Egypt (Hebrew: Mitzraim) is the country to the southwest of the Land of Israel. It has played an important role in Jewish history since the time of Abraham.
It’s a sure fire way to meet your new neighbors. Walk next door with a measuring cup in your hand and say, “Hi. We just moved in. I want to bake cookies, but I can’t find the sugar. May I please borrow a cup of sugar?”
Of course, they’ll say yes and you are well on your way to forming a new friendship.
That’s great when you’re new in a community. Does the same thing work when you are leaving?
This week we are studying the story of the midwives in Egypt.
This incident is recorded in Shemot / Exodus 1:15-21.
Parshat Shemot 5772
This week we begin reading Sefer Shemot – Exodus, the second book of the Chumash.
At the beginning of Shemot the Jewish people are living contentedly in Egypt. However, very quickly their circumstances change into slavery and persecution.