Torah Classes

Chp. 19 verses 1 - 12: Three months after the Jews leave Egypt they reach the wilderness of Sinai. They camp before the mountain. Moshe goes up to the mt. and Hashem calls to him to tell the house of Jacob and the children of Israel, that He had carried them on the wings of eagles and brought them to Him. That if they would keep His covenant that they would be His treasure . They would be a kingdom of priest and a holy nation. Moshe told them what Hashem said and they answered "all that Hashem has spoken we will do." Moshe repeated to Hashem what the people said. Hashem then tells them to purify themselves for two days and on the third day He would descend before the eyes of the people on to the mt. He warned the people not to touch the mt. least they die.

Chp. 18 verses 14 - 27: Yisro sees that the people are standing and waiting to be judged by Moshe, from morning to evening. Yisro tells him that what he is doing will wear on him and the people. He then advises him to appoint judges of 1000, 100, 50 and 10, to help him to judge the people. Moshe consults with Hashem and appoints 78,600 able men from all of Israel to judge the people. So that the people could be judged at all times. The hard cases he judged and the easy ones they did. Moshe sent his father-in-law away and he went back to his land.

Chp. 18 verses 7 -13: Moshe greets his father-in-law. He tells him all that Hashem had done for the sake of Israel and how He had saved them. Yisro rejoiced and said "Blessed be the L-rd." He said that now he knew that Hashem was greater than any other god. He brought sacrifices to Hashem and Aaron and all the elders ate a meal with him before Hashem. The next day he watched as Moshe sat and all the people brought their cases before him from morning until evening.

Chp. 20 verses 15 -23: All the people stood at Mt. Sinai and heard and saw the presence of Hashem. They trembled and stood a distance from the Mt. They said to Moshe that he should listen to the words of Hashem and tell them, least they die. He tried to convince them to hear the commands directly from Hashem but they stood afar and Moshe went up to the thick darkness to where Hashem was. He told Moshe to tell the people not to make images of gold or silver. That they should make a alter of earth for bringing sacrifices in the place that He would chose to make His name mentioned there. It would be there that He would bless them. He then told Moshe that the stones for the alter could not be hewn, and that there should be a ramp leading up to the alter not stairs.

Chp. 18 verses 1 - 7: Introduction, Yisro hears what Hashem has done for Moshe and the Israelite's; that He brought them out of Egypt. He goes out to the desert and brings Moshe his wife and two sons, who had remained in Median. He sends a message to the camp that they have come to see him. So Moshe accompanied by the whole nation go out to greet Yisro. He bows, they kiss, they exchange greetings and then they go into the tent.

Chp. 16 verses 27 -36 Chp. 17 verses 1 - 6: Even though they were commanded not to, some of the people went out on the seventh day to collect the Mann and there was none. Hashem rebukes Moshe for their action. They name the food from heaven Mann. Hashem commands Moshe to tell Aaron to place an omer of Mann in an earthenware container and place it with the Ark forever. The people ate the Mann for forty years until they reached the border of the land of Cannan. Chp. 17 begins with the people complaining to Moshe about a lack of water. Moshe asks them why they were complaining to him and why were they testing Hashem? Moshe complains to Hashem saying that that the people were ready to stone him. Then Hashem tells him to take in his hand the staff that he used in Egypt and hit the rock before the elders and the people would have water to drink. Moshe did so in the presence of the elders.

Chp. 16 verses 15 - 26: The people ask what the heavenly food is and Moshe tells them it is Mann. He tells them to go out each day and collect an omer for each person in their tent. Whether they gathered a little or a lot the amount was the same; an omer for each person. He told them not to leave any over for the next day for it would become wormy and stink. On the six day they collected the same amount and when they brought it into their tents they saw that it was a double amount. Moshe then instructed them about Shabbos and that the Mann would be twice the amount so that they would not have to go out to collect any on Shabbos; that Mann would not stink or turn to maggots. Six days they would collect it and on the seventh day it would be Shabbos and their would be none.

Chp.15 verses 27 & 28 Chp, 16 verses 1 - 14: Description on how Hashem is our healer. The nation travels to Elim and there are twelve springs and seventy date trees. Chp. 16, They travel to the wilderness of Sin. They complain to Moshe and Aaron since they have no food. Hashem tells Moshe that He will make it rain bread from heaven which they will gather each day and on the sixth day there will be a double portion. Moshe questions the people's complaints to him and Aaron saying "what are we that you complain against us? Your complaints are against Hashem." Hashem says, "tell them that in the morning you will be filled with bread and in the evening you shall eat meat so that you will know that I am the L-rd G-d." In the evening the quail covered the camp and in the morning there was a layer of dew round the camp and when the sun melted it off there was mann on the ground.

Chp. 15 verses 17 - 26: Continues with prayer section of the "Shirah." Finishes with " Hashem will reign for ever and ever." After the men finish the women led by Miriam sing their song to Hashem with musical instruments. Moshe then makes them leave the sea and they travel to Marah. They are thirsty but there is only bitter water, they complain to Moshe and Hashem tells him to throw a tree into the water to make it sweet. Hashem gives them the laws of Shabbos, the red heifer, and the laws of justice, at Marah. He then assures them that if they listen and follow all of His commandments and statutes, that He would not let them suffer from all the diseases that He had put on the Egyptians because " I am the L-rd who heals you."

Chp. 15 verses 4 - 16: Continues with the "Awz Yashir." That Hashem drowned the chariots of Pharaoh and his army in the sea. His right hand crushed the enemy. He cast them in the sea as stubble, stone, or lead commensurate with their level of cruelty against their Jewish slaves. In the middle of the song they praised Hashem with the famous words "Who is like You among the mighty O L-rd...." Finishes off with the description of the fear and trepidation of the nations over the miracles and wonders that Hashem had performed for the nation which He had acquired.