Parashat Vaera is part of a unit of five parashot (Shemot-Yitro) describing the beginnings of Am Yisrael, the Exodus from Egypt, and the receiving of the Torah.
A close examination of the uses of different names of God in Bereishit and Shemot reveals a clear pattern, which helps us understand the four (or five) expressions of redemption in our parasha.
What is the significance of R. Yehuda's famous mnemonic of the ten plagues, Detzach, Adash, Be'achav? In this shiur, we will demonstrate how the warning issued before each of these three sets of plagues indicates the goal of the set.
The Torah tells us that Moshe was eighty years old when he spoke to Pharaoh, just before the plagues befell Egypt: “And Moshe was eighty years old, and Aharon – eighty three, when they spoke to Pharaoh” (Shemot 7:7). What was Moshe doing for eighty years, up until this point?
