Pesach Story I

Pesach is coming up soon in less than a month. 

Here we go learning the Pesach Story.

In the beginning, while the Jewish people lived in Mitzrayim life was good. After some years they were put to work making storage houses for King Pharoah. At first they were treated well and then the hard work and unpleasant situations began. We all know it is okay and even good to work hard but in Mitzrayim they werent treated well at all.

One day, the King's astrologers came into the palace and told him soon there will be a baby boy that will be born, grow up, and take the Jewish people out of Mitzrayim. They couldnt tell if the baby boy will be Jewish or Mitzri. King Pharoah wanted to keep the Jews as his workers and decreed that any girl born can be celebrated over and live, however, if a boy should be born they must be gotten rid of. 

Two Jewish women named Yocheved and Miriam, helped Jewish moms have their babies. They chose to be brave and keep all the Jewish baby boys safe and healthy even though they were warned by King Pharoah himself about the decree.

One day,  Yocheved gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. There was a shining light coming from his face. Yocheved held the baby close and told him she will keep him safe. She kept him at home for 3 months until it was time for her to put him somewhere safe other than her house. The King's officers will come soon to her house looking for her baby.

She prepared a wooden basket that could float in water, covered any open holes, and placed her baby in. She brought him to the Nile River in Mitzrayim and put him in. Her daughter Miriam watched her baby brother behind tall grass to make sure he was okay.

As she was watching, she saw Princess Basya, King Pharoah's daughter, coming to the river with her servants to cool off at the water from the hot day. Basya heard the baby cry, saw the basket, and didnt have the heart to leave the baby in the water. She knew of her father's decree, nevertheless, reached out to get the baby. She was too far from the basket to reach but Hashem made a miracle and her hand stretched out far enough to bring the baby in. Basya named this baby, Moshe- which means "to pull out" of the water.

When Pharoah saw the baby, he told the princess she can keep this baby. He was raised in the palace.

When Moshe grew up, he married, and worked as a shephard in the city of Midyan.

One day, Hashem appeared to Moshe. (Hashem appeared to certain holy individuals) and told him his brothers, the Jewish people, are not being treated well by King Pharoah and they want to leave Mitzrayim.

Hashem told Moshe to go with his brother Ahron to Pharoah and ask him to let the Jewish people leave.

When King Pharoah heard this he said "no" since the Jews were great workers and it would be a shame to let them go. Moshe said he must set them free and if not Hashem will have to punish him since He knows Pharoah makes strong decisions and wont change them even if they werent fair to others.

Pharoah didnt really believe Moshe that Hashem will punish him and the Mitzriyim.

 One day, all the water turned to blood, frogs jumped all over Mitzrayim even onto Pharoah's nose, then the Mitzriyim spent time scratching lice that crawled and itched all over their bodies, wild animals came barging into their homes and stores, farm animals became sick which left  no meat, milk, or eggs for them to eat and drink, boiling pimples attacked their bodies which were not cooled off even in the coldest showers, then ice balls with fire came crashing down on their heads ad homes.

During each punishment Pharoah kept running to Moshe to daven to Hashem to stop the plague. Moshe said he would do so if Pharoah would let the Jews leave. Pharoah reassured Moshe that he would, however every time a plague was over, he made his heart like a rock, changed his mind, and refused to let the Jews go.

Hashem stopped each plague giving Pharoah the chance to do teshuva and change his mind about how he treated the Jews and really let them go, but it was too hard for Pharoah to make the right choices and do what was right.