Torah Parasha Summary of
Sefer Shemot
Sefer Shemot
Sefer Shemot is divided into eleven parashiyot. Shemot covers only 116 years.
Sefer Shemot beings with the account of how the Jewish people went from the status of royal visitors in Egypt to that of slaves, to a liberated people. All of this happens within the first four parashiyot. The rest of Shemot follows the journey of the Jewish people from Egypt to Har Sinai, via the Sinai Peninsula, where the entire people had a revelation of G-d as He spoke two of the Ten Commandments and delivered His Torah.
The theme of Shemot is about the Jewish people who struggled with freedom after over one hundred years in bondage (2332-2448 / 1429-1313 BCE), it is about how they struggled within a very short period of time to grow into their role as a people "unique [to G-d] above all peoples... a kingdom of priests (Kohanim) [to G-d], a holy nation." (Shemot 19:5-6) - the mission statement of the Jewish people. It is about their initial successes and failures at fulfilling this mission; lessons to all subsequent generations concerning the need to constantly monitor and maintain spiritual growth. It is about Jewish leadership, the struggles, setbacks, and rewards inherent in trying to forge the Jewish people into a unified nation. The life of Moshe, "the humblest man on earth," is used as the vehicle to impart this theme until the end of Devarim. The building of Mishkan, the construction of which draws out, both leader and people, their greatest potential to relate to G-d and to each other.
Parashat -
Shemot
- Pharaoh enslaves the Jewish people
- Birth of Moshe
- Moshe is forced to flee
- The burning bush
- Moshe is sent to Pharaoh
- Pharaoh's response
VaEra
- Moshe refuses the mission
- Moshe's genealogy
- Moshe returns to Pharaoh
- The staff becomes a serpent
- The Ten Plagues begin
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