B’Shallach (After He Had Let Go) Ex 13-17
Torah Portion: B’Shallach (After he had let go) Exodus 13-17
HafTorah: Judges 4:4-5:31
Why does Torah say, “When Pharaoh sent out the people?” Would it not be more accurate to say, “When G-d took Israel out of Egypt?” After all it was not Pharaoh’s idea to send them out. In Exodus 14:8 we see where they went out with an upraised arm. So did they go out as free men or as fleeing slaves? Which is correct? Actually there were two exoduses, a physical one and a spiritual one. And that is what I want us to look at over the next minutes. Physically the people did leave as free men but spiritually it was a different matter. When people have been intertwined for over 400 years much more is involved in separation than just the physical leaving. It is somewhat like the breakup of a marriage. It is complicated and always carries a good bit of internal trauma.
Bo (Come) Exodus 10-13
Torah Portion: Bo (Come) Exodus 10:1-13:16
HafTorah: Jeremiah 46:13-28
Tonight we look at the Torah section Bo, meaning come. It covers the last three plagues brought on Egypt and the setting up of the holiday of Pesach. To begin with I would like to share with you something I read this week that I feel is very important to each of us. What determines the greatness of a people, family or nation? I would like us to consider this hypothetical situation. Suppose you are the head of a group of people, like your family or your nation. You call them together as they are about to go free after a long time as slaves. What do you say? What do you speak to them about, freedom, or the vision before them or do you warn them of the dangers ahead?
Va’era (I appeared) Exodus 6-6:35
Torah Portion: Va’era (I appeared) Exodus 6:2-9:35
HafTorah: Ezekiel 28:25-29:21
This week we see Moses and Aaron go before Pharaoh to demand he let the people go. As the verses progress we read of the increasing severity of the plagues yet Pharaoh does not relent.
If you remember last week in Exodus 5:2 we read where Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh the first time and Pharaoh says, “Who is the L-rd? I do not know the L-rd.” In this verse Pharaoh uses the Holy name of G-d, so apparently he had never heard of this name and so there was no reason to obey the command of the G-d who he had no knowledge.
Vayechi (And He Lived) Genesis 47-50
Torah Portion: Vayechi (And He Lived) Genesis 47-50
HafTorah: I Kings 2:1-12
Tonight we finish the first book of Torah, Genesis. Fitting that it is named, “And He Lived.” As we look forward to next week we read Exodus where we see after hundreds of years of captivity the people of Israel still live.
Before we get to the Torah section for tonight I have a couple of other things to cover. First one is the Fast of the Tenth of Tevet which began last night and ends with the ending of Shabbat tonight. (The only fast that supersedes the Sabbath is Yom Kippur) It is to remember the day when the Babylonians laid siege to Jerusalem. This would end with much of Jerusalem being carried away into captivity and the destruction of the Temple of Solomon. Most see this siege of Jerusalem as a sign for the Jewish people to repent for having drifted away from G-d. If they had repented G-d might have saved them. But they did not repent therefore they were faced with this siege. I bring this up to remind us that we are under siege every time we go out into the world, a siege that can lull us into becoming complacent and forgetting who and what we are. This brings me to the point. It is our responsibility to teach what we know. We must pass on the truth that G-d has given us to our children, family, and to other people when the opportunity arises. Ignorance leads to wasted lives. It is evident all around us both within the circle of faith and outside. G-d calls on each of us to be diligent in teaching truth that G-d has shown us. The clock is ticking. I pray each of us take every opportunity to pass on what we know and help those who do not know.
Vayigash (He Approached) Gen 44-47
Torah Portion: Vayigash (He Approached) Genesis 44-47
HafTorah: Ezekiel 37:15-28
This week we read of a meeting between Joseph and his brothers as they were reunited. This was a meeting that had great spiritual implications for Israel and for us as well. In it we have for the first time in scripture true repentance. How are we to judge true repentance? We have all heard of others repenting or maybe even been in the place of repenting for our sins. How are we to tell if the penitent is sincere?
Mikketz (At the End) Gen 41-44
Torah Portion: Mikketz (At The End) Genesis 41:-44:17
HafTorah: I Kings 3:15-4:1
This week we read about Joseph from his release from prison until his reunion with his brothers after many years apart. They do not recognize him. Why? What they saw was an Egyptian ruler second only to Pharaoh. What had changed with Joseph? What had not?
Vayeishev (He settled) Gen 37-40
Torah Portion: Vayeishev ( He settled) Genesis 37:1-40:23
HafTorah: Amos 2:6-3:8
Tonight we cover a large part of Joseph’s life from his seventh year until he is in an Egypt prison sentenced for something he did not do. We follow him from a somewhat difficult teenager to when he has had more than his share of difficulties in his life.
I want us to look at his story from the aspect of Kidush Hashem (sanctify the Name) and see what we can see that might help us in our daily walk with the L-rd. How do we translate Kidush HaShem? Sanctifying G-d’s name is kidush HaShem. What does that mean? Kidush is from the same root as Kadosh or holy. Holy means to set apart, as for us to be set apart. How can we set apart G-d’s name? Let’s see how Joseph did or did not do this in his life.
Vayishlach (And He Sent) Gen 32-36
Torah Portion: Vayishlach (And He sent) Genesis 32:4-36:43
HafTorah: Obadiah 1:1-21
This week we read of Jacob’s return from a 20+ year exile living with his uncle Laban. While there, G-d blessed him with family,(four wives and 12 children) and material wealth. In Genesis 32:9-12 we read Jacob’s prayer as he approaches his reunion with his brother Esau. Look especially at verse 10. In this verse we read, “I am not worthy” of all you have done for me. Interesting word used in Hebrew for, “I am not worthy.” In Hebrew it is the word “Kantoni” which means, “I am small.” It actually appears in verse 11 in the Hebrew text. This gives us a window into where Jacob is spiritually during this prayer. It could have been that looking at all he had he might have felt proud of what he had accomplished. However, this word gives us the impression that he had full awareness of who was responsible for his flocks, wives and children. It seems Jacob is saying, “I have decreased as You have increased in my life. As I have been embraced by Your love it has brought me closer to You and as You have become closer to me I have gotten smaller. I know you are the One, not me.” He had grown more humble.
Vayetze (He went out) Gen 28-32
Torah Portion: Vayetze (He went Out) Genesis 28:10-32:3
HafTorah: Hosea 11:7-13:5
This week we look at more than 20 years of Jacob’s life. We see him from the time he leaves home until he journeys back. He leaves with just his clothes on his back and returns with wives, children and many flocks. He leaves and actually becomes the first Jew to live in the galut. I think we can learn a lot by looking at his life and what it shows us spiritually. Let us begin with the first verse of our portion, Genesis 28:10. Here we see Jacob leaving the Land, that place on which the eyes of G-d are continually on and going toward Haran, a place of wickedness. Sometimes we are called to leave our comfortable, spiritual surroundings to go into a world that does not know G-d. How do we deal with it? How do we keep ourselves grounded in truth? Jacob made sure he left from a safe place, called “The Place” in Hebrew. This means more than just any place. His last night was spent, as he later states, in the house of G-d. There G-d speaks to him and promises him to be his protector and to bring him home. He does the same for each of us. I believe He is with us each step of our journey as we walk in His promise. When we leave our house each day G-d goes with us. Like Jacob we should begin our day having spent time with Him. We should prepare ourselves spiritually by being with Him each day. Our challenges each day should be met with our connection with Him, our knowing of His way and how we are to conduct ourselves in the world.
Toldot (Generations) Gen 25-28
Torah Portion: Toldot (Generations) Genesis 25:19-28:9
HafTorah: Malachi 1:1-2:7
This week we read of the struggle between two boys, twins, born to G-dly parents, raised in the same home and yet turning out completely different. One could say they started out parve but became milk and meat as we read about them. One was a dweller in tents and the other a man of the field. How did this strife come about in such a G-dly atmosphere? Abraham was still alive during their early years, probably helping with their development. How did it happen?