Shabbat Shalom

Shabbat Shalom - Parshas Shemos

Blessing of the New Month of Shevat

Rosh Chodesh is Parshas Vaeira

The Parshios continue in their exciting narrative:

Joseph and all his brothers died, and so did all of that generation, the first generation living in Egypt. The last son of Jacob to die was Levi, in the year 2332, at the age of 137. Once all of Jacob's sons had died, the Jews (except for the tribe of Levi) began to neglect their traditions. One of the practices they abandoned at this point was circumcision. The Israelites were unnaturally fertile and prolific, they increased and became exceedingly strong. The women gave birth regularly to sextuplets. Before long, the land was filled with them.

* * * * *

At this time, a new king, who did not know Joseph, arose over Egypt. According to one opinion, this was in fact a new king; others say that this was the same king, but that he acted as if he had never heard of Joseph.

* * * * *

Just then, Pharaoh's daughter Basya—who had decided to renounce idolatry—went down to bathe, i.e., ritually immerse herself in (lit., "on" or "concerning") the Nile, in order to spiritually cleanse herself of idolatry (including Nile-worship). By using the Nile to renounce idolatry, she abrogated its status as an idol. The basket then slipped into the river and floated into the princess' field of vision.

As soon as the basket entered the river, the Egyptian astrologers sensed it—as Yocheved had predicted—and Pharaoh, thinking that he had accomplished his purposes, cancelled his decree to throw all baby boys into the river. Basya saw the basket and told her attendant maidens that she was going to see what it was. … Basya stretched out her arm, which then miraculously became long enough to reach the basket, and thus took the baby herself.

* * * * *

God looked upon the Israelites, and God took note. Having decided that it was time for them to be redeemed, God had to select a redeemer. He appeared to Aaron and told him to prophesy to the Israelites, preparing them for redemption by saying, "Let everyone discard all the idols in his sight, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt, I am God, your God." But Aaron was not successful in this mission; he could not convince the people to sever their ties with Egyptian culture.

From: The Parsha of The Rebbe

More Parsha texts, commentaries, Midrashim