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This 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.
About the difference between the words you spoke of:
tameh – is to do with death
I have learned from one Rabbi that tameh ancient meaning is darkness, and death is of the darkness; tahor ancient meaning is light, the light of God, and life is exactly because of the light of God. When one does good, one increases the light of God in his life, becoming a bit closer to Him. And the opposite,
sheketz is something that is tameh, is it a object, not an idea. Therefore shiksa is not an abomination, it is a person with no light of God, for she is not Jewish. 🙂
What the Israeli man spoke of – snake – is sheretz, which means bottom dweller, basically. The non-cosher sea-thingies are also called sheretz (shratzim).
toeva is an idea, an action, a thought, which is repulsive or immoral.
I love it! Thanks so much!!
Of course I still disagree with the premise that a non-Jewish woman is shiksa (without light of God). I know I veer from the normative Jewish dogma regarding the non-Jew. I find it hard to believe that only Jews have the light of God, or a Godly soul (neshama), or any of those kinds of ideologies regarding the inherent significance of the Jew (via race/genetics.) All of humanity is Bnei Adam (who HaShem breathed the soul into), as are all Bnei Noah. What makes the Jew significant is his/her acceptance of the yoke of Torah. It’s is our behavior that makes us separate, distinct, and elevated (Kadosh), and not our DNA.
Again… I love your contributions!
Feel free to question, comment, complain, and/or disagree anytime.
Todah Rabah!
Nahum, I completely agree.
However, I think the interpretation of the “normative Jewish dogma regarding the non-Jew” is wrong. What I mean is that “without the Light of God” doesn’t mean that they have no soul. The way I understand it is this:
The Torah is our guide for ever-increasing the Light of God in our life. It is given to all, but it was TAKEN (as in accepted) by the Jews. The Jews are closer to (or richer in…) the Light of God due to their adherence to the Teaching, the Torah.
The “other peoples” of the Earth (goyim, goyei ha’aretz), are not adhering to the Teaching, therefore they are generally NOT increasing the Kight of God in their lives. Therefore, a man/woman of the “other peoples” are not of the Light but of the Darkness. Which idea manifests in the “shiksa” word.
I completely agree that this is not how most people read that word, though, and it has become something of a non-flattering epithet, whereas it was intended as a simple statement of fact in most cases.
And of course, there are non-Jewish people who are, in fact, doing all the right things in their lives which actually does bring Light of God to them, so it isn’t even accurate in many cases as that simple statement of fact. AND vice versa, regarding some Jewish people I know.
Though Orthodox Jews say that Jews are twice closer to the Light: one by birth and upbringing in a Jewish home (because Jews can never truly be atheist) and one by choice of following the Teaching.
BTW, I didn’t know you answered. There is no mail sent when an answer is posted.
Thank you for clarifying! To your credit you are challenging and thinking through what others accept as dogma. Outstanding!