EXODUS IN A NUTSHELL

At the end of the biblical book of Genesis, Joseph and his eleven brothers go to Egypt to live. They have many children and their children have many children. Eventually, there are so many of them that them that Pharaoh, the kind of Egypt, begins to fear that they—the Hebrews will rise up against him. To prevent this, Pharaoh enslaves the Hebrews. According to tradition, these slaves are the ancestors of the Jewish people.  Pharaoh is cruel. He takes away the Hebrews’ freedom and makes them work very hard.

THE LIFE OF A SLAVE--song

(Sung to the tune of “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad”)

I’ve been working on a pyramid

Pharaoh doesn’t pay

I’ve been doing what he tells me to

Making bricks from clay

Can’t you hear the master shouting,

“Hurry up and make a brick!”

Can’t you feel the master whip me

Until I’m feeling sick

Life is very hard

Life is very hard

Life is very hard

for Jews, for  Jews.

Life is very hard

Life is very hard

Life is very hard for the Jews!

Someone’s in the palace with Pharaoh

Someone’s in the palace we know-o-o-o-

Someone’s in the palace with Pharaoh

Laughing while they treat us so.

Work, work, work all day

Work all day and then some mo –ore

Work, work, work all day

They laugh while they treat us so.

 

Despite having enslaved the Hebrews, Pharaoh continues to fear them. So he comes up with another plan: he will send soldiers to kill all the Hebrew baby boys. One of these babies is named Moses. To save his life, his mother and sister place him in a basket and set it in the river. They hope he will be found by someone who will take care of him as a son. The basket floats down the river and is discovered by Pharaoh’s daughter. She saves Moses and, not knowing he is a Hebrew, raises him as a prince of Egypt.

Moses grows up he sees an Egyptian guard beating a Hebrew slave. Angered by the brutality, he kills the guard. Moses then flees for his life. He runs away to the desert where he becomes a shepherd. Then one day, while he is tending his sheep, he sees a burning bush. God’s voice calls out to him from the bush, commanding him to return to Egypt and free the Hebrews from slavery.

GO DOWN, MOSES—song

When Israel was in Egypt's Land,

Let my people go.

Oppressed so hard they could not stand,

"Let my people go."

To let my people go.

 

CHORUS

 

Go down, Moses

Way down in Egypt land

Tell old Pharaoh

Let my people go.

 

“Thus saith the Lord," bold Moses said,

"Let my people go:

If not I'll smite your first born dead,

Let my people go."

 

CHORUS

"No more shall they in bondage toil,

Let my people go;

Let them leave with Egypt's spoil,

Let my people go."

 

CHORUS

 

The Lord told Moses what to do,

Let my people go;

To lead the children of Israel through,

Let my people go.

CHORUS


haggadah Section: -- Exodus Story
Source: Various