1.   The theme of the month of Shvat is to reach out and teach Torah even to those Jews who speak the 70 languages. We say “Our G‑d” in prayer before “G‑d of our Fathers” to show that our faith in G‑d is important to us; this enhances our kavanah.

2.   The portion of Shemos deals with the period of bondage and suffering. Why call it “Shemos — Names”? A name conceals, but it can reveal. The name relates the essentiality and it can awaken the inner powers of the person’s soul. So, the “names” were hidden in galus and then through the names the liberation came.

3.   The Rambam and the Alter Rebbe endeavored to raise the learning and living standards of the Jewish people and both wrote books on Jewish law and philosophy.

4.   Rashi disregards the simple meaning of the names Shifrah and Puah, opting for the Talmudic tradition that they were Yocheved and Miriam. The Jewish women did not need the regular help of midwives. In special cases the righteous Yocheved and Miriam were on call. “Houses” cannot mean simply families, it must mean dynasties; Kohanim and Levi’im from Yocheved and the royal Davidic dynasty from Miriam.