A Mother and a Mohel - Practical Parshah - Shemot

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A Mother and a Mohel: Practical Parshah - Shemot

The unusual circumstances of Moses’ son’s brit milah (circumcision) and what it teaches us about how that mitzvah may be performed -- and by whom.

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By Mendel Kaplan

Rabbi Mendel Kaplan is the Spiritual Leader and Executive Director of Chabad Flamingo in Thornhill, Ontario, serving one of Canada’s most dynamic Jewish communities. He also serves as Chaplain of the York Regional Police Service. He is an active member of Toronto’s Vaad HaRabbanim (Council of Orthodox Rabbis), and a voting member of the COR Kashruth Council of Canada’s executive rabbinical board. Rabbi Kaplan is featured regularly on many local television and radio shows. He is a sought after speaker, with hundreds of lectures on Chabad.org. He and his wife, Faygie, are blessed with eight children. Artistically endowed, the rabbi enjoys drawing, sketching and creating charcoal portraits.

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9 Comments

Ryfkah La Mirada CA December 28, 2015

Right on sister! I shall be what I shall be. Never static, ever evolving from spiritual plateau to spiritual plateau, reaching toward embracing my nashama. Reply

Abraham Stubenhaus January 11, 2015

Tzipporah and Batya Twins Midrash Talpiyos and The Zohar There was no answer given to the following question...
Rabbi, I have been searching for an answer, maybe you will know.
The Zohar teaches Batya and Tziporrah were twins.

My question is to discover the age difference between Tziporrah and Mosha Rabenu.

If the two women are twins, how old was Batya when she drew Mosha from the Nile?? If we know this, we can figure out the age of Tziporrah when she and Mosha married.

Wasn't Moshe 20 years old when he married???

Thank you!

MIriam Nechama
Postville, IA

I totally agree with the question and have not read an answere anywhere.
So, what about the age difference between these twin black girls? Ohe was Pharoh's daughter Batya who saved and named Moshe. The other would become his wife/ Age difference?
Avraham Abba Reply

MIriam Nechama Postville, IA January 11, 2012

Tziporrah and Batya Rabbi, I have been searching for an answer, maybe you will know.
The Zohar teaches Batya and Tziporrah were twins.

My question is to discover the age difference between Tziporrah and Mosha Rabenu.

If the two women are twins, how old was Batya when she drew Mosha from the Nile?? If we know this, we can figure out the age of Tziporrah when she and Mosha married.

Wasn't Moshe 20 years old when he married???

Thank you! Reply

Mary Ann Fremont, CA December 25, 2010

A Mother and a Mohel Great Teaching Rabbi. We Like It. Three Women Together With One Gentleman Listen To You Every Week For Eight Months Now. We Are From Fremont California And Learning So Much From You. Thank you very muche. Reply

Rabbi Mendel Kaplan (Author) Thornhill, ON December 23, 2010

Non-Orthodox Jews ~ Response Dear Michal,

Firstly thank you for you kind words, comments & criticism, all sincrely appreciated.

Now as to your critique itself: My choice of words was poor, and I did not mean to judge well-intentioned albeit miguided individuals. In truth the judgement is being passed on liberal ideologies, ideals and ideas that are severly flawed.

We believe that the Torah is G-dly, and therefore perfect, and it is we who need to adjust to the Torah rather than adjust the Torah to fit our attitudes and perspectives.

The "need" or desire to modify the Torah reflects the notion that we can now fix the mistakes and flaws the Torah contains (e.g, chauvanism, sexism etc) "elevating" it to our mores and ethos.

Do you really believe the Sages felt and acted that way?!

If we are created in G-d's image, bowing our heads in submission to G-d, then it is Him we serve. However, if we create G-d in our image and we decide what's moral or not - whom are we serving if not ourselves... Reply

Ruth Fingerhut Cleveland, Ohio December 23, 2010

excellent sources Dear Rabbi,
The sources that you brought were excellent and I really appreciated the lecture. If you ever have a chance to post the sources as an attachment that would be great.
In terms of the response to the Reform "agenda", the less said the better. You modeled the correct response when you corrected yourself about your preference for which Talmud offers a response to the question of who did the circumcision, saying, "this is the one I understand, the other is correct but I don't understand it". I used to study in non orthodox places, and it was the attitude that 'if I don't understand the Torah it must be wrong', that I feel is at the root of modern day misinterpretations and deviations. There is tremendous difficulty in understanding a lot in Torah, including that which is obscured by our modern cultural context. Only the humility to accept that Torah has content beyond our understanding prevents us from abusing it, G-d forbid. Reply

Anonymous December 23, 2010

Wow ! First time i have had a full hour to listen to hear a lecture. I loved it !Since learning Judaism, at first i asked about gender inequality and was given decent answers about division of labur and equal importance. But since then, the stories from Chumash have revealed umpteen stories about women of valour. This one about Zipporah is another one. And i was ahead of the curve regarding women being naturally circumcised vis being born with gfreater intuition for their bond with G-d. Of course the field does get balanced since both men and women have to work at that bond.

Thank You. It was a fabulous 68 minutes ! Thank you. Reply

Michal December 22, 2010

Non orthodox Jews Rabbi Kaplan, I very much like to listen to you.
Nearly at the end of this lecture you mentioned the Reform Jews (liberal Jews), who give women the opportunity to be a mohel And that they want to make the Torah suit our modern times. (Did not the sages do that all the time???)
And then you said you do not know whom they serve, but certainly not G-d. That sounded so "hard" in my ears I knew some very observant and G-d-serving people at a time, I was still a Non Jew, The strictness and being so sure in their judgment of the non -orthodox reminds me very much of the Pope. (He is right and all others are wrong and against G-d) You are so good, you do not need to be judging others. Lets leave it to G-d Himself. As I told in the beginning, everything else you teach us, I like. Reply

Beverley Lancaster, NY December 21, 2010

radio do you have a radio fm or am in buffalo ny so i can listen to it in my car Reply

A Mother and a Mohel: Practical Parshah - Shemot

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