Glossary – Shemot (Exodus) Parsha – Weekly Torah Portion
Moses
Moses is the force within us that pulls us out of this world and into the spiritual one.
Burning Bush
The burning bush is Malchut that rises to Bina and receives the light of Hochma.
Pharaoh
Pharaoh is the entirety of our ego. The word Pharaoh comes from the word Oref (back of the neck), which is the posterior of our will to receive. The will to receive is a substance; it is all the substance of Creation. That substance can aim toward its own benefit, but it can also aim toward the benefit of others, depending on how we use it.
For now we are receiving it, as it is written, “I have created the evil inclination” (Kidushin, 30b), as Pharaoh. We must turn it into the good inclination through the spice of Torah, which is the upper light we draw through the study. This is how we shift from hatred of others to love of others.
