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We often think of Moses, armed with divine authority, as the driving force behind the Israelites' liberation. But what about Pharaoh? Did he simply cave to the plagues, or was ther...
The verse says, "it was when Pharaoh let the people go," (Exodus 13:17) which leads us to Song of Songs 4:13: "Your branches are an orchard of pomegranates." Rabbi Levi uses a para...
The ancient rabbis certainly knew the feeling, and they used vivid imagery to describe the Israelites' escape from Egypt. It wasn't just a political liberation; it was a soul's lib...
We often think of the Israelites, finally free after generations of slavery. But what if Pharaoh himself was the one shedding tears? That's the surprising question raised in Shemot...
That bittersweet feeling is ancient, deeply human, and, believe it or not, it echoes in the story of Moses and the Exodus. : Moses. MOSES! The guy who stood up to Pharaoh, who part...
The book of Exodus tells us, “God did not lead them via the land [derekh eretz]” (Exodus 13:17). But what exactly does that mean? Well, Shemot Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbi...
The ancient rabbis grappled with this very feeling when they looked at the Exodus story. The Torah tells us that God "did not lead them" – lo naham – after Pharaoh finally let the ...
Eleven! As it says, "From Egypt to the Land of Israel there are eleven journeys, which can be conducted in eleven days." (Shemot Rabbah 20). So, why did it end up taking them forty...
But the Torah tells us, "God did not lead them [naḥam]..." (Exodus 13:17). The word naḥam here is key, often translated as "by way of" or "directly." So, what's the story behind th...
