This quotation, from this week’s Torah reading, is surely one of the most well-known phrases in the Bible. And I have often pointed out that it’s really a half-quote, distorted, read as a cry for freedom. In actuality, G-d is telling Pharaoh to give the Jews a new, Divine Master: “Send out My people, that they may serve Me!”

But when you think about it, there’s no contradiction. We are trained to think that “freedom” means the ability to do whatever you want. But when was the most care-free time of your life? Most of us would answer, our childhood. And who are the happiest children? Those who are confident in both their parents’ love, and their guidance. Both of those are critical: the happiest children are not those with no rules, but those with clearly-defined guidelines, enforced with fairness and love.

Good Shabbos!

Rabbi Yaakov Menken
Director, Project Genesis – Torah.org

In this week’s reading, Moshe sees an Egyptian beating another Jew, and comes to his rescue — killing the Egyptian taskmaster, and putting his own life in danger. Why did Moshe take such a terrible risk?

The Jewish man is never identified by name. We never hear from him again — we don’t even know if he was one of those who left Egypt (to the best of my limited knowledge).

The Torah does not waste words, but tells us that Moshe saw the Egyptian man beating a Jewish man “from his brothers.” This answers our question, and this was what made Moshe the ideal leader of the Jewish people.

To Moshe, another Jew wasn’t merely another citizen of the same country, or a distant relative — he was immediate family, for whom he was willing to risk his life.

Good Shabbos!
Rabbi Yaakov Menken
Director, Project Genesis – Torah.org

In our reading this week, Yaakov blesses Yehudah by saying, “His eyes will be read from wine, and his teeth white from milk.” Rabbi Yochanon (Kesuvos 111b) changes one vowel and reads, “and to whiten his teeth from [more than] milk.” To give a warm smile is better than giving him milk.

One of the most important forms of charity is to help a person smile, to lift him up from being unhappy. It’s a form of charity that doesn’t cost anything and can be found anywhere, even in our own homes. Many people today are lonely, sad, in need of your smile. And considering where any form of improvement must begin, sometimes it starts in the mirror!

Good Shabbos!
Rabbi Yaakov Menken
Director, Project Genesis – Torah.org