The Passover: A Torah Study for Kids

Right in the middle of Pharaoh's terrible command, a mother from the tribe of Levi had a baby boy. His name would become Moses — and in Hebrew, we say Moshe.

His mother, Jochebed (Yocheved), loved him so much. She could see he was special. She hid him for three whole months! But a baby gets louder as he grows, and she couldn't hide him forever.

So Yocheved did something very brave and very clever. She wove a basket out of reeds, covered it with tar so it wouldn't leak, and placed baby Moshe inside it. Then she set the basket in the reeds at the edge of the river.

Moshe's big sister Miriam (Miryam) hid nearby and watched.

And then — guess who came to the river to take a bath? Pharaoh's own daughter! She found the basket, opened it, and saw the baby crying. Her heart melted. "This is one of the Hebrew children," she said. But instead of following her father's cruel order, she decided to keep him.

Miryam was so smart — she ran up and said, "Should I find a Hebrew woman to take care of the baby for you?" Pharaoh's daughter said yes. And Miryam brought... their own mother! So Yocheved got to raise her own son, and when he was older, he went to live in the palace as Pharaoh's grandson.

Yah hid the one who would save His people — right inside the enemy's house!

Forty Years Later...

Moshe grew up and saw how badly his people were suffering. One day he tried to help, but things went wrong, and he had to run away to a faraway land called Midian. There, he became a shepherd. For forty years, Moshe took care of sheep in the quiet desert.

Then one day, Moshe saw something he had never seen before.

A bush was on fire — but it wasn't burning up! The flames danced and blazed, but the bush stayed green. Moshe walked closer to look.

And then Yah spoke from inside the bush: "Moshe! Moshe!"

"Here I am," Moshe answered.

Yah said: "I have seen how My people are suffering in Egypt. I have heard them crying. I know their pain. And I am sending YOU to go to Pharaoh and bring My people out."

Moshe was afraid. "Who am I to do this?" he asked. "I'm not a good speaker. I'm just a shepherd. Send someone else!"

But Yah said: "I will be with you. I will teach you what to say. And I am sending your brother Aharon to help you."

Then Moshe asked the most important question: "What is Your name? When the people ask who sent me, what do I tell them?"

And Yah answered: "I AM WHO I AM. Tell them: Yah, the Alahim of your fathers, has sent me to you. This is My name forever."

Yah gave Moshe His real name. Not a nickname. Not a title. His actual, forever name: Yah.

If Yah asked you to do something really big and scary, what would you say? What did Yah promise Moshe?