Parsha Va’era Discussion Questions

As we read from the Book of Shmot, every week we will be posting discussion questions that we hope families will use to discuss the Torah portion over Shabbat.

This week’s discussion questions were developed by this past summer’s Machon campers, when they were in Shoafim.   We encourage you to post any of your family’s answers to the questions in the comments section below.

 

Parsha Va’era Discussion Questions

Developed by Elkanah Liner, Eathan Mikler, Aiden Laufer, and Eilon Applbaum

  • Why would God harden Pharaoh’s heart if it would make Pharaoh meaner and not the Israelites out of Egypt?  Why wouldn’t God want the Israelites to leave as quickly as possible?
  • God made Moses’ and Aarons sticks turn into snakes, and then the sticks of the Egyptian magicians also turned into snakes  Why do you think God had them do a trick that the Egyptians could also do?
  • Why do you think the magicians could only replicate the first two plagues (blood and frogs), but not any of the others after that?
  • Why did Moses keep asking God to let the plagues stop if God kept hardening Pharaoh’s heart and not letting the Israelites leave?
  • The fourth plague, Arov, is the first time God makes a distinction between the Israelites and the Egyptians.  Do you think this means that B’nei Yisrael were affected by blood, frogs, and lice just like the Egyptians?