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EXODUS — 13:8 explain

EXOD177 Although Judaism believes that action and not the spoken word is what usually fulfills the commandments, there are some mitzvot that are so important that words must accompany the action. Therefore, on Passover night, it is not sufficient merely to eat the matzo and marror or to drink the wine, but Rabban Gamliel says Pesachim 116a that these actions must be accompanied by words showing understanding of the actions and symbols. Later on, this requirement of words was incorporated into the Haggadah itself and was then codified as Jewish law. Maimonides, Hilchot Chametz Umatzah 7:5. This is part of the general mitzvah on Passover eve to tell again the story to one's children.

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EXODUS — 13:18 roundabout

EXOD190 Judaism is so sensitive to preserve a person's dignity that the Torah goes out of its way to preserve even the dignity of sinners …. Even when sinners in the Torah had to be killed, they died, where possible, in a manner that would embarrass them least. According to one explanation in Rashi on [this] verse about leaving Egypt, only one fifth of the Jews left Egypt. The other four-fifths were sinners and perished during the plague of Darkness. It is believed that they died then so that they would not be unnecessarily embarrassed to die publicly, when the Egyptians would be aware of their deaths.

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EXODUS — 14:10 near

EXOD201 Even though people think of anti-Semitism in negative terms, sometimes there can be a positive end to this hate. The Talmud Megillah 14a says that the anti-Semitism displayed by Achashverosh in decreeing against the Jews in the Purim story did more to inspire the Jews than the prophecy and admonishings of all forty-eight prophets and seven prophetesses. What does this mean? The negative acts of Achashverosh woke up the Jews and inspired them to do good, as no prophet did, says the Talmud, because it is often the negative acts against the Jews that bring them together and wake them out of their spiritual slumber. The decree of a wicked king mobilized the Jews to become more Jewish, where the prophets could not. This idea is alluded to in the Torah. After the Jews left Egypt, the verse says that Pharaoh drew closer to the people as he chased them. But the tense for the verb "drew closer" actually reads "he brought them closer" as a causative, hif-il. Thus, according to some commentaries, the Torah is actually telling us that Pharaoh (and not any other action by Moses) brought the people closer. That is what happened with both Achashverosh and Pharaoh. Even in modern times, this phenomenon can be seen. It was only after the progroms and anti-Semitism in Europe during the 1880s that the Jews started seriously to move to Palestine and actualize the Zionist dream. In more recent times, after the establishment of the State of Israel, the desire to come on aliyah has not usually been strong enough to track the masses to the State. The massive aliyah of Jews from Arab countries, from Russia, and from Ethiopia has come about because of anti-Semitism. Once again, the terrible pain of anti-Semitism has led to a positive result, aliyah.

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EXODUS — 14:21 wind

EXOD205 The supernatural events that are already part of nature are more miraculous because they are part of the original blueprint. While the talmudic source only alludes to this idea, the Midrash Bereishit Rabbah 5:5 states openly that all of the supernatural miracles were implanted in nature during the first six days of creation. Thus, the natural miracle does indeed demonstrate God's prowess even more than supernatural miracles do. The Talmud Ta'anit 7a expresses this concept most emphatically when it says that the (natural) miracle of rain is greater than the (supernatural) miracle of the resurrection of the dead. This idea is also demonstrated through the supernatural events in the Bible itself. The most supernatural miracle in the Bible is, one could argue, the splitting of the Red Sea. And yet, this supernatural event is brought about through very natural means, as the Torah describes the east wind blowing the entire night prior to the onset of the splitting of the sea. The Sefer Hachinuch Mitzvah 132 explains that God's greatness is enhanced by performing supernatural miracles through natural means. Other supernatural miracles in the Torah are also brought about through natural means. Each day, millions of Jews in the desert were fed by the supernatural means of the manna, as bread came from heaven. Exodus 16:4 Yet, the manna appeared in a very natural way, between two layers of dew on the ground each morning. Numbers 11:9. The Midrash Tanchuma, Beshalach 20 comments on this phenomenon that God purposely wanted to make a supernatural miracle (manna from Heaven) appear natural from the dew. Even at the end of the Torah, when God shows the entire land of Israel to Moses, God commands Moses to first go up to the mountain. Deuteronomy 32:49 It is clear that from Mount Nevo, the entire land cannot normally be seen and that God performed a supernatural miracle to allow Moses to see the entire land. Yet God asked Moses to go up to the mountain to see the land so that the supernatural miracle will appear to be brought about through natural means. Thus, in Judaism, contrary to the commonsense belief, natural miracles are considered greater and more miraculous than supernatural miracles.

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EXODUS — 15:2 enshrine

EXOD211 In Christianity, the most important ideal is belief in Jesus as the Savior. This belief in itself can enable a person to attain salvation. In Judaism, belief is secondary to action, and one is judged on the basis of what one does, not what one feels, thinks, or believes. There are numerous Jewish sources demonstrating this fundamental viewpoint of Judaism. Abraham left the presence of God Himself to perform the mitzvah of welcoming strangers into his home. From here, the Talmud learns that performance of a religious action supersedes even the emotional feeling of being with God Almighty. Shevuot 35b. God says that it is preferable not to believe in God as long as the Jewish people keep the Commandments of the Torah. Jerusalem Talmud, Chagigah 6b. (Of course, the goal of Judaism is to accomplish both, but action precedes feeling and belief.) Th[is] a verse in the Torah [] says "This is my God and I will beautify Him." In discussing how one can beautify or glorify God, the Talmud Shabbat 133b answers that it is through action, that is, just as God is merciful so man should be merciful, and so on. Therefore, the highest form of being like God is through action and not feeling or belief.

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EXODUS — 15:2 enshrine

EXOD212 When Torah learning and mitzvot are in conflict and only one may be fulfilled, the performance of the mitzvah takes precedence over the learning of Torah. Maimonides, Hilchot Talmud Torah 3:4. The Mishnah Avot 1:17 informs us that the main goal in life should be the action, the performance of mitzvot, and not the learning of Torah. While it is true that the Torah learning is the means that brings one to proper action, mitzvot, Kiddushin 40b the Jew's purpose in the world is the performance, not merely the learning. A person who only learns Torah, without the performance of mitzvot, is compared to a person without a God. Avodah Zara 17b. Thus, of all the paths to God, the performance of mitzvot is primary. This is reflected in [this verse]. How does the Jew beautify God? By performing mitzvot in a beautiful manner, such as by using a beautiful shofar, lulav, and so forth. Shabbat 133b

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EXODUS — 15:22 caused

EXOD227 Another disadvantage of money and wealth is that it often keeps Jews from getting to or for living in Israel. This phenomenon, which has kept millions of Jews from leaving the Diaspora and settling in the State of Israel after 1948, is not new. There are three allusions to this idea in the Torah. When Jacob crossed over the Yabok River on the night before meeting his brother Esau, Genesis 32:35, Rashi says that the reason he went back was to get some jars that he did not want to leave behind. According to many commentaries, this river was the border between Israel and the Diaspora. Thus, for monetary reasons, Jacob left Israel and, consequently, met up with the angel that made him fight for his life. Later on in the Torah, when the Jews finally defeated the Egyptians after the miracle of the Red Sea, it says [this verse] that Moses brought the Jews into the wilderness on a march that was supposed to lead them, within a short time, to the land of Israel. But the word for "he brought" is vayasa, and not the usual form of verb, vayisa, implying that Moses had to force the Jews to travel. Noting this change of usage, Rashi, based on the Mechilta, says that the people did indeed refuse to travel, insisting on staying to retrieve all the gold and silver of the Egyptians that washed up on the beach. Thus, Moses had to force them to travel and abandon these riches. This is another example how the possibility of gold and silver held back Jews from traveling towards the land of Israel. Perhaps the most clear example of this is the story of the two and one-half tribes (Reuven, Gad, and one half of Menasheh), Numbers, chap. 32, who requested not to enter and live in Israel proper in order to have ample grazing room for their cattle, which was the measure of wealth in that desert society. After lengthy negotiations, they were granted the request on certain conditions. Once again, the wealth of Jews prevented them from entering the land of Israel. Historically, these were also the first tribes that were defeated in conquest and disappeared forever.

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EXODUS — 16:4 test

EXOD248 One of the purposes of the Torah, the sole purpose, according to the Talmud Kiddushin 21b, was to teach man how to overcome and defeat his desire for evil. God sets up all of human endeavor as a moral test for the human being. He presents the moral situations, and it is up to us to react properly and defeat the desire to do bad, as God did in providing the manna for the Jews in the desert, which He said was a daily test, as Jews were asked to believe in God's promise for daily manna. If we overcome desire and exercise self-control, then we will get reward, whether it be a slimmer figure when dieting or entrance to the world to come. We can indeed view each act in our lives as a test. Every morning, each adult decides whether to go to work or not. At the breakfast table, we choose to be nice or not nice to our spouse. On the road, we must decide to exceed or not to exceed the speed limit. Children must decide each day whether or not to do homework. Because there are so many small and large moral tests each day, we should not look for "extra" situations in which to test ourselves. The evil desire is difficult enough to overcome as it is. Taanit 20b

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