What an accident. I am nearly arrived there too. I started this week with Exodus. I read this time a Jewish translation by M. Mendelssohn.
I know you don't like him, but the translation is very good. I compared it with the Elberfelder translation. On the first view it says the same, but there are in every sentence different facets.
Every evening a few pages ...
:)
Interesting point Muman.
The thing I noticed is, that I think I found some parallels in the stories of the Torah. Of cause I am not so deep in it like some of the other members of JTF like you, because I read on average only an hour.
But I do it regulary since a few weeks again and I read then a few pages but attentively.
One thing I noticed is the story of Laban and the story of pharao.
Pharao fooled Moses by saying, that he agreed to let Israel go and after Moses took the plagues away he refused to do so.
Laban fooled Jacob with Rachel as well he tried it with the flock.
I am not shure, but the two stories seem to have some similarities.
A Lesson Learned
By Rabbi Raymond Beyda
"Go and ascertain what Laban the Aramean intended to do to Yaakob our Patriarch" Hagaddah Shel Pesah
The instruction given by the author of the Hagaddah to go and learn from the story of Laban requires that we ask "What is the great lesson that he expects us to learn?" Furthermore, he does not give us an answer. Instead we are presented with a recital of the history of Yaakob Abinu a'h from his days living with Laban until he descended to Egypt with his family. What do I learn from that well-known series of events?
Rabbi Don Yitzhak Abarbanel zt'l points out that Laban did not perpetrate any acts of destruction upon Yaakob and his family -- all of his evil was in his mind. It was only through an analysis of his words that we understood his wicked intentions. It was through the kind intervention of G-d that the destruction was prevented. The promise to Abraham Abinu -- that his offspring would live and prosper through the special providence of Hashem -- was the factor that saved Yaakob from harm and that same Hashgaha -- protection -- has protected Jews throughout history.
The Vilna Gaon takes this point one step further. The thing we must "Go out" to learn is that Hashem does miracles for us --even though we are not aware of His intervention on our behalf. There are "Ten Mentions" -- zekhirot -- that a Jew should remember to say every day. They include the Exodus from Egypt, the Shabbat and what Hashem did to Miriam when she spoke Loshon Hara about her brother Moshe Rabenu. One of the things we must keep on our minds daily is "What Balak and Bilaam attempted to do to us when we were in the desert." Why is this on the list with other more outstanding events with obvious lessons?
The story of Bilaam is one of a gentile prophet hired by a King to curse the Jews. The King, Balak, saw that military might could not stand up to the Jews and so he devised a plan to fight fire with fire. The Jews were known for the power of their mouths -- prayer -- and so he hired one who was known for the power of his mouth -- cursing. The one thing he did not take into consideration was G-d's divine intervention for His beloved Chosen People. Every curse turned out to be a blessing. The Jews never met Balak and they were not privy to his failed attempts. G-d's miracle on their behalf was unbeknownst to them --just as Yaakob's rescue from Laban by G-d was without his knowledge of what Laban was really thinking. This is the lesson of our history.
In every generation they rise up against us to destroy us. Sometimes it is an open display of hatred and actions that physically attempt to wipe us out. At other times it is wicked plans that we never discover because our Lord in His mercy derails the enemy's efforts and scuttles his plans without making headlines. "Go out and learn" to be thankful to G-d for all that He does to protect us from annihilation in every generation whether we see it or not.
Go and learn what Laban attempted to do to our Patriarch, Jacob. Pharaoh decreed only against the males, but Laban attempted to uproot everything, as it is stated:15
"An Aramean sought to destroy my father; he descended to Egypt and sojourned there16 - This teaches that our Patriarch, Jacob, did not go down to Egypt with the intention of settling there, but merely to sojourn there, as it is stated:17
"And they told Pharaoh: We have come to sojourn in this land, for there is no pasture for the flocks of your servants, since there is a severe famine in the land of Canaan. Now, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen."
with a small number of people--as it is stated:18 "Your ancestors went down to Egypt with seventy persons. Now, God has made you as numerous as the stars of the heaven."
There, he became a nation--This teaches that Israel were distinct there.
great, powerful,-- as it is stated:19 "and the children of Israel were fruitful, became prolific, multiplied, and became very, very powerful. The land became full with them."
and populous-- as it is stated:20 "I made you as numerous as the plants of the field. You grew and developed, becoming very attractive, your breasts firm and your hair grown long; but you were naked and bare."
And the Egyptians were cruel to us.21--as it is stated:22 "Come, let us deal cleverly with them, lest they multiply. Then, if there were a war, they might join our enemies and drive [us] out of the land."
They made us suffer-- as it is stated:23 "They placed task masters over them to oppress them with hard labor. And they built Pitom and Ra'amses as supply centers for Pharaoh."
and imposed harsh slavery upon us-- as it is stated:24 "And the Egyptians made the children of Israel do backbreaking labor."
We cried out to God, the Lord of our fathers25-- as it is stated:26 "After those many days, the king of Egypt died. The children of Israel groaned because of the work. When they cried out over their slavery, their pleas rose up before God."
God heard our voice.-- as it is stated:27 "God heard our cries and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."
He saw our suffering,-- This refers to the disruption of family life, as it is stated:28 "God saw the children of Israel and God took note."
our difficult labor,-- This refers to the children, as it is stated:29 "Every boy who is born must be cast into the river, but every girl shall be allowed to live."
and our distress-- this refers to the pressure [applied by the Egyptians], as it is stated:30 "I have also seen the oppression which the Egyptians are applying to them."
God brought us out of Egypt31-- not by the medium of an angel, not by the medium of a seraph, nor by the medium of any agent. Rather, [it was] the Holy One, blessed be He; He, Himself, in His glory, as it is stated:32
"I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night and I will slay every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from man to beast. I will execute judgements against all the gods of Egypt. I, God."
with a mighty hand-- This refers to the epidemic, as it is stated:33 "Behold, the hand of God will be directed against your cattle in the field, against the horses, the asses and camels, the oxen and the sheep, with a very severe epidemic."
with an outstretched arm-- This refers to the sword, as it is stated:34 "His unsheathed sword is in his hand, stretched out over Jerusalem."
with great visions-- This refers to the revelation of the Divine Presence, as it is stated:35 "Has God ever performed miracles, coming to take one nation out of the midst of another nation with miracles, signs, wonders, war, a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and with terrifying phenomena, as God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?"
signs-- This refers to the staff, as it is stated:36 "Take this staff in your hand, with which you shall perform the signs."
and wonders-- This refers to the blood, as it is stated:37 "I will reveal wonders in heaven and earth: Blood, fire, and columns of smoke."