Torah Thoughts- Shemot

3:1 UMoshe hayah ro'eh et-tzon Yitro chotno kohen Midyan vayinhag et-hatzon achar hamidbar vayavo el-har ha'Elokim Chorevah.

Moses was shepherding the sheep of Yitro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midyan; he guided the sheep far into the wilderness, and he arrived at the Mountain of G-d, toward Chorev.

2 Vayera malach HASHEM elav belabat-esh mitokh hasneh vayar vehineh hasneh boer ba'esh vehasneh einenu ukal.

An angel of G-D appeared to him in a blaze of fire from amid the bush. He saw and behold! The bush was burning in the fire but the bush was not consumed.

3 Vayomer Moshe asurah-na ve'er'eh et-hamar'eh hagadol hazeh madua lo-yiv'ar hasneh.

Moses thought, "I will turn aside now and look at this great sight - why will the bush not be burned?"

4 Vayar HASHEM ki sar lir'ot vayikra elav Elokim mitoch hasneh vayomer Moshe Moshe vayomer hineni.

G-D saw that he turned aside to see; and G-d called out to him from amid the bush and said, "Moses, Moses." And he replied, "Here I am!"

5 Vayomer al-tikrav halom shal-ne'aleicha me'al ragleicha ki hamakom asher atah omed alav admat-kodesh hu.

He said, "Do not come closer to here, remove your shoes from your feet, for the place upon which you stand is holy ground."

6 Vayomer anochi Elokei avicha Elokei Avraham Elokei Yitzchak ve'Elokei Yaakov vayaster Moshe panav ki yare mehabit el-ha'Elokim.

And He said, "I am the G-d of your father, the G-d of Avraham, the G-d of Yitzchak, and the G-d of Yaakov." Moshe hid his face, for he was afraid to gaze toward G-d.

7 Vayomer HASHEM ra'oh ra'iti et-oni ami asher beMitzrayim ve'et tza'akatam shamati mipenei nogsav ki yadati et-mach'ovav.

G-D said, "I have indeed seen the affliction of My people that is in Egypt and I have heard its outcry because of its taskmasters, for I have known of its sufferings.

8 Va'ered lehatzilo miyad Mitzrayim uleha'aloto min-ha'aretz hahi el-eretz tovah urechavah el-eretz zavat chalav udevash el-mekom haKnaani vehaChitti veha'Emori vehaPrizi vehaChivvi vehaYevusi.

I shall descend to rescue it from the hand of Egypt and to bring it up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Kenaani, the Chitti, the 'Emori, the Perizi, the Chivvi, and the Yevusi.

9 Ve'atah hineh tza'akat benei Yisrael ba'ah elay vegam-ra'iti et-halachatz asher Mitzrayim lochatzim otam.

And now, behold! The outcry of the Children of Israel has come to ME, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.

10 Ve'atah lecha ve'eshlachacha el-Par'oh vehotze et-ami venei Yisrael mi-Mitzrayim.

And now, go and I shall dispatch you to Pharaoh and you shall take MY people, the Children of Israel out of Egypt."

11 Vayomer Moshe el-ha'Elokim mi anochi ki elech el-Par'oh vechi otzi et-bnei Yisrael mi-Mitzrayim.

Moses replied to G-d, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should take the Children of Israel out of Egypt?"

12 Vayomer ki eheyeh imach vezeh-lecha ha'ot ki anochi shlachticha behotzi'acha et-ha'am mi-Mitzrayim ta'avdun et-ha'Elokim al hahar hazeh.

And He said, "For I shall be with you - and this is your sign that I have sent you: When you take the people out of Egypt, you will serve G-d on this mountain."

13 Vayomer Moshe el-ha'Elokim hineh anochi va el-bnei Yisrael ve'amarti lahem Elokei avoteichem shlachani aleichem ve'amru-li mah-shmo mah omar alehem.

Moses said to G-d, "Behold, when I come to the Children of Israel and say to them, 'The G-d of your forefathers has sent me to you,' and they say to me, 'What is His Name?' - what shall I say to them?"

14 Vayomer Elokim el-Moshe eheyeh asher eheyeh vayomer koh tomar livnei Yisrael eheyeh shlachani aleichem.

G-d answered Moses, "I Shall Be as I Shall Be." And He said, "So shall you say to the Children of Israel, 'I Shall Be has sent me to you.'"

15 Vayomer od Elokim el-Moshe koh tomar el-bnei Yisrael HASHEM Elokei avoteykhem Elokei Avraham Elokei Yitzchak ve'Elokei Yaakov shlachani aleichem zeh-shemi le'olam vezeh zichri ledor dor.

G-d said further to Moses, "So shall you say to the Children of Israel, ‘G-d of your forefathers, the G-d of Abraham, the G-d of Isaac, and the G-d of Jacob has dispatched me to you. This is My Name forever, and this is My remembrance from generation to generation.' “

Wow, “What a conversation and such a directive from G-D to Moses, and that of such amazing faith!” Obviously, G-d had been closely watching and observing Mose’s very honorable and proactive behavior and his sincerity towards human kind.   G-d chose Moses! He saw his faith, his loyalty to ‘his’ people, his devote love, his sincere manner.  

In today’s modern world will or should I say, “Could” a conversation similar to this occur?  Yes, I mean exactly that……G-d to an indivual or group of, a congregation of sorts????  Could G-d give a directive to an individual or congregation?   Would that individual or congregation adhere and/or even believe?  I am asking each of you to take a few minutes of silent thought and close your eyes, and honestly put YOURSELF in Mose’s shoes, or should I say, ‘Sandals!!!’; YOU ARE MOSES!!!! Ready, Get set, GO!!!!!!  (Silence…….Pause…)

We all have had a few minutes of pure silence to think, to reflect, and be that of Moses , but with a slight twist; It’s 2013!   Computers, TV, Cars, Planes, Over Population, War, Politics, I Pads, Starvation, Wealth, Poverty, Pure Love, Good  and bad, etc.  !  It is the year 2013, 5774!

I did write a long D’Var Torah, or plan on speaking at length; I simply needed to share this important part of the Torah Portion, as I honestly want all of us to write down our own heart filled thoughts, in an environment that you are comfortable in, and think about G-d approaching you, and giving you a directive, and that of a major magnitude of POSITIVE CHANGE!  We are all here because of our love, our sincere faith of G-d, our belief. Now, it is your turn and please give it deep thought; YOU ARE THE MODERN DAY MOSES, and G-d just approached you, and said, “I have chosen YOU to help the _____________________ people of ________________________..........................”

Shabbat Shalom and Amen!