SAN DIEGO — This week we begin reading the second book of the Torah called Shemot in Hebrew, Exodus in English. This starts the story of Moses, one of our great Jewish leaders. In this first Parshah, we learn that many years have passed since Joseph helped save the Jewish people from the famine that overcame Egypt. The Jewish people have thrived and increased in number, just as God had promised. They lived peacefully until a new Pharaoh came to power.
This new Egyptian king didn’t remember Joseph. When this Pharaoh takes over, all he sees is the large population of Jewish people. Afraid they would rise up and take control of Egypt, he makes them all slaves and commands they build his cities. To stop the Jewish people from continuing to grow, he orders all the newborn boy babies to be killed.
One Jewish woman keeps her baby alive. But when he’s three months old, she can’t hide him any longer. The mother builds a small ark, places her baby into it, and floats him down the river. The baby’s sister, Miriam, follows the boat by running along the shore. She sees the Pharaoh’s daughter find the ark and rescue her brother. Pharaoh’s daughter names the baby Moses and adopts him.
Moses grows up in Pharaoh’s palace. One day Moses sees an Egyptian soldier beating a Jewish slave. He gets angry and strikes the soldier, killing him. Moses flees into the desert, where he lives for many years.
One day Moses is walking and sees a bush on fire, but the bush isn’t burning up. He stops to look and God speaks to him. God tells Moses to return to Egypt and tell Pharaoh to let the Jewish people go free.
Moses is afraid to go. He tells God that he’s not the right person for this big task. He worries that Pharaoh won’t listen to him. God tells Moses all the things God will do to Pharaoh to make him listen to Moses.
Moses continues to argue with God. God tells Moses to go to his brother Aaron for help. Together Moses and Aaron go to speak to Pharaoh. Just as God had warned, Pharaoh refuses to let the Jewish people go. Instead, he makes them work even harder. The people complain to Moses. Moses complains to God. God assures Moses that Pharaoh will eventually let the Jewish people go free.
What this means: This Parshah contains a very strong message: Any child can grow up to become a hero. As a baby, Moses shouldn’t have survived. Through the courage of his mother and sister, he not only survives, he grows up in Pharaoh’s court. Then disaster strikes and he becomes an outcast, living in the desert. But God sees something strong in Moses and chooses him to lead the Jewish people to freedom. Even when Moses objects, God pushes him into accepting that role. As Moses faces Pharaoh, things grow worse instead of better and helping the Jewish people seems like a distant dream.
What you can do: Sometimes we must have the confidence to continue, even when things look hopeless. If you are trying to do something, and it isn’t working out right, keep trying. If you are learning to do something, like riding a bicycle, playing piano or even learning s new math skill in school, it might seem very difficult in the beginning. It’s okay to ask for help, like Moses asked his brother Aaron. And if practicing doesn’t work at first, don’t give up. The dictionary says a hero is “a person who is admired for having done something very brave or having achieved something great.” It takes a lot of courage to keep trying, even when achieving your goal seems impossible.
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Marcia Berneger is a retired elementary school teacher. She loves writing stories for children. She is the author of such children’s books as Buster the Little Garbage Truck, and A Dreidel in Time.