Greetings Friends and welcome to Torah Thoughts from Adas Israel the Jewish Congregation of Northern Iowa and based in Mason City. Glad you are with us. President Alan Steckman has set aside February 10 and 11 for services and our Midrash. Services will be at 7:00PM on Friday and our Midrash will be on Shabbat starting at 10:00AM. Hope to see you then.
This Week
Our Parsha this week is Va'eira or Ex. 6:2 - 9:35. the word mean, "and I appeared" the first words G-d speaks in this Parsha. This week will be a shortened edition of Torah Thoughts. I am on assignment in Nashville, TN all week and we're pretty covered up. We start our days here about 7:00AM and shut down about 11:00PM. We'll do better next week, G-d willing.
Inside the Parsha
Here is the story of the Ten Plagues, which G-d put upon the Egyptians not only to effect the release of the Jewish people from bondage, but also to show the world that He is the G-d of all creation and history. The first nine plagues are divisible into three groups: 1) the water turning to blood, frogs, lice 2) wild beasts, pestilence/epidemic, boils 3) hail, locust, and darkness.
Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch explains that these were punishments measure for measure for afflicting the Jewish people with slavery: 1) The first of each group reduced Egyptians in their own land to the insecurity of strangers. 2) The second of each group robbed them of pride, possessions, and a sense of superiority. 3) The third in each group imposed physical suffering.
For those of you familiar with the Passover Seder you may have heard this before.
Again, I'm sorry this is so short. We're getting ready for our daily news broadcast after spending so much time this week with our client. Looking forward to seeing you in February on the 10th and the 11th.
Thank you for reading and Shabbat Shalom!
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