Parashat Shemot

Parashat Shemot Quiz

Test your knowledge of this Torah portion.

The Torah’s Accessibility

The Torah was given early on--available to anyone who seeks it.

The Book of Names

Our names are our essence.

Symbolic Names

The name Gershom, and the word for Hebrew, Ivri, carry a message about what it means to be Jewish.

Becoming A Leader

Before God calls on Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery, Moses develops his leadership skills and his ability to see beyond narrow struggles and his role as liberator.

Seeing The Broader Picture

The differences between the midwives' encounter with Pharaoh and the officers' and taskmasters' encounter teach us to appreciate the context of biblical narratives.

Pharaoh Didn’t Know Joseph

The reference to forgetting Joseph raises questions about how oppression is linked to a group's commitment to the larger society.

The Life Of The Oppressed

The antidote to the terror of living in a dangerous world is to participate in the liberation of others.

The Bumpy Road To Redemption

The complicated beginnings of the Exodus from Egypt establish the expectation that redemption is often not a smooth process.