For the full text in Hebrew and English, click here: Exodus 1:1-6:1.
In this Torah portion, the new Pharaoh does not remember Joseph. Fearing their population growth, Pharaoh makes the Israelites his slaves. Pharaoh then demands that all Israelites baby boys be killed upon birth. Moses’ mother puts her son in a basket in the river, and he is saved by Pharaoh’s daughter. When he is an adult, Moses kills an Egyptian taskmaster who was beating an Israelite slave. Moses flees to Midian and marries Tzipporah. God appears before Moses in a burning bush and tells him to free the Israelites from slavery. An apprehensive Moses returns to Egypt, where he and his brother Aaron demand that Pharaoh free the Israelite slaves. Pharaoh refuses, and God promises to punish him.
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Click here for a summary of Sh’mot. Click here to read the full text of Sh’mot. |
 Moses’ mother put him in a basket in the river |
Text Studies |
Social Action and Environmentalism |
| How 2 Midwives Tricked Pharaoh Hannah Graham, Hillel
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A Burning Within Sam Berrin Shonkoff, AJWS
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| Evolving Name of God Rabbi Jordan Cohen, KOLEL
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Our Burmese Sisters Carol Towarnicky, AJWS
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| Pharaoh Didn’t Know Joseph Rabbi Daniel Moskovitz, Union for Reform Judaism
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Life of the Oppressed Rabbi Joshua Gutoff, socialaction.com
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| Stop Making Excuses Rabbi Michelle Missagieh
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The Book of Names Udi Hammerman, Canfei Nesharim
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From the Denominations |
Pluralism and Outreach
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| These Are the Names Rabbi Bradley Artson, American Jewish University
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Becoming a Leader Rabbi Shimon Felix, Bronfman Youth Fellowship
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| Symbolic Names Rabbi Ismar Schorsch, JTS
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The Torah’s Accessibility Rabbi Kerry Olitzky, Big Tent Judaism
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| Bumpy Road to Redemption Rabbi Avraham Fischer, Orthodox Union
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Political & Religious Power Rabbi Irwin Kula, CLAL
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| Seeing the Broader Picture Yossi Ziffer, UJA-Federation of New York
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Multimedia |
Leadership & Trust Erica Brown, Partnership for Jewish Life & Learning
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| Parshat Shemot Quiz Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies
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Believing the Exodus Story Rabbi Carol Balin, Women of Reform Judaism
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| Parshat Shemot Challah Julie Seltzer
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| Parshat Shemot for Families Torah for Families
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| Women as Heroes Torah for Families
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| When Should Patience Trump Passion? Torah for Families
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Return to the index of weekly Torah portions.
Avraham
Pronounced: AHVR-rah-ham, Origin: Hebrew, Abraham in the Torah, considered the first Jew.
Torah
Pronunced: TORE-uh, Origin: Hebrew, the Five Books of Moses.
