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Kiryat Yam Suf (21 of Nissan)
Kiryat Yam Suf can be understood at the traumatic expericence that causes Bnei Yisroel to no longer depend on Egypt and finally become an independent nation. For instance, God could've easily wiped out the Egyptians during the ten plauges; however, he sparred their lives up until Kiryat Yam Suf because it was vital that the Jews witness their former masters destruction in order to break away. God even commands Bnei to never go back to depending on them, " do not look at them this way ever again" -
מדבר שור
For three days after Kiryat Yam Suf (22-25 of Nissan) Bnei Yisroel is traveling in the Desert but can't find water. One might ask, why wouldn't Bnei Yisroel go straight to Har Siniai opposed to Midbar Shur? Becuase the Jews failed to reject other Gods' they weren't on the correct level to accept the Torah. So, God had Bnei travel through the desert in order to test them with traumatic experiences and he would change daily routines. -
Marah (24 of Nissan)
The purpose of this story is to teach Bnei Yisroel that they must rely on God for sustinance. It is important for Bnei Yisroel to internalize this message. In addition, both Kiryat Yam Suf and Marah, are traumatic experiences that are used to teach Bnei Yisroel that God is their new master. Furthermore, there is a connection between sustinance and spirituality. For instance, Bnei Yisroel gets water and commandments at the same time because God is planting the seeds amd if they want food and -
Continuation מרה (Marah) (24 of Nissan)
and water, they must follow the commandment.
Brief Description of what took place: The water is bitter at Marah -
אלים
At Eylim, God gives Bnei Yisroel a rest and there is alot of food and water. In addition, there is 12 springs and 70 palm trees. The 12 trees of water are sustaining the 70 trees; so too, when Bnei Yisroel do Mitzvah's, they can sustain all of the other nations and can be an Or Lagoyim. The springs represent the 12 tribes andf the palm trees represent the seventy nations. -
Midbar Sin - Basic Training (Part 1) (15 Iyar)
Bnei Yisroel arrives at Midbar Sin and there is no food. Instead of asking God respectfully for more food, they chose to complain and wish that they were back in Egypt where they still had food and weren't brought into the dessert to die. This complaint shows how Bnei Yisroel is still dependent on Egypt, so God decides to create a daily routine for them that will hopefully change their instinctive behavior. God begins giving the Jews enough food for each day from the heavens, Man. -
Midbar Sin - Basic Training (Part 2) (15 Iyar)
By giving Bnei Yisroel only enough Man for each day, he is teaching them to become dependent upon him and not the Egyptians. The pasuk even says that God is testing them to see if they will follow his instructions, "Rav Liebtag notes that God isn't only testing Bnei Yisroel's obediance, but also he is strengthing thier relationship with him. God did this Avraham and the Akeida. Furthermore, the Man is not seeing IF Bnei will listen, rather God is training Bnei to learn how to obey him. -
MIdbar Sin - Quail (Part 3)
Rav Bick: One may question what the significance of the quail is and its connection to the Man? When you look at Bnei's complaint you notice that they are complaining and blaming Moshe and Aharon, not God, which shows how Bnei has failed to realize that God is their guide and helpng hand in the dessert. So, "the quail is a natrual solution" and it shows how God has total control even over nature and their fate. -
MIdbar Sin - Quail (Part 4)
The his connects to the Man becuase the message of the Man is that God's servants are "out of the bounds of nature" and eat directly from the hand of God/ -
Refidim (Part 1)
At Refidim, there is no water. So, God tells Moshe to gather some elders and go to Chorev, the place of the burning bush and what would become Har Sinai, to get water. Why wouldn't God just supply water at Refidim where they're all thirsty? Becuase God's plan at Refidim is to prepare Bnei both physically and spiritually for Har Sinai. Therefore, one could assume that God is supplying water at Refifim becuase he wants Har Sinai to be a source for their physical salvation. -
Refidim (Part 2)
Rav Liebtag adds that Chorev now acts as a new source of water for the Jews, replacing the nile. Furthermore, the staff used to hit the nile was the one used here. -
War of Amalek
On the way to Har Sinai, Bnei is attacked by Amalek. When the Egyptian Army was defeated Bnei never did any of the fighting themselves; rather, it was God. In contrast, Bnei had to do all of the fighting themselves during the war of Amalek, which teaches Bnei that they must be proactive in their redemption. However, in order to remind Bnei that it truly was God who gave them the victory, he had Moshe climb the hill and raise his arms. Har Sinai is now a source of water and military salvatation. -
Yisro According to Rashi: two parts
Yisro came after the war with Amalek but before Matan Torah. He was inspired to meet with moshe after hearing rumors of Amalek and the Yam Suf.
Note: Yisro's advice comes after matan torah so it will be on the may 9 place. -
Yisro - According to Ramban
The Ramban follows the chronology of the torah; therefore, he believes that Yisro's visit was right before Matan Torah and after the war with Amalek. -
מאמד הר סיני (Part 1)
At Har Sinai there are two plans. Plan A is that God will give over the laws to Moshe and the people will overhear the conversation in order to verify that the laws indeed came from God and Moshe will then relay the laws to Bnei. The problem with this is that Moshe says Bnei's response but we never see Moshe ask Bnei and them respond!? Plan B is that on the 3rd day God will reveal himself directly to Bnei and give over the laws directly to them. -
מאמד הר סיני (Part 3)
There are 3 things lacking from the Psukim: 1. Bnei's orginal request for Plan B. 2. The story of the 1st 2 Dibrot given directly from God. 3. Where does Rashi get the concept of this 2 and 8 split?
Ramban (19:19) says that in this Pasuk Moshe did not give over the Dibrot; rather, Moshe was talking to God about the things in Psukim 20-25. -
מאמד הר סיני (Part 5)
Furthermore, according to the Ramban, this story really took place in 19:9 when Moshe tells God what Bnei said, but we never saw what they actually said. (Ramban is of this opinion even though he usually thinks the torah works in chronological order).
Iban Ezra (20:16) Psukim 15-18 are in the correct spot as this story occurred after Matan Torah and really the peopple heard all 10 Dibrot from Hashem and then were scared. -
מאמד הר סיני (Part 2)
Rashi says that the people's response to plan A was that they wanted to hear the laws directly from God, not a messanger; they wanted to see God! Proof: Psukim 10-11 where God changes the plan according to the above request.
On the 3rd day there was lightening, smoke and fire. The sound of the shofar grew louder and louder - as Moshe spoke God would answer him with a voice.
According to Rashi, Moshe is speaking to Bnei and telling them the last 8 Dibrot becuase God gave the 1st 2 directly. -
מאמד הר סיני (Part 4)
Rashi (19:19) Psukim 15-18 took place during Matan Torah between the 1st 2 and last 8 Dibrot. The 1st 2 were written in 1st person becuase God said them directly and the last 8 were written in 3rd person becuase Moshe was speaking.
Ramban (20: 15) Psukim 15-18 actually took place before Matan Toran and should not be read along wiht 19: 16-18. Now it makes sense why in 19: 20-25, God had to limit his revelation to just Moshe. -
מאמד הר סיני (Part 6)
The reasons for the 2 plans: The plans show us the concepts of love and fear, along with the difference between our hopes and God's wisdom. Bnei rejected plan A becuase of love, but ultimately rejected plan B becuase of fear. In the end, even though Bnei tried to get closer to God, God ultimately knows best! Bnei have to learn to balance love and fear. -
Yisro Ibn Ezra (Part 2)
- If that conversation is the end of Yisro's trip to visit Moshe, so we know that that conversation took place after Matan Torah.
- In Devarim, God tells Moshe to leave Har SInai, after which it discusses the system of judges showing that Yisro was there after Matan torah. In conclusion, the Ibn Ezra says that the Yisro story takes place here becuase it is brought in order to contrast the bad deed of Amalek with the good deed of Yisro.
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Yisro Ibn Ezra (Part 1)
According to the Ibn Ezra, Yisro comes to visit Moshe after the building of the Mishkan in the 2nd year. The Ibn Ezra brings 5 proofs: 1. Yiro brings sacrifices but there was no Mizbaech before the Mishkan was built. 2. It says, " I will make know the rules of God and his torahs" -> There were given at Matan Torah. 3. Presumably, har sinai became Har Ha'Elokim after we recieved the torah and it says Har Ha'Elokim. -
Yisro Part 2 according to Rashi
It says in 18:13 " Vayhi Mmacharet" when talking about the day that Yisro gave the advice. According to Rashi, this refers to the day after Maan torah, becuase moshe could not have been judging people the laws before the torah was given.
