Exodus 14:29 וּבְנֵ֧י יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל הָלְכ֥וּ בַיַּבָּשָׁ֖ה בְּת֣וֹךְ הַיָּ֑ם וְהַמַּ֤יִם לָהֶם֙ חֹמָ֔ה מִֽימִינָ֖ם וּמִשְּׂמֹאלָֽם׃ The children of Israel walked on dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand, and on their left. Like the first day of Passover, the Torah commands us to mark the seventh day as a…
From the Passover Haggadah מַה נִּשְׁתַּנָּה הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה מִכָּל הַלֵּילוֹת How is this night different from all other nights? As the anchor to all the other holidays in the Jewish calendar, Passover marks the very origin of Jewish peoplehood. At the seder we share the story of the exodus. We reconnect to the near countless generations of Jews who on…
Exodus 40:33 וַיָּ֣קֶם אֶת־הֶחָצֵ֗ר סָבִיב֙ לַמִּשְׁכָּ֣ן וְלַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ וַיִּתֵּ֕ן אֶת־מָסַ֖ךְ שַׁ֣עַר הֶחָצֵ֑ר וַיְכַ֥ל מֹשֶׁ֖ה אֶת־הַמְּלָאכָֽה׃ And he erected the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the screen of the court gate. Moshe finished the work. The construction of the Tabernacle marked a profound transition for the Israelites. Half of the book of Exodus is dedicated to…
Exodus Exodus 36:6 וַיְצַ֣ו מֹשֶׁ֗ה וַיַּעֲבִ֨ירוּ ק֥וֹל בַּֽמַּחֲנֶה֮ לֵאמֹר֒ אִ֣ישׁ וְאִשָּׁ֗ה אַל־יַעֲשׂוּ־ע֛וֹד מְלָאכָ֖ה לִתְרוּמַ֣ת הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ וַיִּכָּלֵ֥א הָעָ֖ם מֵהָבִֽיא׃ Moses thereupon had this proclamation made throughout the camp: “Let no man or woman make further effort toward gifts for the sanctuary!” So the people stopped bringing. When the Israelites built the tabernacle, all the material was acquired through heartfelt donations. After…
Exodus 29:38 וְזֶ֕ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר תַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ כְּבָשִׂ֧ים בְּנֵֽי־שָׁנָ֛ה שְׁנַ֥יִם לַיּ֖וֹם תָּמִֽיד׃ Now this is what you shall offer upon the altar: two lambs within their first year every day, continually. What is the most important verse in the Torah? A midrash records a debate amongst the Rabbis. Ben Zoma said, the shema: “Listen O Israel, the Lord is our God,…
Exodus 25:8 וְעָ֥שׂוּ לִ֖י מִקְדָּ֑שׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּ֖י בְּתוֹכָֽם׃ And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them. The idea that we can build anything that can house the distinct presence of God should give us pause. The whole notion is mystifying. Divine presence concentrated and experienced through a physical structure is almost a paradox. God is beyond…
Exodus 22:22 אִם־עַנֵּ֥ה תְעַנֶּ֖ה אֹת֑וֹ כִּ֣י אִם־צָעֹ֤ק יִצְעַק֙ אֵלַ֔י שָׁמֹ֥עַ אֶשְׁמַ֖ע צַעֲקָתֽוֹ׃ If you at all afflict them, and they cry to me, I will surely hear their cry. This week the hearts of the Jewish community worldwide were broken. The news of Ariel and Kfir Bibas, the ongoing trauma regarding the whereabouts of their mother, Shiri, and the pain…
Exodus 18:18 נָבֹ֣ל תִּבֹּ֔ל גַּם־אַתָּ֕ה גַּם־הָעָ֥ם הַזֶּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר עִמָּ֑ךְ כִּֽי־כָבֵ֤ד מִמְּךָ֙ הַדָּבָ֔ר לֹא־תוּכַ֥ל עֲשֹׂ֖הוּ לְבַדֶּֽךָ׃ You will surely wear yourself out, and these people as well. For the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone. Before the Torah is given at Mount Sinai, Yitro, Moses’ father in law, implored Moses to empower those Israelites who show a…
Exodus 14:22 וַיָּבֹ֧אוּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל בְּת֥וֹךְ הַיָּ֖ם בַּיַּבָּשָׁ֑ה וְהַמַּ֤יִם לָהֶם֙ חוֹמָ֔ה מִֽימִינָ֖ם וּמִשְּׂמֹאלָֽם׃ and the Israelites went into the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left. At the climax of the most awesome of miracles to befall the children of Israel, the splitting of the sea of reeds, our Rabbis…
Exodus 12:2 הַחֹ֧דֶשׁ הַזֶּ֛ה לָכֶ֖ם רֹ֣אשׁ חֳדָשִׁ֑ים רִאשׁ֥וֹן הוּא֙ לָכֶ֔ם לְחדְשֵׁ֖י הַשָּׁנָֽה׃ This month shall mark for you the beginning of the months; it shall be the first of the months of the year for you. What will it take to transform the Israelites from slaves to free people? After hundreds of years of slavery, they have forgotten what it…