EXOD84 … Aaron … demonstrated leadership ability. When Moses was hesitant to accept leadership and was concerned about his ability to speak publicly, God assigned his brother Aaron as his spokesperson. Moses was concerned that Aaron might be jealous that Moses was selected for leadership over him, but God assured Moses that this was not the case, and the Torah records that Aaron was actually happy for Moses and not jealous at all.

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EXOD118 These two elements [religion and nationalism] have always been both intrinsic and necessary to Judaism, although this concept is often misunderstood by non-Jews and even Jews. For many years, other faiths and other peoples have used the phrase pronounced by God, “Let My people go,” when speaking about national aspirations. But the people uttering these words who yearned for peoplehood always forgot to look up the original text in the Torah. The words “Let My people go” in the Torah are always followed by the words “So that they can serve Me.” Therefore, God is clearly saying that nationalism is indeed important in Judaism, as long as it is followed by service to God, the core religious component of Judaism. Similarly, when G- d chose the Jewish people to be “His” people right before the Torah was given, he clearly defined what Judaism must become: a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. [Exodus 19:6]. Normally, priests are associated exclusively with the religious realm, and a kingdom is part of the political or nationalistic realm. Yet here, God says that Judaism must combine the political concept of the kingdom with the spiritual concept of priests. The very next phrase in the verse projects the same idea. Holiness is usually left to the realm of the religious, while nationhood is usually left to the physical, non-holy aspects of life. Yet God said that Judaism must combine the two and become a holy nation. When Ruth, the ultimate convert to Judaism and great-grandmother of King David, described the essence of Judaism, she uttered just four Hebrew words: “Ameich Ami v’Elkayich Elokai,” “your nation is my nation, and your God is my God.” Ruth 1:16. This encapsulates the essence of Judaism, and one aspect without the other is not truly Jewish.

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EXOD120 See [[EXOD118]] Exodus 7:16 let AMJV 198

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EXOD121 See [[EXOD118]] Exodus 7:16 let AMJV 198

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EXOD123 See [[EXOD118]] Exodus 7:16 let AMJV 198

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EXOD132 (Continued from [[EXOD28]] Exodus 2:1 married AMJV 194). The reunification of the Jewish family was a precondition of nationhood and of Judaism, a necessary step before the redemption from Egypt could take place. After suffering many plagues, Pharaoh finally asked Moses who was intended to leave Egypt to worship to God, and Moses said that both the elders and the children would go jointly. Moses understood that without families worshiping together, the redemption would not come. Pharaoh also understood the power of the united family and therefore only permitted the elders to go, leaving the children behind. When Moses heard Pharaoh's condition that families would be divided, it was unacceptable to him and he refused Pharaoh's offer. (Continued [[EXOD143]] at Exodus 12:3-4 AMJV 194)

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EXOD143 (Continued from [[EXOD132]] Exodus 10:11 No AMJV 194). In order to insure that the Jewish family was truly unified, God commanded the Jewish people to take the Egyptian god, the lamb, and eat it as a united family, on what became the night of the Seder in Egypt. And if there were too few people in the nuclear family to finish the lamb, then they had to invite their neighbors-usually the extended family of grand parents and siblings-to join them and eat the lamb together. God also commanded the Jewish people to perform another ritual act to symbolize the unity of the Jewish family. In each Jewish home (which is the symbol of family), they were to replace the blood of that lamb on the door posts as a sign that this was a unified Jewish family. (Exodus 12:7) only then, after each Jewish family came together, could did Jews leave Egypt.

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EXOD147 See [[EXOD143]] Exodus 12:3-4 household AMJV 194

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EXOD172 The Torah was given at a time when no society in the world had rules of equality for every member of the population, and the weakest members were legally treated as inferiors, while royalty had a different set of rules and laws that applied to them. Yet, the Torah stresses repeatedly that the laws of Judaism apply equally to the weakest members of the society, such as the convert (the obligation to love the convert and treat him or her fairly is mentioned 36 times in the Torah), the widow, and the orphan. Similarly, the king and other Jewish leaders are obligated to keep the Torah in the same way as everyone else.

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EXOD176 Respect and sensitivity to sinners also requires not embarrassing them needlessly.… in Egypt, too, there were Jewish sinners and nonbelievers. (The majority of Jews, according to some opinions) who either did not want to leave Egypt or did not deserve to do so. In order not to publicly punish these people, God made sure they died in Egypt during the plague of darkness, so that no one would see them die or recognize why these people did not leave Egypt with the rest of the Jewish people.

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