* You are viewing the archive for the ‘Weekly Torah Reading’ Category
(Ex. 13:17-17:16) – Dr. Yitzhaq Hayut-Man. In the preceding Parashot in the Book of Exodus we have focused on items that came to be associated with the sanctuary (Mishkan). The staff of Moshe and Aaron were kept in the sanctuary and the gold of Egypt was dedicated for the sanctuary.
PARSHAT BESHALACH (by Yehuda HaKohen) “Pharaoh approached; the Children of Israel raised their eyes and behold! – Egypt was journeying after them, and they were very frightened; the Children of Israel cried out to HaShem. They said to Moshe, `Were there no graves in Egypt that you took us to die in the Wilderness? What is this that you have done to us to take us out of Egypt?
By David Hazony. The stories in this week’s reading may seem disjointed, but in fact they form a single unit. A modern editor, looking for a groovy chapter title, might have called the collection, “Ancient Israel’s Bipolar Moment.” Or, even more flippantly, “Hands Up!”
by Ariel Ben Avraham. One of the fundamental principles that the Torah teaches, and the book of Exodus in particular, is the fact that all emanates from Creator and is sustained by Him. Understanding this in a deeper level means that we are His invention and not all the way around.
Dr. Yitzhaq Hayut-Man. The name of the third Parashah in the Book of Exodus (Shemot, meaning “Names of…”) is Bo (בא) - meaning “Come” in the imperative. We have already encountered in the Book of Genesis three Parashot whose name means a movement – Lekh-Lekhah (לך-לך; “Go {to} yourself”), vaYetse (ויצא; “he (would) exit”) and vaYigash (ויגש; “he (would) approach”).
by Ariel Ben Avraham The last three plagues prior to the Exodus from Egypt came with a deeper awareness of the Creator as the One and only cause and effect of His Creation. Each plague corresponds to a particular level of consciousness that we must awaken in order to have a complete awareness of Him in our life and in the material world.