YITRO_EXODUS XVIII:1-XX:23

These chapters lead to the narrative’s main event: the Tora giving at Mount Sinai. Egyptian slavery and the triumphal exodus after two hundred and ten years of servitude serve as a framework for Divine revelation. Since the Tora is a document of high moral content, the stay in Egypt was necessary to sensitize the Hebrew people to the suffering of others. 

This event will be mentioned in every celebration because of its ethical ingredient. The willingness to defend the rights of people who had been “forgotten by history” manifests itself in empathy for the pain of others. This attitude that was imprinted in the spirit of the Hebrew people by its suffering under the Egyptian yoke prepared this nation to be the spokesman of the Word of God.

From the first episodes of Genesis, we observe the process of selection that God imposed to identify people worthy of being the narrators of the moral message of ethical behavior that obliges solidarity with others. Why didn’t God give the Tora to the first couple? That way, humanity would have had a Magna Carta with specific moral behavior guidelines from the beginning.

Indeed, the first generations were subjected to various tests to see if they were fit to receive the Divine message, argues Professor Dov Landau. Adam’s disobedience may not have consisted only in the bite he took of the forbidden fruit. The serpent had seduced the first couple with the notion that “the day you eat of this (tree) your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil,” unlike the Divine admonition that death will be the consequence of disobedience. 

The couple’s daring was not a one-off disobedience but a rebellion, a challenge to God’s sovereignty. Many other biblical characters were subjected to tests to prove whether they were suitable to receive God’s law. According to the Torah, the first ten generations degenerated until the days of No’a when God ordered the flood. This event will serve to recreate Humanity from generations that demonstrated moral weakness.  No’a planted a vineyard and then got drunk with his wine as one of his first actions after the flood. He had already shown that his conviction was weak because he could not attract any other individual to his cause. Although he worked for decades on making the ark, no one was willing to accompany him.

Kayin failed the test because he murdered his brother Hevel.  Lot preferred material abundance, even though the cities of Sedom and Amora would expose him to amoral behavior. Tamar disguised herself as a prostitute, and Potiphar’s wife was willing to surrender to Yosef, not considering that this constituted a betrayal of her husband’s trust.

Avimelech and Pharaoh wanted to marry someone else’s wife, and so on; each of the characters who parade through the pages of the Tora demonstrates cracks in their character and deep personality flaws. The arrival of Avraham marks the beginning of a new stage for humanity. This time God found a person who cared about the fate of others, had the doors of his home open to receive anyone thirsty or hungry and defended his nephew Lot with arms.

Avraham could be the father of a nation worthy of the Tora. There had to be a later selection of Avraham’s offspring because not everyone was fit for the task. Finally, serfdom in Egypt served to purge the people because only one-fifth were willing to follow Moshe, leaving Egypt and venturing through the sands of the desert because they recognized that freedom was one of the fundamental principles of human dignity. The long decades of slavery sensitized their spirits to become the protectors of the persecuted and the defenders of the weak in the future. 

The basis of the Tora is the consideration of the rights of others, the recognition that every human being has been formed in the image and likeness of God Himself. Only people who can fulfill Veahavta lere’acha kamocha, “to love one’s neighbor as oneself,” can be transmitters of the moral values contained in the Ten Commandments, further expanded, in turn, in the Tora.

MITSVA: TORA ORDINANCE IN THIS PARSHA

CONTAINS 3 POSITIVE MITZVOT AND 14 PROHIBITIONS

1. Exodus 20:2 Believe in the existence of God
2. Exodus 20:3 Believe in no other god other than the One God
3. Exodus 20:4 Make neither sculptures nor images (of gods)
4. Exodus 20:5 Do not prostrate or serve these images
5. Exodus 20:5 Do not worship an idol according to the way it is customary to worship it (or worship it in any other way)
6. Exodus 20:7 Do not swear in vain (pronouncing the Name of the Eternal)
7. Exodus 20:8 Verbally sanctify Shabbat
8. Exodus 20:10 Do no work on Shabbat
9. Exodus 20:12 Honor Father and Mother
10. Exodus 20:13 Do not murder an innocent person
11. Exodus 20:14 Do not commit adultery
12. Exodus 20:15 Do not kidnap a Jew
13. Exodus 20:16 Do not bear false witness
14. Exodus 20:17 Do not covet what belongs to another
15. Exodus 20:23 Do not make sculptures in human form, even as an ornament
16. Exodus 20:25 Do not build an altar with carved stones
17. Exodus 20:26 Do not go up to the altar by steps (but by a ramp)

El pueblo hebreo salió, o tal vez fue expulsado de Egipto por el faraón, rumbo al desierto, a un destino desconocido por ellos. Pero el plan Divino era conducirlos primero al monte Sinaí, donde recibirían la Ley que guiaría su comportamiento diario y que serviría como herramienta moral fundamental para la convivencia social y el desarrollo emocional y espiritual. 

El éxodo no fue la consecuencia de una rebelión de esclavos, la salida se produjo porque Dios infligió diez plagas sobre los egipcios, las cuales doblegaron la voluntad del faraón. Moshé fue el emisario de Dios, que advirtió al faraón cuáles serían las consecuencias de su intransigencia. Aunque la petición inicial utilizó como argumento el deseo de adorar a Dios en el desierto, el motivo básico del éxodo era claro: la rotura de las cadenas de la esclavitud.

En esta primera etapa de la historia del pueblo, la intervención Divina está presente, con claridad, en todo momento. Incluso se puede argumentar que las plagas tenían una doble función. Por un lado, se tenía que demostrar la superioridad del Dios único frente a las múltiples deidades egipcias. Pero al mismo tiempo era necesario darle ánimo a un pueblo esclavizado, convencerlos de que la libertad era una condición no negociable. Era preferible la Matsá, el pan de la pobreza, sobre cualquier manjar y exquisitez en el mundo de la esclavitud.

Sólo habían pasado unas horas cuando el faraón se arrepintió de haber permitido la salida de los esclavos hebreos e inició su persecución para devolverlos a la servidumbre. Los hebreos se encontraban en un callejón sin salida. Por delante estaba el mar y, tras ellos, las carrozas y caballos, los soldados egipcios persiguiéndolos en caliente. ¿Qué hacer? Dios le dice a Moshé que alce su mano con la vara para partir las aguas del mar, las cuales, a su vez, obedecen la orden. Gracias a esta partición milagrosa de las aguas, los hebreos logran escapar de las hordas egipcias, que perecen cuando las aguas se juntan nuevamente, una vez que los hebreos llegan a la orilla opuesta.

La historia no concluyó ahí. Se habían salvado de los egipcios, pero tendrían que empuñar las armas para enfrentara los amalekitas. Nuevamente se hizo presente la protección Divina. Aunque no lideró el “ejército” hebreo, la Torá relata que Moshé ascendió un monte desde el cual pudo observar el desarrollo de la batalla. Mientras mantuvo sus brazos en alto, vencieron los hebreos, y cuando los dejaba caer, los amalekitas eran los vencedores. 

De acuerdo con el Talmud, el acto de elevar los brazos era símbolo de centrar la mirada en el cielo, tomar conciencia del hecho que todo depende de la ayuda de Dios. Se nota, sin embargo, una diferencia. Mientras estaban en Egipto, sólo Dios, a través de Moshé, fue el actor, el factor que aseguró el éxodo por intermedio de las plagas. En esta ocasión Dios también intervino a través de Moshé, pero los hebreos tuvieron que luchar, arriesgar su vida contra Amalek. Ello señala el comienzo de un pacto, una asociación entre Dios y el pueblo, Dios y la persona, eco del dicho coloquial: “Ayúdate y el cielo te ayudará”.

Además, la estadía en Egipto que incluyó 210 años de esclavitud fue puntual. La batalla contra Amalek representa una guerra inconclusa, cuyo primer capítulo se escribió después del éxodo de Egipto. En el transcurso de la Historia se erigieron otros Amalek, con diferentes nombres tales como Hamán, Torquemada, Hitler, siendo su versión contemporánea la figura del presidente de Irán, todos con el propósito, en alguna forma u otra, de eliminar al pueblo hebreo.

Se han ofrecido diferentes teorías para explicar esta saña constante contra los hebreos. Algunos argumentan que el pueblo judío se ha convertido en una especie de conciencia de la Humanidad por el mensaje que propaga, que no es otro que el contenido de la Torá. El mensaje de ética y moralidad que predica la Torá no permite la tranquilidad emocional cuando se atropella al débil y se hurta lo que pertenece a otro. Quien argumenta que la fuerza es igual al derecho, que el mundo pertenece al más fuerte, tropieza con una teología o filosofía que sugiere enfáticamente que la solidaridad y el amor deben ser las fuerzas que motiven la acción humana.

MITSVÁ: ORDENANZA DE LA TORÁ EN ESTA PARASHÁ

CONTIENE 1 PROHIBICIÓN

1.  Éxodo 16:29 No salir más allá del límite permitido en Shabat

BESHALACH_EXODUS XIII:17-XVII:16

The Hebrew people left, or perhaps were expelled from Egypt by Pharaoh, bound for the desert to a destination unknown to them. But the Divine plan was to lead them first to Mount Sinai, where they would receive the Law that would guide their daily behavior and serve as a fundamental moral tool for social coexistence and emotional and spiritual development.

The exodus was not the consequence of a slave rebellion; the exit occurred because God inflicted ten plagues on the Egyptians, which eventually broke the will of Pharaoh. Moshe was God’s emissary, who warned Pharaoh what the consequences of his intransigence would be. Although the initial petition was the desire to worship God in the wilderness, the basic reason for the exodus was clear: the breaking of the chains of slavery.

In this first stage of the history of the people, Divine intervention is present, clearly, always. It can even be argued that pests had a dual function. On the one hand, to manifest the superiority of the one God over the multiple Egyptian deities. But at the same time, it was necessary to encourage enslaved people, to convince them that freedom was a non-negotiable condition. Matsa, the bread of poverty, was preferable to any delicacy in slavery.

Only a few hours had passed when Pharaoh repented of having allowed the Hebrew slaves to leave and began their persecution to return them to servitude. The Hebrews were at an impasse. Ahead was the sea and, behind them, the chariots and horses, the Egyptian soldiers chasing them hot. What to do? God tells Moshe to raise his hand with the rod to split the waters of the sea, which, in turn, obeys the command. Thanks to this miraculous parting of the waters, the Hebrews manage to escape the Egyptian hordes, which perish when the waters meet again once the Hebrews reach the opposite shore.

The story didn’t end there. They had been saved from the Egyptians, but they would have to take up arms to face the Amalekites. Once again, Divine protection was present. Although he did not lead the Hebrew “army,” the Tora relates that Moshe ascended a mountain from which he could observe the unfolding battle. While he held his arms aloft, the Hebrews overcame, and when he let them fall, the Amalekites were the victors. 

According to the Talmud, the act of raising one’s arms was symbolic of looking toward heaven and becoming aware of the fact that everything depends on God’s help. There is, however, a difference. While they were in Egypt, only God, through Moshe, was the actor, the factor who ensured the exodus through the plagues. On this occasion, God intervened through Moshe, but the Hebrews had to fight and risk their lives against Amalek. This marks the beginning of a covenant, a partnership between God and the people, God, and the individual, echoing the colloquial saying: “help yourself, and heaven will help you.”

In addition, the stay in Egypt, which included 210 years of slavery, was punctual, a part of their history. The battle against Amalek represents an unfinished war, the first chapter written after the exodus from Egypt. Throughout history, other Amalek appeared, with different names, such as Haman, Torquemada, Hitler, Khomenei of Iran, all with the same purpose of eliminating the Hebrew people, each in his own evil way.  

Different theories have been offered to explain this constant viciousness against the Hebrews. Some argue that the Jewish people have become a kind of conscience of humanity because of the message it propagates, which is none other than the content of the Tora. The message of ethics and morality taught by the Tora does not permit emotional tranquility when the weak are run over and what belongs to another is stolen. Whoever argues that force equals law, that the world belongs to the strongest, stumbles upon a theology or philosophy that strongly suggests that solidarity and love should be the forces that motivate human action.

MITSVA: TORA ORDINANCE IN THIS PARSHA

CONTAINS 1 BAN

1. Exodus 16:29 Do not go beyond the limit allowed on Shabbat

BO_ÉXODO X:1-XIII:16

Dios le asegura a Moshé que el faraón tiene un corazón “endurecido” y, por lo tanto, no permitirá el éxodo de los hebreos del país. Este hecho a su vez permitirá que se azotea Egipto con las plagas en una clara demostración de la superioridad del Dios de los hebreos por encima de las deidades egipcias. Además, la extraordinaria demostración del poderío de Dios servirá para asegurar a los hebreos que no deben temer a sus capataces, porque no obstante el desarrollo de la cultura egipcia, Dios es realmente quien guía el destino de la Humanidad y con el éxodo instruirá, incluso a las generaciones futuras, acerca de la perversidad de la esclavitud, del yugo que un pueblo impone sobre otro.

Los patriarcas fueron los antepasados del pueblo hebreo, pero quien asumió la responsabilidad mayor de formar la nación y dejó estampada por siempre su personalidad sobre este pueblo fue Moshé, el célebre legislador y libertador. Los hechos históricos más contundentes fueron el éxodo de Egipto, la entrega de la Torá en el monte Sinaí y la conquista de la Tierra Prometida. 

Moshé protagonizó los primeros dos episodios y sentó las bases para el tercero de ellos. ¿Cuáles fueron las características de la personalidad de Moshé? La Torá sólo relata un par de episodios de sus años formativos. Resalta el denominador común de su preocupación por la suerte del prójimo, especialmente por el débil, y una reacción visceral frente a la injusticia. 

Estas características se manifiestan cuando mata al capataz egipcio que golpeaba despiadadamente al esclavo hebreo, sin tomar en cuenta las posibles consecuencias sobre su persona. Defiende a unas jóvenes pastoras que desean conseguir agua para sus rebaños. ¿Dónde aprendió estas cualidades: la solidaridad con el perseguido y el compromiso ineludible con la justicia? Aunque Moshé fue amamantado por su madre (gracias a la intervención de su hermana Miryam), la hija del faraón lo crio, fue su madre adoptiva. 

En el palacio del faraón aprendió a actuar y, tal vez, a pensar desde un prisma real, porque recibió la educación de un príncipe. Sin embargo, cuando salió del palacio para indagar la suerte de los hebreos, no privó en él la tipología de la nobleza real que suele permanecer imperturbable frente al sufrimiento ajeno; al contrario, la nobleza de su carácter lo condujo a arriesgar su seguridad personal en el palacio cuando sintió que era menester rescatar a una víctima hebrea.

Moshé demostró que se requiere de al menos 3 elementos para el liderazgo: visión, pasión y compasión. El compromiso del líder con los valores no puede ser tibio, demedias tintas. Su actuación debe estar acompañada por la firmeza de su decisión. El líder debe actuar con entrega total, con pasión.

En el episodio del S’né, la zarza ardiente del desierto que no se consumía, Moshé se negó en un principio a cumplir la tarea que Dios le quiso imponer, porque no creía estar preparado para la misión, consideró que no poseía las cualidades indispensables para el liderazgo. Cuán diferente es el ambiente actual, donde se enseña a tener excesiva confianza en las habilidades personales. Moshé demuestra modestia, porque sabe que el liderazgo es el resultado de la confianza que otros deben depositar sobre la persona. Los Jasidim son quienes convierten al letrado en su Rebe.

Incluso en los momentos de mayor dificultad, frente ala negativa del faraón, quien impuso mayores limitaciones sobre los esclavos hebreos, al exigirles el mismo número de ladrillos sin ofrecer los insumos que anteriormente otorgaba, no obstante, las diferentes rebeliones por el descontento del pueblo hebreo durante la larga travesía por el desierto, Moshé siempre vio con claridad cuál era la misión del pueblo, su visión nunca quedó nublada.

De acuerdo con la visión de Moshé, el objetivo se centró en el bienestar del sufrido pueblo hebreo. Probablemente desatendió su propia familia porque sus hijos no figuran luego en el desarrollo de los eventos. Todo su desempeño se dirigió a resolver los problemas del colectivo, su pueblo. La visión para actuar estaba enmarcada en la pasión, que a su vez estuvo acompañada por la compasión y la solidaridad con el prójimo.

MITSVÁ: ORDENANZA DE LA TORÁ EN ESTA PARASHÁ

CONTIENE 9 MITSVOT POSITIVAS Y 11 PROHIBICIONES

1. Éxodo I2:2 Consagrar los meses (incluye llevar el cálculo de los años y calcular el calendario hebreo)
2. Éxodo I2:6 Sacrificio ritual de la ofrenda Pascual
3. Éxodo I2:8 Comer la carne de la ofrenda Pascual (en la noche del 15 de Nisán, primer Séder de Pésaj)
4. Éxodo I2:9 No comer la ofrenda Pascual cuando es cocinada o insuficientemente asada
5. Éxodo I2:10 No permitir que sobre carne de la ofrenda Pascual hasta el mañana
6. Éxodo I2:15 Remover de la casa todo jaméts (alimento leudado) 
7. Éxodo I2:18 Comer matsá (pan sin leudar) la primera noche de Pésaj
8. Éxodo I2:19 No se debe poseer jaméts durante Pésaj
9. Éxodo I2:20 No comer alimentos que contienen jaméts durante Pésaj 
10. Éxodo I2:43 No compartir la ofrenda de Pésaj con un judío apóstata
11. Éxodo I2:45 No compartir la ofrenda de Pésaj con converso parcial o un residente gentil, aunque haya cesado de adorar ídolos
12. Éxodo I2:46 No se debe llevar carne de la ofrenda de Pésaj fuera de la casa
13. Éxodo I2:46 No se debe romper un hueso de la ofrenda de Pésaj
14. Éxodo I2:48 Quien no está circuncidado no puede comer de la ofrenda de Pésaj
15. Éxodo I3:2 Santificar al primogénito en la Tierra de Israel
16. Éxodo I3:3 No se debe comer jaméts en Pésaj
17. Éxodo I3:7 No se debe ver jaméts dentro de propiedad judía durante Pésaj
18. Éxodo I3:8 Narrar los sucesos del éxodo de Egipto
19. Éxodo I3:13 Redimir el primerizo de un asno
20. Éxodo I3:13 Desnucar al asno primerizo si no fue redimido

BO_EXODUS X:1-XIII:16

God assures Moshe that Pharaoh has a “hardened” heart and therefore will not allow the exodus of the Hebrews from the country. This fact in turn will make Egypt suffer many plagues in a clear demonstration of the superiority of the God of the Hebrews over the Egyptian deities. Moreover, the extraordinary demonstration of God’s power will serve to assure the Hebrews that they need not fear their foremen, because notwithstanding the development of Egyptian culture, God is really the one who guides the destiny of humanity and with the exodus will teach future generations, about the perversity of slavery, the evil of imposing a yoke on another people.

The patriarchs were the ancestors of the Hebrew people, but the one who assumed the greatest responsibility for fashioning the nation and left his personality forever stamped on this people was Moshe, their celebrated legislator and liberator. The most striking historical events were the exodus from Egypt, the giving of the Tora at Mount Sinai, and the conquest of the Promised Land. 

Moshe starred in the first two episodes and laid the groundwork for the third episode.  What were the characteristics of Moshe’s personality? The Tora only recounts a couple of episodes from his formative years. It highlights the common denominator of his concern for the fate of others, especially the weak, and a visceral reaction to injustice. 

These characteristics are manifest when he kills the Egyptian foreman who ruthlessly beat the Hebrew slave, without taking into consideration the possible consequences to himself. He defends young shepherds who want to get water for their flocks. Where did he learn these qualities: solidarity with the persecuted and an inescapable commitment to justice? Although Moshe was breastfed by his mother (thanks to the intervention of his sister Miryam), Pharaoh’s daughter raised him and was his adoptive mother. 

In Pharaoh’s palace he learned to act and, perhaps, to think from a royal perspective, because he received the education of a prince. However, when he left the palace to inquire about the fate of the Hebrews, he did not show a characteristic of royal nobility who many a time remain unperturbed by the suffering of others. On the contrary, the nobility of his character led him to risk his personal safety in the palace when he felt it necessary to rescue a Hebrew victim.

Moshe demonstrated that at least 3 elements are required for leadership: vision, passion and compassion. The leader’s commitment to values cannot be lukewarm, half measures. Their action must be accompanied by firmness and decision. The leader must act with total dedication and passion.

In the episode of the Sne, the burning bush of the desert that was not consumed, Moshe refused at first to fulfill the task that God wanted to impose on him, because he did not believe he was prepared for the mission, he considered that he did not possess the indispensable qualities for leadership. How different is our current environment, where excessive confidence in personal skills is taught. Moshe shows modesty, because he knows that leadership is the result of the trust that others must place in the person. The Chassidim are the ones who make the leader their Rebbe.

Even in the moments of greatest difficulty, faced with the refusal of Pharaoh, who imposed greater limitations on the Hebrew slaves, by demanding from them the same number of bricks without offering the elements previously granted. Notwithstanding the different rebellions due to the discontent of the Hebrew people during the long journey through the desert, Moshe always saw clearly what the mission of the people was. His vision was never clouded.

According to Moshe’s vision, the goal was focused on the welfare of the long-suffering Hebrew people. He probably neglected his own family because his children do not figure later in any events. His actions were directed to solve the problems of the collective, his people. His vision to act was framed with passion, which in turn was accompanied by compassion and solidarity with others.

MITSVA: TORA ORDINANCE IN THIS PARSHA

CONTAINS 9 POSITIVE MITSVOT AND 11 PROHIBITIONS

1. Exodus I2:2 Consecrate the months (includes keeping the calculation of the years and calculating the Hebrew calendar)
2. Exodus I2:6 Ritual sacrifice of the Paschal offering
3. Exodus I2:8 Eat the meat of the Passover offering (on the night of Nisan 15, first Passover Seder)
4. Exodus I2:9 Do not eat the Passover offering when cooked or insufficiently roasted
5. Exodus I2:10 Do not allow the flesh of the Passover offering until tomorrow
6. Exodus I2:15 Remove all Chamets (leavened food) from the house
7. Exodus I2:18 Eat Matsa (bread without leavening) on the first night of Passover
8. Exodus I2:19 Do not possess Chamets during Passover
9. Exodus I2:20 Do not eat foods containing Chamets during Passover
10. Exodus I2:43 Do not share the Passover offering with an apostate Jew
11. Exodus I2:45 Do not share the Passover offering with a partial convert or a Gentile resident, even if he has ceased to worship idols
12. Exodus I2:46 Passover Offering Meat should not be taken outside the house
13. Exodus I2:46 No bone may be broken from the Passover offering
14. Exodus I2:48 He who is not circumcised cannot eat of the Passover offering
15. Exodus I3:2 Sanctify the firstborn in the Land of Israel
16. Exodus I3:3 Do not eat Chamets on Passover
17. Exodus I3:7 No Chamets should be seen inside Jewish property during Passover
18. Exodus I3:8 Narrate the events of the exodus from Egypt
19. Exodus I3:13 Redeem the first-born of an donkey
20. Exodus I3:13 Strip the first-time donkey naked if it was not redeemed