a linear fashion like what we take for granted in today’s society.

  • The God of Israel is a universal God with universal laws (morality).  He judges ALL people.  Prior to us knowing this God, people simply made up their ethics for their time and society.  Their “gods” may or may not judge them or others.  But with the God of the Bible, there became a standard of morality for all mankind and the Judge who judges all of mankind.

Without this, then there is no way to define good or evil people.  Also, there is no difference in their fate beyond this existence.  If there is no God and no afterlife, then when a murderous monster dies, his fate is no different than those he murdered.  With a good God who is the Judge of all, then the murderer will have a very different (and hopefully torturous) fate than that of the murdered.

  • The God of the Torah is an abstract concept and has no material representation. This allows for a truly mind-expanding consciousness.  Prior to this, man always limited the idea of God to the material or known world.  However, this God requires we think beyond this material world.

This concept opens us up to a world of possibilities like science, math, and theory which are not based on known facts… but rather abstract  possibilities.

  • The idea that there is one God who created all of humanity and this one God says we are created in his divine image universalizes the sanctity of human life.  Regardless of ancestry or status or appearance, we are all of infinite value.

Our behavior determines our fate and that by which we should be judged.  Otherwise, we are all of equal value… though obviously not the same.

  • He creates a world of order, not chaos.  Unlike others gods who are depicted as capricious, God as depicted in the Torah is the antithesis of these other ideas of gods.  He acts methodically and not capriciously.  Again, having a very predictable world allows science and math to exist.
  •  Without God, the world is meaningless.  

So, why is God so important?

If nothing else, without Him… nothing is important in the final analysis.

 

(By the way, I found the class notes and handouts, but… They are on my old computer and ‘Pages’ won’t allow them to open ???  Any suggestions would be appreciated.)

TMT 010: Exodus 9:13 -9:35

storm

In this class we pick up in Chapter 9 at verse 13.

Exodus  (NIV)

Chapter 9

13Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, confront Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me, 14or this time I will send the full force of my plagues against you and against your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth. 15For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth. 16But I have raised you upa for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. 17You still set yourself against my people and will not let them go. 18Therefore, at this time tomorrow I will send the worst hailstorm that has ever fallen on Egypt, from the day it was founded till now. 19Give an order now to bring your livestock and everything you have in the field to a place of shelter, because the hail will fall on every person and animal that has not been brought in and is still out in the field, and they will die.’ ”

20Those officials of Pharaoh who feared the word of the Lord hurried to bring their slaves and their livestock inside. 21But those who ignored the word of the Lord left their slaves and livestock in the field.

22Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that hail will fall all over Egypt—on people and animals and on everything growing in the fields of Egypt.” 23When Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, the Lord sent thunder and hail, and lightning flashed down to the ground. So the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt; 24hail fell and lightning flashed back and forth. It was the worst storm in all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation. 25Throughout Egypt hail struck everything in the fields—both people and animals; it beat down everything growing in the fields and stripped every tree. 26The only place it did not hail was the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were.

27Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,” he said to them. “The Lord is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. 28Pray to the Lord, for we have had enough thunder and hail. I will let you go; you don’t have to stay any longer.”

29Moses replied, “When I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands in prayer to the Lord. The thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, so you may know that the earth is the Lord’s. 30But I know that you and your officials still do not fear the Lord God.”

31(The flax and barley were destroyed, since the barley had headed and the flax was in bloom. 32The wheat and spelt, however, were not destroyed, because they ripen later.)

33Then Moses left Pharaoh and went out of the city. He spread out his hands toward the Lord; the thunder and hail stopped, and the rain no longer poured down on the land. 34When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again: He and his officials hardened their hearts. 35So Pharaoh’s heart was hard and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the Lord had said through Moses.

 

TMT 009: Exodus 8:16 or 20 – 9:12

fly-2028_640This week we pick up where we left off from last class.  Depending on which version of the Bible you are referencing you will either be in Exodus Chapter 8 verse 16 or verse 20.

Below I used the more common version though it is not what I used in the class.

If you have any questions or comments please do so below in the comment area.  Thank you!

Exodus
Chapter 8:

20Now the LORD said to Moses, “Rise early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh, as he comes out to the water, and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Let My people go, that they may serve Me.21“For if you do not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and on your servants and on your people and into your houses; and the houses of the Egyptians will be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on which theydwell.22“But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where My people are living, so that no swarms of flies will be there, in order that you may know that I, the LORD, am in the midst of the land.23“I will put a division between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign will occur.”’”24Then the LORD did so. And there came great swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh and the houses of his servants and the land was laid waste because of the swarms of flies in all the land of Egypt.

25Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within the land.”26But Moses said, “It is not right to do so, for we will sacrifice to the LORD our God what is an abomination to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice what is an abomination to the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not then stone us?27“We must go a three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as He commands us.”28Pharaoh said, “I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. Make supplication for me.”29Then Moses said, “Behold, I am going out from you, and I shall make supplication to the LORD that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people tomorrow; only do not let Pharaoh deal deceitfully again in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.”

30So Moses went out from Pharaoh and made supplication to the LORD.31The LORD did as Moses asked, and removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants and from his people; not one remained.32But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and he did not let the people go.

 

 

Chapter 9:
1Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and speak to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, “Let My people go, that they may serve Me.2“For if you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them,3behold, the hand of the LORD will come with a very severe pestilence on your livestock which are in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the herds, and on the flocks.4“But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing will die of all that belongs to the sons of Israel.”’”5The LORD set a definite time, saying, “Tomorrow the LORD will do this thing in the land.”6So the LORD did this thing on the next day, and all the livestock of Egypt died; but of the livestock of the sons of Israel, not one died.7Pharaoh sent, and behold, there was not even one of the livestock of Israel dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.

8Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Take for yourselves handfuls of soot from a kiln, and let Moses throw it toward the sky in the sight of Pharaoh.9“It will become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and will become boils breaking out with sores on man and beast through all the land of Egypt.”10So they took soot from a kiln, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses threw it toward the sky, and it became boils breaking out with sores on man and beast.11The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the magicians as well as on all the Egyptians.12And the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not listen to them, just as the LORD had spoken to Moses.

TMT 008: Exodus 8:16-19 / 8:12-15

tiger-mosquito-49141_640In this class we discuss the plague involving kinim (כנם ) translated/interpreted as vermin, lice, gnats, or mosquitos.

Depending on which Bible version you are reading from these verses are either 8:12-15 (typical Jewish numbering) or 8:16-19 (typical Christian numbering).  There is a reason why this happens at times and if you are interested, leave a comment and I will respond.  Considering the vast majority of Bibles available to people is numbered in the Christian way… I’m using those numbers below.

The Plague of Insects

16Then the LORD said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, that it may become lice through all the land of Egypt.’”17They did so; and Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff, and struck the dust of the earth, and there were lice on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats through all the land of Egypt.18The magicians tried with their secret arts to bring forth lice, but they could not; so there were lice on man and beast.19Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had said.

 

 

TMT 007: Exodus 7:25 – 8:11

kermit bedWelcome back as we resume with our regular program.  In this class we rejoin the class at Exodus 7:25 and continue to about 8:11.  Below are the verses.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to share your thoughts below in the comment area.  Thank you and God Bless.

 

 

Chapter 7

The Plague of Frogs

25Seven days passed after the Lord struck the Nile.

Chapter 8

1Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. 2If you refuse to let them go, I will send a plague of frogs on your whole country. 3The Nile will teem with frogs. They will come up into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and on your people, and into your ovens and kneading troughs. 4The frogs will come up on you and your people and all your officials.’ ”

5Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the streams and canals and ponds, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt.’ ”

6So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land. 7But the magicians did the same things by their secret arts; they also made frogs come up on the land of Egypt.

8Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray to the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let your people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord.”

9Moses said to Pharaoh, “I leave to you the honor of setting the time for me to pray for you and your officials and your people that you and your houses may be rid of the frogs, except for those that remain in the Nile.”

10“Tomorrow,” Pharaoh said.

Moses replied, “It will be as you say, so that you may know there is no one like the Lord our God. 11The frogs will leave you and your houses, your officials and your people; they will remain only in the Nile.”

 

TMT 006: Exodus 7:1 -7:29 (or 8:4)

nile egypt aerialIt’s just you and me today as we explore Exodus.  Unfortunately I have lost the class recorded a year or so ago.  So, I am doing an encore presentation “live” in the Ultimate Issues Studio.

Today I’ll be covering Exodus 7:1 – 7:29 (or 8:4).

Below are the verses discussed in the podcast.  If you have any questions or ideas you’d like to share, please do so in the comments at the bottom of the page.  Thank you!

And thanks again for subscribing and spreading the word about ‘Torah Means Teacher’ and ‘Ultimate Issues‘.  I sincerely appreciate your help.

 

 Exodus Chapter 7

New International Version


1Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. 2You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country. 3But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in Egypt, 4he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites. 5And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.”

6Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commanded them. 7Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Aaron’s Staff Becomes a Snake

8The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 9“When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a miracle,’ then say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a snake.”

10So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. 11Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts:12Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. 13Yet Pharaoh’s heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.

The Plague of Blood

14Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go. 15Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he goes out to the river. Confront him on the bank of the Nile, and take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake. 16Then say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the wilderness. But until now you have not listened. 17This is what the Lord says: By this you will know that I am the Lord: With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood. 18The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink; the Egyptians will not be able to drink its water.’ ”

19The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt—over the streams and canals, over the ponds and all the reservoirs—and they will turn to blood.’ Blood will be everywhere in Egypt, even in vesselsa of wood and stone.”

20Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded. He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was changed into blood. 21The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. Blood was everywhere in Egypt.

22But the Egyptian magicians did the same things by their secret arts, and Pharaoh’s heart became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said. 23Instead, he turned and went into his palace, and did not take even this to heart. 24And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile to get drinking water, because they could not drink the water of the river.

The Plague of Frogs

25Seven days passed after the Lord struck the Nile.

Depending on which version you are reading it either moves to Chapter 8 or continues as Chapter 7: 26 – 29

26/1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. 2If you refuse to let them go, I will send a plague of frogs on your whole country. 3The Nile will teem with frogs. They will come up into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and on your people, and into your ovens and kneading troughs. 4The frogs will come up on you and your people and all your officials.’ ”

 


TMT 005: Exodus 6:14 – 7:6

Podcast: Torah Means Teacher

Podcast: Torah Means Teacher

In this class we cover topics found in Exodus 6:14-7:6.  Commentary from Umberto Cassuto, Dennis Prager, Nahum Sarna, Jacob Milgrom, and Nahum Footnick.

Chapter 6:  Moses and Aaron Genealogy

13Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron about the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he commanded them to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.

14These were the heads of their families :

The sons of Reuben the firstborn son of Israel were Hanok and Pallu, Hezron and Karmi. These were the clans of Reuben.

15The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. These were the clans of Simeon.

16These were the names of the sons of Levi according to their records: Gershon, Kohath and Merari. Levi lived 137 years.

17The sons of Gershon, by clans, were Libni and Shimei.

18The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. Kohath lived 133 years.

19The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi.

These were the clans of Levi according to their records.

20Amram married his father’s sister Jochebed, who bore him Aaron and Moses. Amram lived 137 years.

21The sons of Izhar were Korah, Nepheg and Zikri.

22The sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan and Sithri.

23Aaron married Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

24The sons of Korah were Assir, Elkanah and Abiasaph. These were the Korahite clans.

25Eleazar son of Aaron married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas.

These were the heads of the Levite families, clan by clan.

26It was this Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said, “Bring the Israelites out of Egypt by their divisions.” 27They were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt about bringing the Israelites out of Egypt—this same Moses and Aaron.

 

28Now when the Lord spoke to Moses in Egypt, 29he said to him, “I am the Lord. Tell Pharaoh king of Egypt everything I tell you.”

30But Moses said to the Lord, “Since I speak with faltering lips, why would Pharaoh listen to me?”

 

Chapter 7

1Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. 2You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country. 3But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in Egypt, 4he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites. 5And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.”

6Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commanded them. 7Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.

 

TMT 004: Exodus 6:7 – 6:30

Podcast: Torah Means Teacher

Come join our class as we discuss some major issues developed in Exodus Ch. 6 verses 7 -30.  I know, I know… I say “23” in the intro, but I was wrong.  To be accurate we get to verse 30.  We’ll be talking about Israel, Judaism, Chooseness, and so much more.

Read below to follow along.

Exodus Ch. 6   verses 7 -30 (KJV)

7 And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

8 And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD.

9 And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.

10 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

11 Go in, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.

12 And Moses spake before the LORD, saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips?

13 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, and gave them a charge unto the children of Israel, and unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

14 These be the heads of their fathers’ houses: The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel; Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi: these bethe families of Reuben.

15 And the sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman: these arethe families of Simeon.

16 And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari: and the years of the life of Levi were an hundred thirty and seven years.

17 The sons of Gershon; Libni, and Shimi, according to their families.

18 And the sons of Kohath; Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel: and the years of the life of Kohath were an hundred thirty and three years.

19 And the sons of Merari; Mahali and Mushi: these are the families of Levi according to their generations.

20 And Amram took him Jochebed his father’s sister to wife; and she bare him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram werean hundred and thirty and seven years.

21 And the sons of Izhar; Korah, and Nepheg, and Zichri.

22 And the sons of Uzziel; Mishael, and Elzaphan, and Zithri.

23 And Aaron took him Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab, sister of Naashon, to wife; and she bare him Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

24 And the sons of Korah; Assir, and Elkanah, and Abiasaph: these are the families of the Korhites.

25 And Eleazar Aaron’s son took him one of the daughters of Putiel to wife; and she bare him Phinehas: these are the heads of the fathers of the Levites according to their families.

26 These are that Aaron and Moses, to whom the LORD said, Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their armies.

27 These are they which spake to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt: these are that Moses and Aaron.

28 And it came to pass on the day when the LORD spake unto Moses in the land of Egypt,

29 That the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, I am the LORD: speak thou unto Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say unto thee.

30 And Moses said before the LORD, Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me?

Any Questions or Ideas you would like to share?
Please speak your mind below in the comment area.
Thank You!

TMT 003: Exodus 6:1 -6:8

 

Podcast: Torah Means Teacher

Episode 3 of Torah Means Teacher.

In this class we discuss Exodus Chapter 6 verses 1-8.

Exodus Chapter 6:

1Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.”

2God also said to Moses, “I am the Lord. 3I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty,a but by my name the Lordb I did not make myself fully known to them. 4I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they resided as foreigners. 5Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant.

6“Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. 7I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am theLord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. 8And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’ ”

Links:

Buy Nahum Sarna’s “Exploring Exodus” here.

or the book I use, JPS Torah Commentary, here. 

As well as Umberto Cassuto’s book here.

 Also mentioned was “Why the Jews?” by Prager and Telushkin.

Thank you for listening and learning with us.

Any questions or comments?

Please feel free to mention below in the comments area.

What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow: this is the whole Torah; the rest is commentary; (and now) go and learn”  ~ Rabbi Hillel (Shabbat 31a)

TMT 002: Exodus 5:4 – 5:23

Podcast: Torah Means Teacher

Episode 2 of Torah Means Teacher.  Exodus 5:4-5:23.

Commentaries include Dennis Prager, Nahum Sarna, Umberto Cassuto, Rambam, Nehama Leibowitz and more.

Exodus Chapter 5:

4But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you draw the people away from their work? Get back to your labors!”5Again Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are now many, and you would have them cease from their labors!”6So the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters over the people and their foremen, saying,7“You are no longer to give the people straw to make brick as previously; let them go and gather straw for themselves.8“But the quota of bricks which they were making previously, you shall impose on them; you are not to reduce any of it. Because they are lazy, therefore they cry out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’9“Let the labor be heavier on the men, and let them work at it so that they will pay no attention to false words.”

10So the taskmasters of the people and their foremen went out and spoke to the people, saying, “Thus says Pharaoh, ‘I am not going to give you any straw.11‘You go and get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it, but none of your labor will be reduced.’”12So the people scattered through all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.13The taskmasters pressed them, saying, “Complete your work quota, your daily amount, just as when you had straw.”14Moreover, the foremen of the sons of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, “Why have you not completed your required amount either yesterday or today in making brick as previously?”

15Then the foremen of the sons of Israel came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying, “Why do you deal this way with your servants?16“There is no straw given to your servants, yet they keep saying to us, ‘Make bricks!’ And behold, your servants are being beaten; but it is the fault of your own people.”17But he said, “You are lazy, very lazy; therefore you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’18“So go now and work; for you will be given no straw, yet you must deliver the quota of bricks.”19The foremen of the sons of Israel saw that they were in trouble because they were told, “You must not reduce your daily amount of bricks.”20When they left Pharaoh’s presence, they met Moses and Aaron as they were waiting for them.21They said to them, “May the LORD look upon you and judge you, for you have made us odious in Pharaoh’s sight and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.”

22Then Moses returned to the LORD and said, “O Lord, why have You brought harm to this people? Why did You ever send me?23“Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done harm to this people, and You have not delivered Your people at all.”

Links:

Buy Nahum Sarna’s “Exploring Exodus” here.

or the book I use, JPS Torah Commentary, here. 

As well as Umberto Cassuto’s book here.

 Also mentioned was “Why the Jews?” by Prager and Telushkin.

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