Torah Classes

Chp. 8 verse 15 - 28 Chp. 9 verses 1 - 12: The magicians of Egypt admit that the lice are the finger of Hashem. Pharaoh stills hardens his heart. Then Moshe warns him about the fourth plague, wild animals. This makes Pharaoh concede to letting the Jews bring sacrifices to Hashem but only in Egypt. Moshe insists on a three day trip into the wilderness. Pharaoh finally agrees and Moshe prays the animals are removed, but Pharaoh hardens his heart once again. Chp. 9, Moshe warns Pharaoh and his people about the fifth plague, pestilence, that would effect all their animals. Once again Pharaoh refuses to let the people go. Then Hashem tells Moshe that he should bring the sixth plague of boils on Egypt in front of Pharaoh but without any warning. The magicians are unable to even appear before Pharaoh because of their affliction. Hashem hardens Pharaoh's heart and he still does not free the people.

Chp. 6 verses 25 - 30 Chp. 7 verses 1 -7: The Torah introduces us to Elazar and his son Pinchas. It continues with Moshe and Aaron who would be the ones to speak to Pharaoh to take the Jews out of Egypt. Hashem tells Moshe to speak to Pharaoh and he answers that he has a speech defect, "so how will Pharaoh listen to me?" Chp. 7, Hashem tells Moshe that he will be a god to Pharaoh and Aaron will be his prophet. Hashem says that Aaron will tell Pharaoh all that I tell you. He then tells him that Pharaoh will not listen and that He would multiply His signs and wonders in Egypt. The end would be that He would take the children of Israel out of Egypt. They did all that G-d commanded them. Moshe was 80 and Aaron 83 years old when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Chp.7 verses 23 - 29 Chp. 8 verses 1 - 14: Pharaoh is not impressed with the plague of blood, even though it lasts seven days. Hashem tells Moshe to tell Pharaoh that he will bring a plague of frogs on Egypt and they will be everywhere. Chp. 8, G-d tells Moshe to say to Aaron to bring the plague of frogs on Egypt and he does so. The Egyptian magicians are also able to do so. Pharaoh calls Moshe and Aaron and tells them to pray to G-d to remove the frogs from himself and his people. Moshe asks him when he wants them removed he says tomorrow and Moshe says as you wish. The next day all the frogs die except those that were in the Nile they remained forever. They piled the dead frogs in heaps and the land stunk. With the end of the plague of frogs Pharaoh hardened his heart and did not listen to them. Then without warning G-d told Moshe to tell Aaron to hit the earth and it would turn to lice, and so it was. However the magicians were not able to replicate the lice since sorcery does not have power on anything s

Chp. 6 verses 8 - 24: Hashem tells Moshe the fifth term of redemption, " that I will bring you to the land." Moshe speaks to the people but they do not listen to him because of their harsh conditions. G-d tells him to go to Pharaoh, but Moshe says if the people don't listen to me how will Pharaoh especially with my speech defect? Hashem then tells Moshe and Aaron to speak to the people and to Pharaoh about the exodus. Portion continues with the lineage of the families of Ruevain, Shimon, and then Levi. However with Levi the Torah elucidates on their lineage, with the intent of introducing us to their families, especially Aaron his sons.

Chp. 9 verses 13 -35: Hashem tells Moshe to go to Pharaoh early in the morning and warn him about the plague of hail, which would be as severe as all the plagues. Moshe makes a mark on the wall and says at this time tomorrow the hail, thunder, and rain would come. He warned Pharaoh and his people to take all their animals and servants into their houses. Anything left in the field would die. It also would destroy the flax and the barley. When the hail comes Pharaoh calls for Moshe and Aaron and admits that G-d is righteous and that he and his people are evil. He agrees to let the people go if Moshe would pray to Hashem to remove the hail and the thunder. Moshe goes outside the city to pray to Hashem and He removes the Hail, thunder, and the rain. But Pharaoh's heart was hardened and he refused to send out the children and Israel.

Chp. 4 verses 2 - 7: Introduction, Hashem speaks harshly to Moshe since he questioned His actions, but then softens His tone. He tells Moshe that the Avos never questioned His actions and He never had to interact with them with the name Hashem of mercy. He tells Moshe that he has heard the groans of the B'nai Yisrael because of their harsh servitude and He has remembered His covenant. He expresses to Moshe four terms of redemption that would show the people that He was their G-d and that He would bring them out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

Chp. 7 verses 8 - 22: Hashem tells Moshe that when Pharaoh asks you to do something that amazes you, tell Aaron to throw his staff in front of Pharaoh and turn it into a snake. They did what Hashem told them but Pharaoh had his magicians do the same. Then Aaron had his staff swallow all their staffs. Hashem tells Moshe to go to the Nile in the morning and warn him that G-d would turn all the water into blood and that all the fish in the Nile would die and cause Egypt to stink. Moshe told Aaron to turn all the waters into blood and he did. However, the magicians of Egypt were able to do the same with their magic and Pharaoh's heart was hardened and he didn't listen to them just as G-d had told them.

Chp.4 verses 25 - 31 Chp.5 verses 1 - 23 & Chp. 6 verse 1: Tzipporah circumcises her son and saves Moshe's life. Aaron comes to meet Moshe. They go Egypt and Aaron tells the people all that G-d had told Moshe and he shows them the signs and they believe him. Chp. 5, Moshe and Aaron go to Pharaoh and tell him that Hashem had asked that he let the people go out to the desert to serve Him. Pharaoh answers " who is G-d that I should listen to His voice and let Israel go?" Instead he increases the burden on the people by making them collect their own straw to make the bricks. Moshe complains to Hashem that He has dealt badly with the people, and since he came to Pharaoh things have only gotten worse. Chp. 6, Hashem tells Moshe that now you will see that Pharaoh will let them go but only with a strong hand.

Chp. 1 verses 9 - 21: The new king of the Egyptians tries to cunningly enslave the Jewish nation. Through hard work he hopes to slow down their numbers. But Hashem has other plans the more they are oppressed the more they multiply. He tries to enlist the help of two Jewish midwives to kill the Jewish male newborns. Thinking that he would be able to kill their savior at birth. They not only do not kill the males they help in their survival. Hashem was pleased with their action and blessed them with houses.

Chp. 2 verses 7 - 14: Moshe refuses to nurse from an Egyptian woman, so Miriam suggests that she bring a Jewish woman, his mother, and Pharaoh's daughter agrees. She weans him and returns him to her. She raises him and calls him Moshe. When he gets older he goes out among his people and sees an Egyptian beating a Jew he kills the Egyptian and buries him in the sand. The next day he sees two Jewish men fighting and he rebukes them. The aggressor responds "are you going to kill me as you did the Egyptian?" Moshe now feared because he felt that his deed would be reported to Pharaoh.