Moses is Born in Egypt

Moses is Born and his Early Life: Exodus, Chapters 1-12
When Moses was born, his Israelite mother put him in a basket and sent him down the river. He was discovered by one of Pharaoh’s daughters and raised in the palace. One day, he saw the Israelites working hard and felt bad for their slavery. He was called by God to free them but at first did not believe in himself, that he could do it. The Lord God sends 10 plagues and finally, the Pharaoh releases the Israelites from bondage and slavery. In this lesson you will learn the stories about:

• Moses’s birth and why he was raised as an Egyptian Prince
• When and Why Moses tried to help the Israelites
• Why The Lord God chose Moses to be his leader
• When and Why Pharaoh finally let the Israelites go to freedom

#1 LISTEN AND READ this story about Moses birth

My name is Yocheved, I am an Israelite, and I lived during the time of slavery in Egypt. I gave birth to a baby boy but the Pharaoh made a new law to eliminate any new baby boys that were born to Israelites, like me and my husband, Amram. After three months of nursing my baby boy, I had to give him up. I put him into a basket and gently sent him down river.

#2 WATCH this video about Moses and his Early Life (Parashat Shemot)

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#3 LISTEN AND READ this story about Moses helping the Israelites

Hello, my name is Moses. Once day, I was out walking and I saw an Israelite slave man was getting beaten with lashes from an Egyptian. I felt so sad for the Israelite and angry because he was being beaten. In my anger, I killed that Egyptian, and had to flee to a new land, a place called Midian. I met my wife Zipporah there and lived with her family. I had a peaceful life.

One day, I heard that the Pharaoh died, but that the new Pharaoh was treating the Israelite slaves more harshly. I was sad again and took a walk. I came to a place called The Mountain of Sinai. The Lord God called out to me and said, “I have seen the suffering of My People. You must go to the Pharaoh and free My People, the Israelites.

But I was shy and I had a lisp and could not speak clearly and I said to the Lord God, “I am slow of speech and slow of tongue. How will I know what to say? The Lord God replied, “I will be with you and I will choose your brother Aaron to speak on your behalf.” Being with my brother gave me confidence and we returned to Egypt to face the new Pharaoh.

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#5 WATCH this video on Aaron, Moses, and the Pharaoh (Parashat Bo)

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#6 STUDY these Jewish text insights

The Hebrew word tevah means both “ark” and “basket.” It first appears in the Torah when Noah builds his ark and now it appears again, when Moses floats down the river Nile. Noah’s boat is referred to as a tevah and Moses’ basket is also a tevah.

Moses said to the Lord God, “who am I that I should go to the Pharaoh and free the Israelites?” And The Lord God said, “I will be with you.”

#7 Respond and React
Now that you have watched the videos, read the story, and learned about Moses’s early life, please respond to these questions in your Tamid Workbook.

1. What inspired Moses to want to free the Israelite slaves?
2. Why did Moses resist “the call” from the Lord God at first?
3. Name three of the “10 Plagues”
4. Why did the Pharaoh finally let the Israelites go to freedom?

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Also, at the end of the session, remember to review your responses in your Tamid Workbook so you can get credit for this lesson. Behatzlacha (Hebrew for good luck)!

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