Exodus 6:2-9:35 | Ezekiel 28:25-29:21 | Matthew 6:1-18

I am the LORD. I will bring you out from the labors of the Egyptians. I will deliver you from their bondage. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and great judgments. I will take you to be for me a people and I will be your God so that you shall know that I am the LORD your God who freed you from the labors of the Egyptians.

    Exodus 6:6-7 

These verses are central to the retelling of God's deliverance of us from Egypt every year during Passover. In fact they serve as the scriptural basis for the four cups of wine (plus the cup of Elijah) of which Jewish people partake during the seder (see b. Pesachim 99b et al). The meaning of these verses is both clear and obscure. For instance, what does God mean when he promises to redeem us "with an outstretched arm?" What does "an outstretched arm" signify? Though the phrase is oft repeated in the Torah when describing God's redemption of Israel from bondage in Egypt (cf. Deuteronomy 4:34; 5:15; 7:19; 9:29; 11:2; 26:8), there is little explication in the Bible and in later commentaries on what "an outstretched arm" is.

There are hints of three ideas for the meaning of this phrase in various rabbinic and medieval commentaries. 

The first suggestion is offered by Rashi. In his commentary to Deuteronomy 7:19, he quotes a tradition from Sifré Numbers (Shelach 115) which identifies the outstretched arm as "the sword of the destruction of the first born." In other words, God's outstretched arm signifies God's work of punishing the Egyptians through "great judgments" (Exodus 6:6) culminating in the last and worst plague, the death of the firstborn.  

Ibn Ezra suggests another interpretation of the "outstretched arm" in his comments on Exodus 6:6; it is "outstretched from heaven to earth." His statement is subtle but important. Not only does the "outstretched arm" represent God's chastising judgment but also demonstrates God's condescension to enter Israel's life again by bridging the gap between heaven (the divine realm) and earth (the human realm). God again engages in such condescension in the Incarnation of Yeshua (John 1 et al). 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men . . . And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

    John 1:1-4, 14 

A third interpretation of the "outstretched arm" comes to us from Nachmanides who states "the arm will be stretched out over them until he brings them out [of Egypt]." In other words, God's arm is also an arm that provides protection and shelter for Israel as she is brought out of bondage. 

2. Why did God bring about the Exodus through miracles? Furthermore, what is the purpose of the plagues? 

Nick Amic

Last week's parasha left us with a cliffhanger. Moses has the audacity to charge God, lama hare‘otah le‘am hazzeh - "why have you done evil to this people?" (5:22). The "evil" spoken of is Pharaoh's response to Moses' request to allow the children of Israel to "celebrate" (yachoggu li - 5:1) in the desert. Pharaoh instead increases their labor (vv. 6-11). It is as if God is closing in the borders (i.e. mitzrayim in Hebrew) on Israel, and Moses responds recounting that they did not heed him for "shortness of breath and hard work" (v. 9). It seems that Moses' case against God contains some validity. 

It is only in this week's parasha that we have the answer to such an accusation: lakhen emor livnei yisrael . . . vegalati etchem bizroa netuya uvifatim gedolim - "Therefore say to the children of Israel. . . I shall redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments" (6:6). Some verses later, God elaborates on this promise informing Moses that both "signs and wonders will be multiplied in the land of Egypt" (7:3). Coupled with these, God will put the divine hand on Egypt by way of judgments. As we will see, this is accomplished by miraculous plagues and divine manipulations of nature itself. However, the question remains-why? Why did God not simply deliver the children of Israel through a miraculous one-time event or by divine intervention in a military uprising?  

To answer the above questions, we look to an interesting insight based on the discrepancy of a translation of a single word. "God spoke to Moses and Aaron take your staff and cast it down before Pharaoh; it will become a tanin" (7:9). The word tanin, translated most often as "snake"-in conjunction with Moses earlier account with casting down his staff (vv. 4:2-3; also see Rashi on 7:9)-here is a sign for Pharaoh and becomes a crocodile. There is support for this translation in this week's haftara reading: 

Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and . . . you shall say ‘Thus says God, "I am against you, Pharaoh . . . the great crocodile (tannim) that crouches within its rivers, who has said, ‘Mine is the River and I have made myself"

    Ezekiel 29:2-3   

The symbolism of Aaron's staff becoming a crocodile, and thus eating the sorcerers' staffs (which had also become crocodiles), is often overlooked due to a translation dispute. However, the miraculous actions of God clearly demonstrate the superiority of the one God of Israel and leave no room for doubt as to God's supremacy over all of creation. The end outcome, as we see two weeks from now in Parashat Beshalach, is the children of Israel's realization at the Reed Sea: "the people revered God, and they had faith in the LORD and Moses, God's servant" (Exodus 14:31). May we be counted as those of whom it is said, "How blessed are those who do not see, yet they believe" (John 20:29).

Noam Levy

Parashat Shemot introduces us to Moses, one of the most important figures in Jewish history. It was Moses that was called by God to lead the Children of Israel out of Egypt, and it was Moses that received Torah from the LORD by angels at Mt. Sinai. Messiah Yeshua, like Moses, freed us from bondage; he also gave us the Messianic interpretation of Torah. 

In the Chayyei Yeshua reading for this week, Matthew records in his book the "Sermon on the Mount." In this sermon Yeshua reinforces Torah, brings it's ultimate meaning and warns anyone who strays from it (Matthew 5:17-19).  

One of Yeshua's main points in this derash is about genuine devotion to God (6:1-18). He teaches the crowd what it means to be spiritually authentic. One of the issues that Messiah confronted was hypocrisy and self-righteousness. Messiah's direct assault on these sins brought persecution from the religious leaders. His message of hope brought unparalleled love for those willing to accept his forgiveness. 

Yeshua teaches about proper kavvana ("spiritual intention") and avoda ("worship"). Yeshua refuses to condone forms of false spirituality. For instance, tzedaqa ("charity") was, and continues to be, a prevalent practice in Judaism. Messiah warns of giving publicly because it has no spiritual benefit. The person is only rewarded by the seers rather than by the LORD (6:1-6). Giving in secret, in front of the LORD only, brings the greater blessing. Yeshua makes the same point about fasting. 

Yeshua's teaching about proper kavvana in giving and fasting brings back the eternal benefits of spiritual disciplines. He warns that we should not do them for others to see, but for our Father in heaven (5:16-18). Worshiping the LORD must start with the heart to please God, not to impress men. 

NEXT WEEK'S READINGS - PARASHAT BO

Exodus 10:1-13:16
Jeremiah 46:13-28
Matthew 6:19-34