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Shemot – Let the Girls Live

with Rabbi Benny Rapoport

This week, we look at Pharaoh's campaign to restrict the growth of the Jewish population, and his harsh and merciless decree to drown the Jewish boys. An important rule in our tradition of Torah-text analysis is that each and every word is exact and has specific intent -- there are no "extra" words – or even letters in the Torah!

To that end, we examine the words of Pharaoh quoted in the verse "Any boy that will be born shall be thrown into the Nile river; and every girl should be let live.”

Why does Pharaoh concern himself with the baby girls? Why is the fact that the girls are allowed to remain alive important enough that it’s worth any mention in the Torah?

And more importantly, what message is there for us today that we can apply to our personal lives, enabling us to strengthen our connection with G-d and grow in our understanding of His Torah and the performance of His Mitzvot?

I invite you to view our 5-minute Parsha Cast where we attempt to read between the lines and discover Pharaoh's fiendish plan to not only kill the boys, but to try and harm the girls as well.

Your comments are always welcome!

	with Rabbi Benny Rapoport More articles... \|
	Rabbi Benny Rapoport is director of Chabad's Jewish Discovery Center in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania. He has lived in the Scranton/Abington area with his wife and family since the fall of 2000.

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	Shemot – Let the Girls Live
Pharaoh issued a merciless decree to drown the newborn Jewish boys. What was his scheming plan for the girls? (4:13)
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