Daily Chumash Monday, 20th Teves: Moshe Rabbeinu is born and placed in the river

Sheiyni

• Pharaoh confronted the midwives and they replied that the Jewish people are akin to wild animals who give birth on their own. The Jewish people thus continued to multiply. Hashem gave the midwives homes in reward of them fearing Him.
• The decree to kill all the male born children in Egypt: Pharaoh then commanded his entire nation to kill their male born children, while sparing the females.

• Moshe Rabbeinu is born and placed in the river:
• A Levite man took a Levite daughter for a wife and the woman became pregnant and had a son. The mother saw that he was good and so she hid him for three months.
• Moshe is placed in the river: After this time expired, his mother placed him in a reed basket, smeared it with clay and tar, and entered him into the reeds of the banks of the Nile river. His sister stood from a distance to see what would happen to him.

Baby Moshe is rescued:

• Batya rescues Moshe: The daughter of Pharaoh [i.e. Basya] was strolling with her maidservants by the river and when she saw the basket, she stretched her hand and took it. She opened it and saw a lad crying and had mercy on him. She exclaimed that the child is from the Jewish people.
• Yocheved nurses Moshe: The sister of Moshe [i.e. Miriam] offered Basya to bring a Jewish wet nurse to nurse the boy. After her acceptance, she summoned the boy’s mother who nursed her son in exchange for payment from Basya.
• Moshe grows up: The child grew up and became adopted by the daughter of Pharaoh as a son. She named him Moshe, as he was drawn from the river.