hwarapA - Pa`rasha

Exodus 18:1-20:23 (*26)

Yitro - “Jethro”

Exodus 18:

1 And Yitro, the priest of Mid-an (Ny!d4mi Nheko “priest of contention”), Mosheh's father_in_law, heard of all that Elohim had done for Mosheh and for Yisrael His people__that the HaShem had brought Yisrael out of Mitzraim.

2 Then Yitro, Mosheh's father_in_law, took Zipporah, Mosheh's wife, after he had sent her back,

3 with her two sons, of whom the name of one was Gershom (for he said, "I have been a stranger in a foreign land" (Mwor4G2 = “expulsion,” if two words Mwo rG2 or MwA rG2 = “a stranger there”)

4 and the name of the other was Eliezer (for he said, "The Elohe of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharoh" (rz@f,ylix$ Eliezer = “to whom God is help”);

5 and Yitro, Mosheh's father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Mosheh in the wilderness, where he was encamped at the mountain of Elohim.

6 Now he had said to Mosheh, "I, your father-in-law Yitro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her."

7 So Mosheh went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, and kissed him. And they asked each other about their well-being, and they went into the tent.

8 And Mosheh told his father-in-law all that the HaShem had done to Pharoh and to the Egyptians for Yisrael's sake, all the hardship that had come upon them on the way, and how the HaShem had delivered them.

9 Then Yitro rejoiced for all the good which the HaShem had done for Yisrael, whom He had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.

10 And Yitro said, "Blessed be the HaShem, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharoh, and who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.

11 "Now I know that the HaShem is greater than all the gods; for in the very thing in which they behaved proudly, He was above them."

12 Then Yitro, Mosheh's father-in-law, took a burnt offering and other sacrifices to offer to Elohim. And Aharon came with all the elders of Yisrael to eat bread with Moshehs' father-in-law before Elohim.

13 And so it was, on the next day, that Mosheh sat to judge the people; and the people stood before Mosheh from morning until evening.

14 So when Mosheh's father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, "What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?"

15 And Mosheh said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to inquire of Elohim.

16 "When they have a difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known et-chuq-qe (the statutes yq20Hu-tx, = “that which is established”) of Elohim and His Torot"(troOT = Instructions) [never give your advice]

17 So Mosheh's father-in-law said to him, "The thing that you do is not good.

18 "Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself.

19 "Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and Elohim will be with you: Stand before Elohim for the people, so that you may bring the difficulties to Elohim.

20 "And you shall teach them all that has been established and the instructions, and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do (hWefEma0ha ham-maeseh “the performance” they must do) .

21 "Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear Elohim, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.

22 "And let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you.

23 "If you do this thing, and Elohim so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people will also go to their place in peace."

24 So Mosheh heeded the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said.

25 And Mosheh chose able men out of all Yisrael, and made them heads over the people: rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.

26 So they judged the people at all times; the hard cases they brought to Mosheh, but they judged every small case themselves.

27 Then Mosheh let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way to his own land.

Exodus 19:

1 In the third month after the son’s of Yisrael had gone out of the land of Mitzraim, on the same day, they came to the Wilderness of Sinai (yn1ysi rBar4mi midbar sina =”uninhabitited place of clay”) .

2 For they had departed from Rephidim (supports), had come to the Wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness. So Yisrael camped there before the mountain.

3 And Mosheh went up to Elohim, and HaShem called to him from the mountain, saying, "Thus you shall say to the house of Y’acov, and tell the sons of Yisrael:

4 `You have seen what I did to Mitzraim the Egyptians, and how I bore ( xWA0x,v! Va-es-sa = “and lifted”) you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself.

5 `Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.

6 `And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests (Mynih3Ko) and a holy nation' (wOdq! YOgv4). These are the words (MyribAD4ha) which you shall speak to the son’s of Yisrael."

7 So Mosheh came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before them all these words which HaShem commanded him (UhU!ci = “appointed or commissioned him”.

8 Then all the people answered together and said, "All that HaShem has spoken we will do." So Mosheh brought back the words of the people to HaShem.

9 And HaShem said to Mosheh, "Behold, I come to you in the thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever." So Mosheh told the words of the people to HaShem.

10 Then HaShem said to Mosheh, "Go to the people and consecrate them (MTAw;D1q9v4

ve-qid-dash-tim = “to clean be clean/pure/holy’) today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes.

11 "And let them be ready for the third day. For on the third day HaShem will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.

12 "You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, `Take heed to yourselves that you do not go up to the mountain or touch its base. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death.

13 `Not a hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot with an arrow; whether man or beast, he shall not live.' When the trumpet sounds long, they shall come near the mountain."

14 So Mosheh went down from the mountain to the people and sanctified the people, and they washed their clothes.

15 And he said to the people, "Be ready for the third day; do not come near your wives" (hwA0xi = “woman”)

16 Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings (tloq) and lightening, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound (lqo) of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled.

17 And Mosheh brought the people out of the camp to meet with Elohim, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.

18 Now Mount Sinai (ynaysi rha) was completely in smoke, because HaShem descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly.

19 And when the blast of the trumpet sounded (rpAOw0ha lOq) long and became louder and louder, Mosheh spoke, and Elohim answered him by voice.

20 Then HaShem came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain. And HaShem called Mosheh to the top of the mountain, and Mosheh went up.

21 And HaShem said to Mosheh, "Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to gaze at HaShem, and many of them perish.

22 "Also let the priests who come near HaShem consecrate themselves, lest HaShem break out (Cr1PA “to break down, destroy”) against them."

23 But Mosheh said to HaShem, "The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai; for You warned us, saying, `Set bounds around the mountain and consecrate it.'"

24 Then HaShem said to him, "Away! Get down (dr2-j`l, “Go down”) and then come up, you and Aharon with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to HaShem, lest He break out against them."

25 So Mosheh went down to the people and spoke to them.

Exodus 20:

1 And Elohim spoke all these words, saying:

2 "I am HaShem your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Mitzraim, out of the house of bondage.

3 "You shall have no other gods before Me.

4 "You shall not make for yourself a carved/graven/molten image (ls,p,), or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;

5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, HaShem your Elohim, am a jealous Elohim, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the son’s to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me (yxAn4Wl4).

6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments (ytAOc;mi) (When we fell to keep his mitzvot’s we demonstrate hate!)

7 "You shall not take the name of HaShem your Elohim in vain, for HaShem will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain (xv4wA0la lash-shav = “in falsehood/a lie;” in committing wickedness, iniquity; saying you’ll do something and not doing it).

8 "Remember the Shabbat day (tBAwa0ha MOy-tx, ), to keep it holy (OwD4q1l4).

9 Six days you shall labor (rbof3Ta) and do all your work (j`T,k;xlam;-lKA = “service”),

10 but the seventh day is the Shabbat of HaShem your Elohim. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates (j`yr@f!w4Bi = “inside a city”).

11 For in six days HaShem made (hwAf! = to make/prepare from something) the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore HaShem blessed (j`r1Be = “to bend the knee; to break down) the Shabbat day and hallowed it (UhweD4q1y4v1 = ‘and purified/consecrated/sanctified it).

12 "Honor (dKeKa kak-ked = “to be heavy;” bear up under the burden) your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which HaShem your Elohim is giving you.

13 "You shall not murder (Hcar! Ratzach = “destroy/break/ dash in pieces”).

14 "You shall not commit adultery (Jxan! ).

15 "You shall not steal (bnaG! To steal/deceive).

16 "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor (rq@wA dfe j~f3r2b; hn@f3ta-xlo)

“Do not testify falsely or be a false witness against your neighbor”).

17 "You shall not covet (dmaHA ”desire/delight in”) your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's."

18 Now all the people witnessed (Myxir! “saw”) the thunderings (tloOq0ha) , the lightning flashes (MdiyPiL0aha lamp/torch), the sound (lOq ) of the trumpet (rpAwoha ), and the mountain smoking (Nwef! rhAhA ); and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood off at a distance.

19 Then they said to Mosheh, "You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not Elohim speak with us, lest we die."

20 And Mosheh said to the people, "Do not fear; for Elohim has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin."

21 So the people stood at a distance, but Mosheh drew near the thick darkness where Elohim was. (Want to draw near or stay at a distance?)

22 Then HaShem said to Mosheh, "Thus you shall say to the son’s of Yisrael: `You have seen that I have talked (yTir4BaDi “I have spoken”) with you from heaven.

23 `You shall not make anything to be with Me__gods of silver or gods of gold you shall not make for yourselves.

24 `An altar of earth (hmAd!x3 HBaz4mi) you shall make for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I record My name I will come to you, and I will bless you.

25 `And if you make Me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stone; for if you use your tool on it, you have profaned it.

26 `Nor shall you go up by steps to My altar, that your nakedness (hv!r4f@ “shame”) may not be exposed on it.'