Shemot

In this parsha

The book of Exodus opens as Jacob's descendants multiply into a great nation, and a new Pharaoh who did not know Joseph enslaves them with crushing labor and decrees that every newborn Hebrew boy be drowned. A Levite child is hidden, set adrift on the Nile, and raised as Moses in Pharaoh's palace. After killing an Egyptian taskmaster he flees to Midian, where God appears to him at the burning bush, reveals the divine Name, and sends him with Aaron to demand Israel's freedom. Pharaoh refuses and only intensifies the oppression.

Themes

• Hidden holiness within exile
• Redemption through the Divine Name
• Faith preceding understanding
• Exile as preparation for redemption
• Israel's inner point of goodness
• Suffering that refines and redeems

Must-read teachings

1. 1Inner Holiness Within Exile“And these are the names… who came to Egypt with Jacob.” The Sefat Emet begins by noting that the Torah emphasizes “names,” hinting at the spiritual quality each tribe brought into exile. It is written: “A good name is better than good oil,…תרל"א
2. 2Inner Renewal Through FaithMy holy grandfather taught on the Midrash: “A new king arose… now the new will consume them, their portions…” The Sefat Emet introduces his grandfather’s teaching that the “newness” of Egypt threatened Israel. For it is hard to understand h…תרל"א
3. 3Divine Name and Redemption“And he said: What is His name, what shall I say, etc.” Moses’s question, the Sefat Emet explains, concerns the essence of redemption: the revelation of God's name, meaning the unveiling of divine kingship. “Surely his main question concern…תרל"א
4. 4Exile as Preparation for Redemption“In the verse ‘And as they afflicted them… so they multiplied.’” The Sefat Emet begins by citing the Torah’s formula that oppression itself triggered increase, a fundamental paradox of exile and redemption. “And Rashi explains: Just as the …תרמ"א
5. 5Hidden Meaning of Exile“In the Midrash: ‘He makes His ways known to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel,’ etc.” The Sefat Emet begins by distinguishing between what God reveals to Moses—the inner divine pathways—and what the people perceive—external events.…תרמ"ח
6. 6Suffering as Divine PreparationIn the Midrash: “He who spares his rod hates his son.” Therefore the wicked have tranquility in this world, while Israel has suffering. And three gifts were given to Israel—Torah, the Land of Israel, and the World to Come—and all of them co…תרנ"ח
7. 7The Purpose of Creation and Redemption“And these are the names—this comes to add to the first, for the Book of Genesis is the creation of the world.” The Sefat Emet explains that Exodus adds a new stage beyond creation, moving from the world’s formation to its purpose. “And the…תרס"א
8. 8Torah as Source of FreedomIn the Midrash: “And Moses was a shepherd… prepared for redemption,” as stated there and in Tanchuma. The Sefat Emet begins by citing the Midrash that describes Moses’ role as a shepherd as spiritual preparation for becoming the redeemer. T…תרנ"ה