January 5, 2021 Laya

Parsha Shemot.

Pasha with Safta Laya

Tell the story to your grandchildren

This week we start the book of Shemot- Exodus.

The Torah descibes the new Pharoah as an evil person who didn’t know Joseph and what he did to help the Egyptians in the past. This Pharoah saw that the Jewish people were increasing and their families were getting bigger and bigger. he decided to make the Jews into his slaves, work for him make life very difficult for them. He forced them to build cities, punished them if they didn’t work fast enough, he even made them make bricks from straw, and the Jewish people were slaves for hundreds of years in Egypt. Pharoah heard from his astrologers and wizards that a baby boy was about to be born and he will become the savior of the Jewish people. He was furious and afraid- because he would lose his slaves and won’t have anyone to do his work for him. He told all the Jewish midwives, especially the main women,- Shifra and Puah- to throw all the male/ boy babies into the Nile River as soon as they were born.

Yocheved and Amram had a baby boy, and it was said that their whole house was filled with light when he came into the world. He was already circumcised ( had a Brit milah) which meant he was spiritually perfect. Miriam, the baby’s older sister prophesized that her parents would give birth to the savior of the Jewish people. Yocheved and Miriam knew that this baby boy had to be saved. They made a waterproof basket or cradle to put him in, and placed it on the banks of the river in the green reeds. Pharoah’s daughter came down to the river to bathe, and heard a baby crying, and took pity on him. she decided to take him and look after him.

She decided to call this baby ‘Monios’ which means ‘drawn from the water’. (Moshe or Moses is the Hebrew translation of the word.) Miriam was nearby and offered to find ‘someone’ to feed him. Pharoah’s daughter agreed and Miriam took the baby and gave him back to his mother, Yocheved who nursed him in the first few years and inculcated Jewish values in his early impressionable years. He stayed with his mother until he was old enough to go back to the Palace. Moshe was taken back to Pharoah’s daughter and brought up as her son. The wicked Pharoah had no idea that Moshe was a Jewish child, and brought him up as a beloved grandson.

We learn a lot about Moshe in this weeks Parsha. As he grows up, Moshe feels a strong sense of justice- he saw an Egyptian striking a Jew, kills him and hides his body in the sand. He hears that Pharoah is angry with him and is after him to kill him, so he flees the palace. He arrives at a well and helps the daughters of Reuel water their sheep. He goes to Reuel’s house and marries Zipporah and became a shepherd. Then one day, Moshe sees a Burning Bush, and Hashem talks to him and tells him to go and save the Jewish people…..

Fun Activities to do with your grandchildren! -Arts and Crafts; Draw a picture of Baby Moshe in his Basket in the River Nile. Make a minature scene of this picture- with materials you find around the house.( see picture)

• Fun Facts;
• Jochebed ( Yocheved) was Levi’s daughter (from tribe of Levi) and gave birth to Moshe when she was 130 years old. Amram was Levi’s grandson.
• The Jewish midwives believed in G-d and didn’t listen to Pharoah and were rewarded with ‘houses’, (not buildings)- but dynasties. Yocheved (Shifra) became the ancestress of Kohanim and Levites. Miriam (Puah) became an ancestress of David. -Reuel, was Zipporah’s father. he was also known as Jethro by some sources ? (Mechilta)

Fun Food Ideas in the Parsha. Making ‘Moshe be Tevet’ -Moses in the Basket. Ingredients; Pastry (bought)(Basek.) Parev sausages (Tival) OR meat/chicken Sausages (Basari) Tomato sauce/ BBQ sauce, Egg for painting Slice wide strips of pastry,-place sausage on the pastry and cut pastry slightly longer than the sausage -Put tomato sauce (optional) next to the sausage and roll pastry around the sausage and seal it at both ends.(Cut off extra pastry) Place the Moshe Be Tevet’s on baking paper, Bake at 180 degrees for 20 min ( or until brown) and cooked. Serve as starter, or main course for the kids on Shabbat. Alternative idea- Gluten- Free! A Bowl of Spaggetti (gluten free), with cooked mince meat in the middle of the spaggeti, and a sausage (Moshe) on top!!

This weeks Parsha, -Think about Moshe- the greatest Prophet and most Humble man who spoke directly to G-d and was instructed to save the Jewish people.

Have fun with your grandchildren (and children)…Enjoy connecting , sharing and being interactive and creative.

Shabbat Shalom,

Safta Laya.

• Food
• Activities
• Story