Passover, Episode 3: When Pharaoh Still Says No

[sfx: Birds Chirping]
Tali: Welcome to the studio, friends!
Noam: Tali? what in the world is taking up the entire living room?
Tali: It's my brand new automatic shoe-fetcher!
Noam: It looks like a giant pile of blocks, toy trains, and spatulas.
Tali: It's a masterpiece, Noam! First, the toy car rolls down the ramp.
Tali: Then it knocks over the dominoes, which bump the toy train.
Tali: Any second now, the toy train will hit the spatula, which will flip my sneakers right onto my feet!... Who needs to get up?
Noam: Tali, you spent an hour building this machine!
Noam: You could have just walked over and tied your shoes.
Tali: Because why use my legs when science can do the work?
Noam: You can't just wait for the room to do the work for you!
Tali: Shh! Listen! The marble is rolling!
Tali: Kids, we need your help. Yell 'Go marble go!' on three. One, two, three!
Noam: Go marble go!
[sfx: Single Dice Roll]
Tali: It's hitting the final spatula! Here come my shoes!
[sfx: Stuff Crashing On Floor]
Noam: Blegh! Well, the spatula missed your sneakers entirely.
Tali: And it dumped a bucket of plastic balls on your head instead. Oops.
Noam: See? Sitting around waiting for a magical chain reaction doesn't actually get you out the door.
Noam: Sometimes you just have to stand up and put your own shoes on.
Lama: למה?
[sfx: Magical Whoosh]
[sfx: Ask Llama Theme]
Noam: Good question, Lama!
Tali: What did our favorite furry friend ask?
Noam: Lama asked the Big Question! If the miracles are already happening, why do people still need to get ready?
Tali: Ooh, that is a fantastic question.
Noam: Right? Hashem is sending all these huge miracles. Why do the Israelites have to pack their own bags?
Tali: We definitely need to investigate this.
Noam: Ooooh are we going to take the llama chariot?
Tali: We sure are! Buckle your seatbelts!
Tali: Kids, make a buckling sound with me! Click!
Noam: Ready, friends? One—Two—Three… Go!
[sfx: Fast Forward Or Rewind]
[sfx: Strong Wind]
Tali: Whoa, the storeroom is so dusty in here!
Noam: We’re in Pharaoh's palace storeroom!
Tali: We're here because we need to see what happened right after the plague of locusts ended.
Noam: That means we're looking for bugs. Huge, hungry bugs.
Tali: Kids, pretend to swat a bug away from your face! Swat, swat!
Noam: But look around. There are no locusts left anywhere. Hashem blew them all away with a super std.
Tali: Well, tell that to Nefru the Royal Pickler. He's guarding this huge wooden barrel.
Nefri: Back off, podcasters! These are my emergency locust snacks!
Noam: Wait, you saved some of the swarm in a barrel?
Nefri: Of course! Pharaoh said he was sorry, the scary bugs stopped, so now we get a crunchy snack!
Tali: I don't think Pharaoh's apology was real. I think he just panicked because he was scared.
Nefri: Nonsense! His heart totally changed. Now, let's pop this barrel open.
Tali: Quick! Seal the barrel! We need to save at least one locust snack for science!
Tali: Let me try to sit on the lid!
Noam: You're slipping off, Tali! It's too dusty!
Sabba: אֲפִלּוּ מַה שֶּׁהָיוּ בַּקְּדֵירוֹת וּבֶחָבִיּוֹת מְלוּחוֹת פָּרְחוּ.
Noam: Even the saved locusts flew away, and Pharaoh still stayed stubborn.
Tali: Sabba is right! A stubborn heart won't soften just because a scary storm stops.
Nefri: We'll see about that! I'm opening the lid right now!
Tali: Kids, cover your ears! It might be loud!
[sfx: Cork Pop]
Nefri: Hey! Where are my delicious snacks going?
Noam: The west wind is pulling the bugs right out of the barrel! They're flying away!
Tali: See? The miracle was complete. Hashem took every single locust away.
Noam: But because Pharaoh only said he was sorry out of fear, his heart stayed heavy. He didn't really change his behavior.
Tali: Behavior. That means the way you act every day.
Lama: למה?
Noam: Exactly, Lama. Why pretend to change if you don't mean it?
Tali: Real change means taking real action. Let's get out of this dusty storeroom and find someone taking action!
Noam: Next stop, the land of Goshen!
[sfx: Whoosh]
[sfx: Door Creaking]
Noam: Okay, we made it to Goshen, where the Israelite slaves live.
Tali: We are inside a cozy house with an Israelite family so we can see how they're getting ready.
Noam: But look! Everyone is fully dressed in their traveling clothes, even though they haven't left the house yet!
Tali: Let's ask this guy over here. Hi, I'm Tali!
Nachshon: I'm Nachshon! Nachshon ben Aminadav.
Noam: Nachshon, why is everyone wearing their outdoor clothes inside?
Nachshon: Because we're leaving Egypt tonight! We have to be totally ready to march the second we get the signal.
Tali: But you're just sitting in your house. Can't you pack later?
Nachshon: Nope! We have to tie our belts right now. Watch this!
Tali: Kids, pretend to tie a belt around your waist! Pull it tight!
[sfx: Leather Belt Snap]
Tali: Wow, that was a super fast belt-tying trick, Nachshon.
Sabba: מתניכם
Noam: Belts on. Rescue is near, so act ready now.
Tali: Sabba is dropping serious wisdom. We have to show we're ready for the rescue!
Noam: Kids, let's do a practice drill! When I say 'Go', stand up as fast as you can!
Tali: Ready? Set? Go!
[sfx: Fast Forward Or Rewind]
Noam: Wow, you guys are incredibly speedy!
Tali: Now, I packed my own bag. Let's see... I packed my softest pillow!
Nachshon: Wait, Tali! You don't need a soft pillow. You need walking shoes!
Tali: But what if I get sleepy on the long desert march?
Noam: Tali, you can't carry a giant pillow. We have to prioritize readiness.
Tali: Prioritize. That means putting the most important things first.
Nachshon: Exactly! Leave the pillow. Grab your walking staff and your shoes!
Tali: Okay, okay. My shoes are on my feet. I'm not waiting for a spatula to hand them to me this time!
Noam: Great callback to your totally failed machine, Tali.
Lama: למה?
Noam: Lama is reminding us of the Big Question! If the miracles are already happening, why do people still need to get ready?
Tali: Because getting rescued still means you have to take the very first step yourself!
Noam: You can't just wait around for the room to do the work. You have to step into the action!
Tali: We've learned so much today! Let's head back to the studio for the quiz!
[sfx: Magical Whoosh]
[sfx: Cork Pop]
[sfx: Leather Belt Snap]
[sfx: Magical Whoosh]
Tali: Whoa, that was a super fast trip back!
Noam: We're safely back in the podcast studio.
Tali: My feet are tired, because we ran so fast in Goshen!
Noam: That means you're truly ready to march.
Lama: אם הניסים כבר מתרחשים, למה אנשים עדיין צריכים להתכונן?
Noam: Lama is asking the Big Question again! If the miracles are already happening, why do people still need to get ready?
Tali: Because Hashem does the big miracles, but we have to take the first step.
Noam: Let's practice right here! Tali, try to pack a readiness bag.
Tali: Okay! First, I'll pack my giant studio microphone.
Noam: Tali, that microphone is as heavy as a boulder!
[sfx: Stuff Crashing On Floor]
Tali: Ouch. Okay, the microphone is too heavy. I'll take the microphone out.
Noam: Try again. What do you really need?
Tali: I'll pack my super soft nap pillow!
Noam: Wait, didn't Nachshon just teach us about pillows?
Sabba: מוֹתניכם חֲגֻרִים.
Noam: Your belts tied. That means ready to move, not ready to sleep.
Tali: Right! Okay, I'm leaving the pillow. I'm tying my belt, and putting on my walking shoes.
Noam: Now you're ready. We made the right choice.
Sabba: רְשׁוּת.
Noam: Sabba says choice. We have the choice to step up.
Tali: Since we know all about choices, it's time for the quiz!
[sfx: Gameshow Jingle]
Tali: Welcome to the Lama Quiz!
[sfx: Gameshow Crowd Cheer]
Noam: Kids, we have three rapid multiple-choice questions for you.
Tali: That means you have to listen closely and shout out the best answer!
Tali: Round One! To be truly ready, do you: Option A, pack ten soft nap pillows? Option B, put on your walking shoes, or C, bake some bread?
Noam: Kids, which ones are silly?
Lama: למה?
[sfx: Sad Trombone]
Noam: Option A is a trick! Taking a nap doesn't get you out the door. And option C is a trick too! The Israelites baked Matzah, not bread!
Tali: Round Two! To show real change, do you: Option A, hold a jar of locusts and pretend to be sorry? Or Option B, actually change your behavior?
Noam: Yell it out!
[sfx: Sad Trombone]
Noam: Option A is wrong again! Pharaoh only panicked, he didn't really change.
Sabba: לֵב כָּבֵד.
Noam: A heavy, stubborn heart.
Tali: A stubborn heart doesn't show real change.
Tali: Round Three! When getting rescued, do you: Option A, tie your belt and stand up before the door opens? Or Option B, wait for my toy machine to dress you?
Noam: What is the right choice, friends?
[sfx: Correct Answer]
Tali: Option A! You tie your belt and step up!
Noam: Let's do our call-and-response! I'll say the first part, and you shout the rest.
Tali: When the door opens...
Noam: We're ready to step!
Tali: Kids, shout it with us! When the door opens...
Noam: We're ready to step!
Tali: Wow, you kids are so smart and so ready.
Noam: But why is our personal choice so important?
Tali: Sabba has a special teaching about this from Mishnah Avot.
Noam: Sabba, what do the rabbis say about our choices?
Sabba: הַכֹּל צָפוּי, וְהָרְשׁוּת נְתוּנָה.
Noam: Everything is seen by Hashem, so the choice is given to you.
Tali: Wait, the choice is given to me?
Noam: Yes! Because big things can happen around you, but your choice to step up still matters.
Tali: You can't just sit and wait for a toy machine to put your shoes on.
Noam: Exactly. You have to use your choice to take action.
Lama: למה?
Tali: It's time for our three-point recap!
Noam: Let's count off what we learned today.
Tali: Number one! We learned Pharaoh kept a stubborn heart.
Noam: Number two! We tried packing our walking shoes.
Tali: Number three! We noticed readiness takes action.
Noam: Because we finally answered the Big Question. If the miracles are already happening, why do people still need to get ready?
Tali: Getting rescued still means you have to take the very first step yourself!
Noam: Now it's time to echo! Repeat after me.
Tali: I choose to be ready!
Noam: I choose to be ready!
Tali: Let's give a big clap for that!  Great job, everyone!
Noam: Are you ready for your take-home mission?
Sabba: משימה!
Tali: A משימה is a special mission just for you.
Noam: When you know something good is happening tomorrow, take one step to get ready for it today.
Tali: Your mission is to put your shoes by the door tonight!
Noam: Look for a spot right next to the front door, so you're ready to walk out.
Tali: Make sure you ask a grown-up for help, so you put them in a safe spot.
Sabba: וַיֹּסֶף לַחֲטֹא.
Noam: When the hail stops, Pharaoh goes backward to his wrongdoing.
Tali: He went backward? That's not good.
Sabba: אָז למה קָשֶׁה יוֹתֵר לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת הַדָּבָר הַנָּכוֹן כַּאֲשֶׁר הַסְּעָרָה חוֹלֶפֶת?
Noam: Sabba is asking a hard question.
Tali: Why is it harder to do the right thing when the scary storm goes away?
Noam: That means we need your best ideas, kids!
Tali: Send your answers.
[sfx: New Text Message Notification]
Noam: Listen for that chime! That means your message came through!
Tali: But what happens when the Israelites actually step out the door into the night? Send your answers to challenge at talewizard dot ai.
Noam: Next time on Ask Llama:  למה  does one night of escape become a story every family has to tell forever?
Tali: And why is Tali packing a Freedom Emergency Bag full of crackers and cups? We'll find out!
Noam: Thanks for exploring with us today!
Tali: Ask Llama...
[sfx: Ask Llama Theme]
[sfx: Ask Llama Outro New Append]