Moses

At the end of the story of Jacob and his son Joseph, the one with the coat, Jacob and the tribes of Israel go to live in Egypt as the guests of the Pharaoh (the leader of Egypt). However, soon the Israelites became the slaves of the Egyptians for about 400 years. Being slaves has had a big impression on the Jews. They then escaped from slavery and returned to Canaan (the land that God promised Abraham), although this took them 40 years. This story is central to the Jewish faith and is celebrated every year in the feast of Pesach or Passover.

Moses was born in Egypt during the time that the Israelites were slaves. He is a key figure in the history of the Jews. The Torah tells us that Moses' mother placed him in the reeds on the banks of the Nile when the Pharaoh ordered that all the Jewish children should be killed. Later on Moses was found by an Egyptian princess who brought him up as her own son. Moses was forced to leave the court when he killed a soldier who was mistreating a Jewish slave.

While Moses while in the desert God spoke to him out of a burning bush. God told him that he was to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses went to the Pharaoh and demanded that he released the Jews. Pharaoh refused so God tormented the Egyptians with ten plagues. The last of these was that the oldest male child of each family should die. It is this plague that gives the festival of Passover its name. God told the Jews that they should smear blood on the doors of their houses. This plague then "passed over" the houses of the Jews. Pharaoh then begged the Jews to leave.

After they had left however Pharaoh changed his mind and sent the army to fetch them back. The Jews reached the shores of the Red sea and were trapped. At this point the Jewish scriptures tell us that God parted the sea so that the Jews could cross. When the Egyptians tried to follow God closed the waters on them and they were drowned.

Later in the wilderness God took Moses up to the top of Mount Sinai and there gave him the rules that were to become the basis of the laws of the Jews. These rules are known as the ten commandments.

Key events in the story of the Exodus.

• Moses is born and grows up in the house of the Pharaoh - Exodus 2
• Moses flees after killing a slave - Exodus 3
• God talks to Moses in the burning bush - Exodus 4
• The plagues on the people of Egypt - Exodus 7 : 14 to Exodus 11 : 11
• The story of the first Passover - Exodus 12 : 43 to Exodus 13 : 16
• Crossing the Red sea - Exodus 14
• The Ten commandments - Exodus 20

Important words

• Torah - The Jewish book of the law, the first five books of the bible
• Exodus - The story of the Jewish escape from Egypt and the 40 years in the desert
• Pesach - The Jewish feast of Passover

More information about Moses can be found : Ayre Forta "Judaism" p 3