The Torah prohibits eating insects, referring to them as “an abomination”: All winged swarming things that walk on fours shall be an abomination for you. Leviticus 11:20 Given that the Torah defines insects as an abomination, it comes as...
The eighth plague brought an unprecedented swarm of locusts into Egypt, a swarm that devoured every shred of grain and foliage that remained after the hail. The plague was so devastating that Pharaoh relented, openly repenting and begging...
Exodus (12:37) is quite explicit in stating that 600,000 Hebrew men, more specifically men between the ages of 20-60, left Egypt. In his Aramaic translation of the Torah, Rabbi Yonatan ben Uziel assumes that each man had an average of...
The final plague that struck Egypt was exceptional in several respects. It hit both man and animal and, for the first time, a plague killed people outright. Unlike the other plagues which left the Jews untouched, the Jews were required...
When Moses and Aaron confronted Pharaoh, his court magicians tried to refute their demand to release the Hebrews by mimicking their miraculous acts. This proved to be within the magicians’ abilities when they faced the rod-born serpent,...
God sent Moses to demand that Pharaoh release the Hebrews from bondage, threatening that should the Egyptian king refuse, the country would suffer. So it seems incredibly unjust that God would harden Pharaoh’s heart (Exodus 9:12),...
Every schoolchild knows that Egypt was struck by ten plagues before the Hebrews were set free. But a different count is given in Psalms and several different options for enumerating the plagues are given during the Seder on Passover. ...
The following is a taste of our Israel Bible Reading Plan. Follow the weekly portion with summaries, insights and lively conversation. To register, click here. God tells Moses to return once more to Pharaoh, for He has hardened his heart...
Our portion picks up where last week’s left off, in the aftermath of a plague. Phineas is blessed by God for his actions and a new census of the people is taken. The brotherless daughters of Zelophehad appeal to Moses for a share in the...
This week’s portion demonstrates the scope of the Israelites’ reputation during their desert travels. Balak, the king of Moab, hears what befell the Amorites when they stood up to God’s people and decides he does not want to meet a...
