We at Beit Torah will discuss contrasting individual and community leadership especially responding to natural disasters:

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Shemot 5786; dictators; Shemot [Exodus] 1:1-6:1; Sephard: Jeremiah 1:1-2:3; Ashkenaz: Isaiah 27:6 - 28:13; 29:22 - 29:23

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It is the Pesach story that starts the Book of Names,

Shemot, a saga with intrigue, harsh plagues, and games.

 

We start with the cruelty of a conquering Pharaoh,

Who feared Israelites would join enemy forces’ show,

Enslaving some peoples unto hopelessness and woe,

Moaning and groaning under oppression e’re they go

To build the twin cities Pitom and Ramses, you know.

[First Ramses was built fast. Tom’s town next built, but slow...]

 

Yet oppression only seemed to make their numbers grow!

He decreed death to newborn boys without a care – Oh! c

But for Shifra and Puah who refused to do so

By saying strong Hebrew women did not need their help

When a baby boy or girl by themselves they could whelp.

 

Yochevet’s pretty baby boy, three months old, was game.

So Yochevet’s baby in a closed cradle was placed

As Sis Miriam to the Princess swiftly did race

To offer Yochevet Mom as wet nurse for the bairn.

“From water did I pull you,” the Princess exclaimed.

“As a result, henceforth, Moshe will be your name.”

 

When grown he saw an overseer vilely act.

He killed him. ‘Twas known to Hebrew Slaves as a fact,

Discovered when he stopped a Hebrew slaves’ fight with tact.

 

Pharaoh heard, wanted to kill Moshe if him he could find...

So he fled to Midian, to a Priest’s daughters was kind,

All seven as he sat by the well, shooed bullies away,

Watered flocks for the girls… They were home early that day...

Family friendship with Zipporah to wife he did find.

Soon a dear son came along for him to mind

Named Gershom, for stranger Moish was there to stay…

 

While Moish was in Midian, the King of Egypt died.

The Folk became more oppressed. With groans to G!d they cried!

 

This story took off here when HaShem did now appear

In a burning bush that neither ashed nor disappeared!

Moish heard Hashem call: [He replied: "I am here".]

"Remove your shoes on Holy ground, do not fear

For I am HaShem who promised your forbears

Land of milk and honey; at my mountain: prayers."

 

"I've heard Israelites pleading for help you see,"

HaShem did proclaim, “To Egypt you must go:

From Horeb to Pharaoh for desert prayers to plead

For all Hebrews with elders, wives, and children in tow -

Just as was given to other folk when such was their need.”

 

Moshe declined as unworthy and unable to speak,

Unable to give HaShem’s name, overall too weak…

There at that time, HaShem to frightened Moshe went on

Recalling words to Ancestors of return to Canaan.

Then HaShem said to say, “G!d of Patriarchs, Ehyeh,”

To the Israelite elders, “will liberate us! Yeah!”

 

A snake rod, a hand with white scales, dry land blood water

Are grand signs for in Pharaoh’s court to be seen and heard.”

Moshe’s protest: ‘I’m not worthy! ‘Twill be a slaughter!”

“So let Aaron convince them with his eloquent words,”

Said HaSHem as he promised with their neighbors’ wealth

There later would be an exit at night in stealth…

 

So Moshe asked from Yitro, top Midian Priest, permission to go

While HaShem said, “Egyptian firstborn die if plea’s refused by Pharaoh.”

Some of this prediction Zipporah did hear

Hence for her Egyptian firstborn she clearly did fear.

So he would be a Hebrew, his small foreskin she took

To save his life when the Angel of Death came to look.

 

Yet when Moshe asked Pharaoh for wilderness prayers,

He and Aaron were laughed out of court, kicked down the stairs!

As life became harder with withdrawn straw for the bricks,

Hebrews could not meet quotas, could not use sticks…

Those Hebrews did curse them, causing them both such despair…

Still HaShem cautioned patience: “Moshe, we will get there!”

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Sephardic Haftorah:

 

HaShem told Jeremiah: known before birth Prophet you’ll be.

Jeremiah then protested that he was unable to speak.

Hence HaShem in response reached out and touched the then young youth’s mouth

To give visions: of an almond tree branch, and a pot of steam;

To let HaShem’s divine words flow forth from above and on deep;

To predict disaster from idolatrous North for the South…

But Yerushalayim’s fortifications were able to hold

With the promise to give HaShem’s due by the faithful and bold…

HaShem’s threat to nations: Do not harm Israel, HaShem’s first fruit

Or evil will befall you as if you’d eaten tithes’ first fruits!

 

Ashkenaz Haftorah:

 

“Suffering in the past purged the sins away

So Israel can blossom,” Isaiah did say,

“From a forsaken land to one filled with life.”

Still those people not in sync could find no grace,

No mercy to violators in that place.

Those drunkards with power were doomed soon to be lost.

As the dispersed gathered in, the strayed were the cost.

In fortified town, land protected from strife

The House of Jacob stood tall, no longer shamed

For they all in awe did hallow HaShem’s name!

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We at Beit Torah will discuss difficulties in preventing tyrants from gaining power:

 

VaEra 5786; Tyrant Plagued; Shemot [Exodus] 6:2-9:35; Ezekiel 28:15-29:21

 

Is Exodus two accounts made one in meld

Of plague times when some of Semites were expelled?

Of slave times from many backgrounds who rebelled?

No details were given last week in our preview.

So now we embark on this version number two…

 

HaShem told Moshe he recalled the Patriarchs’ Brit

And heard the Folk groaning: with the Folk you must meet!

G!d then promised Moshe that, too, there would be release

Even though the Hebrews firmly refused to believe

In eighty year old Moshe, for HaShem a groaner;

In the Patriarchs’ Brits with the Tetragram owner:

To answer moans and deliver by unusual means

Possession of Canaan to folk without hope it seems…

Those strange means now appear in our Haggadot in reams!

 

Then Moshe, in fear, said he truly could not speak,

So HaShem spoke to Aaron, his spokesman to be.

Hence to prove his credentials: lineage revealed,

Both past and present men and sons Egyptian born

[Note Miriam’s not mentioned as of Yocheved's spawn].

Thus now with this info was his leadership sealed,

Moshe and Aaron returned to their task forlorn.

 

When going back to Pharaoh with his hardened heart,

Aaron’s snake rod swallowed the magicians’ - all parts.

Pharaoh still said ‘no, your folk to pray can not go’ -

Despite other nations being allowed to do so!

Hence in the umbra of Thera, Egypt’s plagues did come

But lesser in Goshen, Thera’s penumbra, some plagues none…

 

Now blood was the first plague in water, wood, and stone

Since volcanic iron oxide paints all red roan;

[Pharaoh's magicians something similar could do...

Was it the same? Not likely as they had no clue!]

"Blood" poisoned water so that fish died, rotted, and smelled,

Left uneaten tadpoles escape to land as well

As frogs seeking food in all of Pharaoh's home places,

But not in Goshen were there of them any traces!

Pharaoh said, "go sacrifice" if first frogs get gone,

But when dead frogs piled up, he sang a different song...

 

Now early in the morning, Pharaoh in waters washed.

That’s when Moish was told to tell him what refusal costs:

[From toxic volcanic ash,] there’s ‘lice’ on skin cooking;

‘Lice’ kills food sources, so hungry insects come looking...

He promised to let them go pray should insects get gone

From Thera's umbra ['though Goshen's penumbra had none].

Again Pharaoh renegged with the insects away

Only to have all critters in fields fall dead next day -

In Egypt proper… Goshen critters kept going on!

 

"Now grab handsful of soot," G!d told Moshe and Aaron.

Aaron's soot thrown in the air [? Or Thera's vast display?]

Did sicken the air so that all felt so ill until

The skin bubbled open as blisters or boils in pain.

Was it clothes, salve, or oils that Moshe’s skin had none?

 

G!d told Moish that early morn to Pharaoh this must be said:

That with the plagues HaShem does, Pharaoh could have been dead,

But now others, too, will know HaShem’s deeds and fame instead.

So there is coming a plague of fiery hail falling!

Get all indoors to be safe before death comes a calling!

 

Up high, deep rumbling Heavens cried out loudly and then

With Egypt's land struck by fiery hail as again,

More death until the inferno from brimstone was done:

Barley and flax both destroyed out in the open fields

Left later ripened wheats for the locusts yet to come...

Hail's seventh plague given Pharaoh was stubborn still…

All this since Pharaoh continued to refuse to yield…

Again, Goshen did avoid this deadly plague’s spill!

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Historical documentations by the Ipuwer papyri [circa 1500's BCE] support the occurrence of the biblical plagues and coincided with the first of the expulsions of Semites from Egypt and with the massive volcanic explosions of Thera that destroyed around half the island about 400 miles away from Egypt. This is consistent with the teachings of the Rambam, Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, and others that HaShem does not violate natural laws but uses them to cause what appears to some to be ‘miracles’.

 

Haftorah, Ezekiel:

Now when at first his prophecy did not occur,

In seventeen years Ezekiel tried once more:

Forty desolate years promised to Egypt’s Land

In retribution for Pharaoh’s vile behaviours grand…

When rebuilt, Egypt’s status the lowest of low!

With adding that bounty to Babylon must go

From desolate Egypt and dispossessed Pharaoh -

Payment for abuse by Egypt on Babylon showed

Despite Babylon’s failure trying to make it so...

 

Said about ten years post-Babylonian exile…

Then Israel gathered in to a secure land while

Despisers were punished; HaShem reclaimed the Nile…

 

Shabbat Shalom!

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