Shemot – Once Upon a Week

Read the transcript below, or watch a video of the teaching by Yehuda Bachana.

The book of Exodus begins with the announcement that Jacob and his household, including his 11 sons, are moving to Egypt. 11 sons — as Joseph was already living there. So, the children of Israel - total of 70 people are moving to Egypt.

And the Bible tells us that it was a successful relocation:

Somehow we, as Jews, are successful in foreign countries. We manage well there. We multiply, we are leading in many areas, in economy, culture, science.

We are a catalyst of success for the nation we are living in… Until we succeed a little too much, and the locals begin to look at us with growing jealousy and suspicion.

The most important factor in our success, not only today, but in any time and any place in history, is family. In our culture, family is the most important thing, and at least once a week, on Friday night, the entire family gathers together around the table, often with friends and relatives.

In addition to family, we highly value education and knowledge. Others would say that we are talented as inventors, and are quick to adapt.

I personally see a hand of God working through our nation. It is faith in God that guides Jacob and his sons. This is true for all the generations after, till today actually. On a practical level, it means high moral standards, loyalty, honesty, and righteousness.

Growing up, Joseph learned all these qualities, and later they became foundation of his success, as it is written:

As Jews, God’s Torah and its principles are instilled in us, and they lead us to succeed and prosper. Now, this is true for every person who planted himself in the Word of God. He is like a tree planted by the streams of water, he will prosper in all he does.

For this reason, Israel’s army is considered the most humane, and we all, regardless of our political views, seek peace and harmony in the region. Nobody among our people wants war and bloodshed. Not one!

However, we understand that the need for self-defense is very real. A good soldier acts out of self-defense, and our army is founded on the principles of the Torah, which sanctifies life.

That is why our army is obligated to minimize unnecessary destruction and collateral damage. It is because of our belief in the sanctity of life.

No local child will dare to stand in front of a Syrian, Iraqi, or Lebanese tank and to throw stones in its direction. But a Palestinian kid does it in front of an Israeli tank, knowing that he is not in danger, because of our soldiers’ moral standards.

Terrorist organizations in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon often use so-called “human shields”, when they place their rocket launchers or command centers in the heart of civilian neighborhoods, near schools or hospitals. It proves their own belief in the Israeli military morality. Otherwise, the use of human shields would be pointless.

I am proud of our army! On one hand, we are here to defend our home and to stop terrorists, on the other hand we maintain the “sanctity of life” and the “purity of arms” principles.

Back to Egypt. Again, it is Jacob’s sons’ belief in God, and their faith, that lead them to prosper. They grew and multiplied, till the land is filled by them.

We read about the growth happening in Egypt, in a foreign country, and we remember that in the Promised Land birth was hard; nearly all of our mothers were barren, and every birth of a child had special purpose and meaning. Every child was unique.

And suddenly in Egypt we are filling the land. The children of Israel dwell in the region of Goshen, a fertile and prosperous land. They procreate and multiply and fill the land.

And the Children of Israel hold key positions in the Egyptian administration, as it is said:

Many years passed since the time of Joseph. I am saying many years, because it took time for Jacob’s sons to grow and become a nation.

And now, a new Pharaoh came to rule Egypt, and he wants to appease and satisfy his people. I think that the average Egyptian citizen, like an average person elsewhere was discontent and unhappy about his financial status and economic challenges.

In Israel we complain about the financial situation; Americans also complain about their economy. It is also true about people in Europe and Asia, who complain about their economy as well.

So the Egyptians are also unhappy, and they are jealously watching the Israelites, the sons of Jacob, thinking: why do they have it? Why do they assume important positions? where is there wealth coming from? Are they are steeling it from us and from our children?

They, the Egyptians, want to take their wealth back. The official excuse was that Israelites became an existential threat to Egypt, as if in the time of war, they will join Egypt’s enemies and attack Egypt from within.

The Egyptians do not want to admit the real reason for their hostility, which is the jealousy of the Israelite’s property, positions and success. So instead, they claim that Israelites are a security risk, that they are a clear and immediate danger to the county.

But the first step taken by the Egyptians reveals the truth. They impose tax collectors upon the children of Israel.

Taxation is a financial harm, and it reveals to us the real reason for Pharaoh’s fear and for his people’s fear — envy of Israelite’s financial success. Why do these foreigners have so much property, which should belong to us and our children?

Pharaoh continues to hurt us financially, as it is written in verse 11:

Additionally, Pharaoh oppressed the children of Israel with forced labor, thinking that physical and spiritual exhaustion of Israelites will lead to decline in their natural fertility. But it didn’t work, and:

Pharaoh’s original plan leads to the opposite results. And instead of decline, Israel’s population is growing, and the problem, like a self-fulfilling prophecy, becomes real. The sons of Jacob continue to multiply, and now they are angry, they feel exploited by the Egyptians.

The problem and the countermeasures are growing like a snowball. So then Pharaoh give a secret instruction to the famous midwives Shiphrah and Puah. We know that this order is secret, because no family will invite a midwife, whose orders are to kill the baby.

Pharaoh’s plan is to secretly control the number of born babies and control in this way the growing demographic problem. The midwives didn’t obey Pharaoh’s command.

And why not? Is it because of their profession? To help life, and not to take a life! Was it their motherly instinct, to protect the helpless newborn babies?

The Torah emphasizes that they saved babies because they feared God. Their faith in God made the midwives help the Hebrews. Not only did they abstain from causing harm, but the Torah tells us that they actively helped and saved Hebrew babies:

The Bible continues and tells us that their actions were rewarded by God. There is a Jewish commentary, a Midrash, saying, that:

It reflects the events of our Torah portion. While Pharaoh and the Egyptians are trying to destroy and eliminate the sons of Jacob, several women join forces to oppose them and to save lives. And by their actions they save the entire nation of Israel.

After the heroic deeds of the two midwives, we get to Yocheved and Miriam — Moses’ mother and sister, who also actively opposed Pharaoh in order to save life. Last on this list is Pharaoh’s daughter, who saved and raised Moses as her son.

The Midrash continues, saying that there were many other women in that generation who actively worked towards Israel’s salvation. And because of these righteous women, Israel was redeemed from Egypt. Our Torah portion emphasizes the deeds of the women, who are proactive in reaching their goal.

This brings us to a common debate in the Messianic community: what is more important: faith or deeds? I think it is an impossible question… and if I am really pressured to choose one over another, I would say “faith”.

But the truth is that they are inseparable, they are connected and stand together. In Matthew 22, Yeshua was asked what is the greatest commandment of all. Yeshua answers, saying that there are not one, but two greatest commandments: “Love the Lord your God.” And also: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” These two commandments are intertwined and it is impossible to separate them.

Similar to Yeshua’s answer, I think the believer has to live the life of faith, has to implement his faith. The two come together.

The parable of two houses built on rock and on sand is one of the most famous Yeshua’s parables, it is found in Matthew chapter 7. The introduction to this parable, in verse 21, says:

Yeshua’s focus is not on the believer who says “Lord, Lord”, but on him “who does the will of my Father”.

Now, I would like to explain my line of thought. Faith is our starting point, our faith in God, in His Word and in Yeshua the Messiah.

Yeshua is the foundation; through Him we receive our salvation. Salvation comes through Yeshua the Messiah. We cannot buy or earn our salvation through actions. Yeshua is the key and He is the way to our salvation, not our deeds!

However, as believes we are called to the life of righteousness. We are required to show that our faith is active in our lives. What I am trying to say, is that Yeshua is the way and the life, we have to go through Yeshua.

But Yeshua requires us to produce fruits from our faith, He asks of us: a life of faith and deeds. We are asked to be light to our surroundings, we are required to have personal integrity and high moral standards, to help others and to serve as an example to those around us.

And then Yeshua tells a parable, about two similar houses, one built on the sand and the other on the solid rock. The one who built his house on sand, wanted to save effort, to go easy on himself. He did not want to work hard and to chisel through the rock, so he found a soft foundation for his house. The other fellow, who built a similar house on rock, worked hard. He carved and chiseled the rock, and carefully build its foundation on the solid surface.

Then came winter, and with it, rains and storms. The house built on rock stood firmly on its solid foundation, but the one built on sand was completely destroyed by the storm, because it didn’t have a strong foundation. The sand under it was washed out by water, and the house collapsed.

What does Yeshua want to teach us by this parable? He who built his house on sand is like a person who hears Yeshua’s words, but does not act on them. Does not do what is required. Does not work hard on self-improvement and chiseling away the old self.

And the one whose house stands on the rock?

He who hears and puts it into practice fulfills the Word of God. When our life principles are built upon the Word of God, when we let it guide us through life and influence our actions, we will be blessed and will succeed in all we do.

I think that this is the real secret of our success as a nation and this is the secret of Israeli army, when we live our lives according to the Word of God.

Next week we will taste the beginning of God’s redemption, the beginning of the Ten Plagues. Till then, Shabbat Shalom.