Parshas Shemos: The Things I Didn’t Know

“And these are the names of the Children of Israel who are coming down to Mitzrayim with Yaakov, each man and his household came.” (Shemos 1:1)

T

he Tolner Rebbe asks three questions.

First, why does the Torah go on to list Bnei Yaakov, when it already listed them in Sefer Bereishis?

Second, why does the pasuk add the word “names”? If listing the children, obviously it’s with their names. 

Third, why does the Torah write “coming down to Mitzrayim” in present tense instead of past tense? (Rabbi Yissocher Frand)

As a kallah, I was in my element, planning, organizing, and paying attention to detail to ensure our chasunah would be perfect. But with all my lists and reminders, I still neglected one thing. I forgot to appoint a Counter.

According to Ashkenazi minhag, after the kallah joins the chassan under the chuppah, she walks around him seven times, symbolizing the barriers she’s creating around him to ensure their future home will be pure.

At our chasunah, I circled my husband, again and again, and then some more. After what definitely seemed like seven times, I tried to stop but was motioned to continue on. In our video you see my mother gesture with her eyebrows, trying to see if anyone was actually counting the circles. Nope.  So we continued to walk around my husband for several extra circuits.

Lesson to be learned: Forget the importance of a party planner. Mark down the importance of a Circuit Counter.