Daily Chumash & Rashi – Parshas Shemos Rishon: The slavery begins (Sunday, 15th Teves)

Post Views: 1,111

*The article below is an excerpt from the above Sefer

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from  qualifying purchases.

Donate
Buy in Paperback or Kindle
Buy on Apple Books
Purchase on our website
Sign up for Daily Distribution

Parshas Shemos

Pesukim:124  [Siman:ויקח ]

Haftorah:[1] Yeshayahu 27:6-28:13; 29:22-23

 

 Number of Mitzvos:There are no Positive or Negative commands mentioned in Parshas Shemos. 

 

Rishon

  1. The family of Yaakov who arrived in Egypt:
    • These are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt. Reuvein, Shimon, Levi, Yehuda, Yissachar, Zevulun, Binyamon, Don, Naftali, Gad, Asher. A total of seventy souls who descended from Yaakov were in Egypt.
    • Yosef and all his brothers and all that generation passed away.
    • The Jewish people reproduced and multiplied to great numbers, and the earth became filled with them.

  1. The slavery begins:
    • The plan: A new king was appointed over Egypt who did not know Yosef. He told his nation that the Jewish people have multiplied more than us, and therefore we should conspire a plan to deal with them, lest they multiply even more and drive us out of our land.
    • The slavery: Pharaoh appointed tax collectors to make the Jewish people work in hard labor, and had them build cities of storage for Pharaoh, the cities of Pithom and Raamses. The more the Jews were oppressed, the more they multiplied. The Egyptians became disgusted by the Jewish people.
    • The Egyptians enslaved the Jews with crushing labor. They were worked with hard labor involving mortar and bricks and every labor of the field. All the labors they performed were crushing and back breaking work.

  1. The midwives Shifrah and Puah, and the decree to kill the boys:
    • Pharaoh instructed the Jewish midwives, Shifrah and Puah, to kill all the male children born to the Jewish people. The girls were to be spared. The midwives feared G-d and did not listen to his instructions and allowed the male children to live.

[1] So is followed by Ashkenazi and Chabad communities. However, Sefaradi communities read from Yermiyahu 1:1-2:3

Q&A on Rashi

Mefarshim 

📘 Parsha Insights – Rashi Commentary Q&A on Rishon

 

 

Q1: Why does the Torah repeat the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt?

To show how dear they are to G‑d, comparing them to stars that G‑d brings out and calls by name, emphasizing their individual importance.

 

Q2: What does the phrase “Joseph, who was living in Egypt” teach us?

It teaches Joseph’s righteousness: He remained the same Joseph who tended his father’s flock, even after becoming ruler in Egypt.

 

Q3: What does “the Israelites were fertile and prolific” mean according to Rashi?

They did not miscarry, their children survived, and they gave birth to six children at once.

 

Q4: Who was the “new king” mentioned in verse 8?

Rav and Shmuel disagree: One says it was a new king; the other says it was the same king who issued new decrees.

 

Q5: What does “who did not know Joseph” mean?

He acted as if he had never known Joseph or his contributions.

 

Q6: What does “Let us deal cleverly with him” mean?

Pharaoh sought to outwit G‑d by decreeing death by water, thinking G‑d would not punish with a flood again. He misunderstood that the oath applied to the whole world, not one nation.

 

Q7: What does “and go up out of the land” mean?

Pharaoh feared the Israelites would leave Egypt and take possession of the land, though he phrased it as if it would harm Egypt.

 

 

Q8: What were the “tax officers” appointed over Israel?

They were officers who imposed forced labor, making the Israelites build storage cities for Pharaoh.

 

Q9: What are “Pitom and Ra’amses”?

Existing cities that were strengthened and equipped to serve as storage cities.

 

Q10: What does “the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied” teach?

The Egyptians tried to stop Israel’s growth, but G‑d ensured they increased even more. Midrash adds: Egyptians said “lest they multiply,” and G‑d said “indeed they will multiply.”

 

Q11: What does “they were disgusted” mean?

The Egyptians became weary of their lives because of Israel, or Israel became like thorns in their eyes.

 

Q12: What does “with crushing harshness” mean?

Labor that breaks the body, including mortar, bricks, and fieldwork.

 

Q13: Who were Shifrah and Pu’ah?

Shifrah was Yocheved, called so because she improved the newborn’s condition. Pu’ah was Miriam, called so because she soothed and spoke to babies.

 

Q14: Why did Pharaoh command to kill only the boys?

His astrologers told him a male child would be born who would save Israel.

 

Q15: What does “they helped the boys live” mean?

The midwives provided water and food for the babies, defying Pharaoh’s orders.

About The Author

Rabbi Yaakov Goldstein is a 6th generation descendent of the famous Chief Rabbi of Izhmir, Rav Yehoshua Avraham Krispin, who authored a number of Sefarim, and was a colleague of Rav Chaim Falagi, and father in-law of the Pesach Hadvir. He currently lives with his wife Shayna, and twelve children K”H, in Tzfas, Israel. Rabbi Goldstein received Semicha from Rabbi Schneur Zalman Labkowski of the Tomchei Temimim headquarters in 2005 and served as a chaplain in the Lotar/Kalatz and K9 unit of the IDF from years 2005-2008. He is also a certified Shochet, and has performed Hashgacha work in slaughterhouses. Rabbi Goldstein is the director of Shulchanaruchharav.com, the world’s leading web-based Halacha database, and is the director of the Home Study Semicha Program, a self-study web-based Semicha program. He is a prolific author of over 50 Sefarim studied by a wide range of readers throughout the world, which is used regularly in Semicha programs around the globe. He is a world renowned Posek, answering questions to a web-based market, and serves as a local Posek, Rav, and Lecturer, in the Tzemach Tzedek community Shul in Tzefas, Israel. His many classes can be heard both from his website, Vimeo and YouTube channel. Students can join live to classes given in the Tzemach Tzedek Shul, through the “בית חבד צפת Chabad Tsfat” YouTube channel.

Leave A Comment?

You must be logged in to post a comment.