Shemot / Exodus 1:1 ~ 6:1

Shemot: Names

Shemot (ְׁמוֹת) is the Hebrew word for “Names.” The parshah begins with a listing of the names of the descendents of Jacob who left the land of Canaan and lived in Egypt to escape the famine. When the Shemot begins, Jacob, Joseph and all of his generation have died. A new Pharaoh rules over Egypt who did not know of Joseph and his role in Egyptian and Israelite life.

The new Pharaoh became concerned that the foreign Israelites had become too numerous and was afraid that they might rise up against the Egyptians. He set up task masters to rule over the Israelites and gave them onerous duties. The more the Egyptians burdened the Israelites, the more they multiplied. Finally, Pharaoh ordered the midwives to kill all sons born to the Hebrew women; girl children would be allowed to survive. Two midwives, Shiphra and Puah (two of the few women specifically named in the Bible) feared G~d more than they feared Pharaoh. They refused to kill the male babies. When asked by Pharaoh why they saved the male babies, the midwives told Pharaoh that the Hebrew women were so strong and vigorous that they gave birth before the midwives could arrive and assist with the births.

G~d rewarded Shiphra and Puah by granting them with a long line of descendants. As the Israelites continued to multiply, Pharaoh required that all newborn males be thrown into the Nile. Again, he allowed the girl children to live. One woman gave birth to a boy. She hid him for three months until she could hide no longer. She build a basket made of bulrushes and set in him the river. She had her daughter and the baby’s sister watch over the child. Pharaoh’s daughter went to the river to bathe and saw the baby floating in the water. She recognized that he was a Hebrew baby but chose to save him anyway.

Pharaoh’s daughter asked the baby’s sister to find a nurse to care of the baby. She immediately contacted the baby’s true mother to care for him. When the child had grown into a young boy, his mother brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter who adopted him as her son. She named him Moses because he had been drawn out of the water.

Moses saw the harsh way his people were treated. Once, he saw an Egyptian hitting an Israelite. When Moses thought no one was watching, he struck the Egyptian, killing him. He quickly buried the body. The following day, Moses saw two Israelites fighting and tried to stop the fight. One of the Israelites asked if Moses intended to kill them. Moses then realized that his killing of the Egyptian had not gone unobserved. Being scared, he fled into the desert before Pharaoh could punish him for the murder.

While Moses was in exile, the daughters of a Midian priest came to a well to water their sheep. Shepherds shooed them away. Moses, however, went to assist the young women. They told their father how an Egyptian had come to their rescue. Their father invited Moses to come and join his family. Moses married, Zipporah, one of the daughters and soon they had a son, whom they named Gershom, for Moses had been “a stranger in a strange land.:

One day, while Moses was tending his father-in-laws sheep, and angel appeared to him in the form of a burning bush, that was not consumed. G~d told that he must return to Egypt to bring the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses asked who he should say sent him to bring out the Israelites and G~d answered “I Will Be What I Will Be” (אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה, Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh), and He told Moses to tell the Israelites that “I Will Be” (אֶהְיֶה, Ehyeh) sent him.

G~d further told Moses to tell the Israelites that the Lord (יְהוָה, YHVH), the G~d of their fathers, the G~d of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, had sent him, and this would be G~d’s Name forever.

Moses afraid that no one, including Pharaoh, would believe him. G~d instructed Moses to throw down his rod. When Moses did this, his rod became a snake, but when he picked it up by its tail, it once again became a snake. G~d provided Moses with other signs of His wonder, but Moses protested that he was not a man of speech and would be unable to convince Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. G~d told him not to worry, that his brother Aaron would speak on his behalf.

Moses took his wife and son and headed back to Egypt. Along the way, Zipporah circumcised Gershom, as was the way of the Hebrews.

Meanwhile, G~d spoke to Aaron and told him to meet Moses in the wilderness. Together, the two brothers went to Pharaoh and told him that their G~d had instructed their people to worship in the desert. Pharaoh, however, began giving the Israelites harsher and harsher chores. Moses begs G~d to provide relief to the Israelites. G~d told Moses that it would take a strong hand to convince Pharaoh to release the Israelites.