Moses, Aaron and Miriam lead the Israelites to Freedom

Once the Israelites were free, they left Egypt as fast as possible. So quickly in fact, that the bread they were making didn’t have time to rise. Pharaoh had a change of heart and went after them with his army and found the Israelites at the Sea of Reeds. With the Sea on front of them and the Pharoah’s army in pursuit behind them, they were stuck. So Moses lifted his Rod into the air, the Sea parted, the Israelites ran and as soon as they arrived on the other side, the Sea closed upon the Army that was in pursuit. Miriam then took a timbrel in her hand and all the women danced!

In this lesson you will learn the stories about:

• The Israelites crossing the Red Sea
• Miriam and the Women who danced
• The Jewish way of making your own destiny

#1 READ Moses’ story about the crossing of the Red Sea

Friends, leading the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery and to freedom was a major task! We were in such a hurry and each day was difficult. I was tired, the people were tired, and we had only the clothes on our backs, nothing else. When we arrived at the Sea of Reeds, I thought that was it! I thought for sure we were sunk. But by a great miracle, the sea walls parted and we travelled through to freedom. Wonderful freedom!

#2 WATCH this video about Crossing the Sea of Reeds (Parashat Beshallah)

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#3 MEET Miriam and READ her about her story from Exodus 15:20-22

Hello, my name is Miriam and I led the Israelites from Egyptian slavery to freedom along with my brothers Moses and Aaron. The women on the journey did most of the work. We cared for the children, prepared all the meals, made camp, and spent our hours together while the men-folk were in discussion and conversation about what to do, where to go, and what direction to follow.

They was a lot of work to be done, but they were glorious times. Once we were slaves, now we were free. And when we looked into the eyes of our children, we were so thankful that they would grow up free people and not slaves to the Pharaoh.

My best memory of our journey was when all the women gathered together once we crossed the Sea of Reeds. We sang, we danced, and we rejoiced!

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#5 STUDY these Jewish text insights

When the people were on their journey, they lacked food. They turned to Moses and said, “If only we had died by the hand of the Lord God in the land of Egypt, when we sat by that fleshpots, when we ate our bread! You have brought us out into the wilderness to starve this whole congregation to death!”

Later, when the people were thirsty, they turned to Moses and said, “why did you bring us from Egypt to die of thirst?”

One answer is provided by someone named Nehama Leibowitz. She taught, “now those Israelites were no longer slaves. They didn’t have a master telling them what to do and telling them when and what to eat. They were independent and responsible for themselves. Being responsible and knowing how to care for yourself is sometimes a challenge and therefore, people complain and ketch!

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#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 happened at the shore of the Sea of Reeds?
2. Why did  the people complain? what happened?
3. Can you interpret the statement: “the people complained because they were now free?”
4. What does the tale of “Avoiding the Mud” teach you?

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Need some help?

We’re here for you. At any time, if you have any questions, please contact one of our teachers so we can help you.

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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