Well, I had almost finished this, and then I lost it. So here goes again.

Here are my thoughts and observations. They might be trivial, and you might be able to answer some of them, but it was exciting and interesting for me to look at this reading from this perspective. It was new for me.

1:9 Many cultures have faced the problem of the increase of population of a minority. The Latinos in California, the Arabs in Europe, the Israeli Arabs in Israel. In fact the change in politics in Israel was influenced first by the increase in the population of Sephardic Jews and then by the influx of Soviet Jews. I think there has also been pressure brought on minorities that have flowered economically. As with the Jews in Germany, the Indians in Uganda. There have been various solutions, some of them more drastic, some of them less so. Interestingly enough this theme of the first born has popped up in various tales.

2:1 “He was a goodly child…” so she decided to save him. (Goodly → Godly) What if he had been a bad child? Would she have not tried to save him then? And how could she tell? He was still an infant, pure and guiltless.

2:5 Why did a daughter of Pharaoh’s need to wash in the river? Were there no baths in the palace? I could understand her going down to the river for a dalliance or a swim, but to wash? That seems strange.

2.6 “This must be a Hebrew child” This is the incredible act of bravery, the action that is essential to the plot. What a revolutionary act. Why would she do this? Think of the risk and consequences of being caught.

2:9 “Take this child away” Where to? Back to the servants quarters? Then later to claim he was her own? Someone in the palace would have thought this strange as she had not been pregnant. Or did the pharaoh have so many daughters that he never knew what was going on with any of them?

2:18, 3:1 Reuel, the priest, whose daughter Moses married, then becomes Jethro, the father-in-law? Is this true? Did I miss something. Why the name change?

2:23 Why is it mentioned that Pharoah died? Why is this death significant?

2:24 “Remembered the covenant” implies that G-d forgot it! How could that be?

2:19 Now the really deep one. Why could HaShem not lift the affliction of His? He is omnipotent and can perform miracles and plagues. Does this imply that there is a Divine structure that even G-d cannot change, because to do that would affect the cosmos too drastically? Like changing the speed of light, even for a moment would have cataclasmic effects (think of the atomic bomb, for instance - or absolute zero temperature.)
Why does He need Moses to save His people? Why does He need a human vessel? Or is there another Divine principle at play here?

3:8, 3:17 Why name all the tribes - twice? What is the significance? Same as the return of the modern day Jews to an Israel that was populated by Arab tribes.

3:22 What is the significance of the gathering of the jewels and raiment. Interestingly enough, if you collect your neighbour’s jewels, what is she going to use? Does this imply community - that those that have more will share it with those that have less? A communal effort? If they were so oppressed, how come they had gold jewellery anyways?
Though I must admit that even the poorer segments of the population have a desire and ability (even a need) to adorn their women with gold. In fact I just read that one of the reasons that the price of gold is increasing is due to the increase in wealth of the Indian and Chinese cultures, both of whom love their gold jewellery.