Five Books

The sixteenth portion of Torah is the grand moment when the biggest story you've heard about the Bible comes to pass. In an effort to bring the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses confronts his own doubts and splits the Sea of Reeds, providing dry land upon which the Hebrews could pass. It is a courtesy he does not extend to the Egyptians who were pursuing them. Moreoever, central biblical images like manna from heaven, water from a rock, and deliverance are all found in this one exciting section. The parashah ends with the very first Israelite victory, as they stand up for their own survivial and, under the leadership of Joshua, achieve an unlikely victory.

The fifteenth portion of Torah is a heady mix of violence, inspiration and opportunity. G-d is not yet done punishing Pharoah for his stubbornness and the systemic subjugation of the Israelites, Moses is getting ever more confident in the role given to him by G-d, and the Israelites are about to discover that a new world of opportunities will come their way. If you had never read Torah and you were told that an elderly man would threaten the king of Egypt for the freedom of his people, you'd have imagine that to would be a very short story indeed, one that ended in ritual execution. But at the end of this week's Parasha, the Jewish people will have begun the journey that continues until today, striving ever forwards to the perfection of G-d's creation and the redemption of the world. This is the Exodus. Speaking of which, the idea of redemption that forms such an important part of contemporary Judaism has its roots in this portion, so be sure to take note of that.

The fourteenth portion of Torah is a story we tend to misunderstand. Usually imagined as a righteous and powerful Moses holding Pharoah to account, there is a secondary message sitting under that blanket of meaning that requires a closer look from all of us. The crippling interventions from G-d, expressed through the persons of Moses and Aaron, are compelling, and they will (though not this week) eventually have their desired effect. But along the way, G-d has brought power to bear on Egypt that affects everyone, regardless of their status or beliefs. It is, in effect, a conflict being fought on behalf of all Israelites, against all Egyptians. We, as Jews, must recognise the power, the importance, and the righteousness that sits at the heart of that battle, but at the same time we must be clear about how that war would affect not just Pharoah, but innocents as well. It's a complex and important story, both for Torah and for us.

The thirteenth portion of Torah contains one of those stories almost everyone hears as a schoolkid, regardless if you're Jewish, not Jewish, or have no religion at all. The idea of a small baby boy, placed in a reed basket, floating down the river, only to be rescued by a princess has all the storytelling elements a great tale needs to capture our imagination. That boy, as you probably know, is Moses, who would grow up to become the man who led his enslaved Israelite people out of Egypt towards the Promised Land. In fact, this Parasha is something of a mix of stories that cover a long stretch of time in very rapid succession. This makes it both easier to read, and a little harder to understand. But if you're going to get just one thing out of Parashat Shemot it should be that when G-d asks you to do something, you can refuse all you like, but it's still going to happen.

The twelfth portion of Torah is our final episode of the book of Genesis. Not only does the story itself conclude, and quite masterfully at thhat, but so do the lives of two of its chief protagonists - Jacob asnd Joseph. It's a fitting end to what has been a complicated and occasionally confusing story in the back end of Genesis, teaching us so much about the way our obligations, opportunities and ownership collide. Oh, and obstibnacy, may as well complete the alliteration. The way the Genesis concludes set us up perfectly for the shirt next week to the book of Exodus, where the consequences of the Hebrew nation's junior status are clear for everyoneto see.

The eleventh portion of Torah reveals to us much of what Torah has in mind when it comes to how we approach the solution to, and resolution of, conflicts. While we may expect that in the case of Genesis G-d might be in the driving seat when the narrative draws itself towards a better place, in fact G-d is cuiously absent, instead these issues are left to humans to solve, notwithstanding their pre-existing connection to the divine. As Joseph, Jacob, Judah and the rest of the family discover, what we need is often within reach, but it relies on us to take action. Joseph reveals himself, Judah crafts a way forward, and the idea of a family bonded together is once again on the cards, ready for the final episode of Genesis next week.

The ninth portion of Torah brings a whirlwind of emotions to its protagonists, not to mention to us, as readers. The long-awaited resolution of the profound family divide that has existed since the story of the pit seems to evaporate as Joseph reveals himself and the men are reconciled. There is, of course, one man who is not yet in Egypt for this reunion, but it will not be long until Jacob, their father and our patriarch, arrives. But, in near perfect contrast, the gruelling famine that Joseph had foreseen continues, unrelentingly. This is almost the end of the Genesis adventures and the story is set up perfectly for a glorious conclusion.

The ninth portion of Torah may leave you shaking your head from time to time, wondering how it is that families can get it so very wrong, choosing betrayal instead of love, cruelty instead of compassion, and lust instead of honour. Joseph will fall into a pit, then into Egypt and then into a cell; Judah teaches us why integrity maters, by failing himself, yet having the grace to acknowldge as much; and let's just say, you wouldn't want to be Pharoah's cupbearer. In fact, the idea of human flaw is something that marks Judaism out as being utterly unique. As the late Rabbi Jonathon Sacks observed, Torah is the only reliigous masthead to ever exist in which its characters are so flawed and so in need of divine guidance. But then again, this is also what make Torah such an extraordinary gift from G-d - meeting us where we are, teaching us what we need to learn, and accepting us for who we are. That central idea runs right through this fasconating Parasha.

The eighth portion of Torah begins a pair of complex confrontations - Jacob reunites with his brother Esau after their acrimonious separation in last week's Parasha, while a more mysterious encounter forces Jacob to wrestle, literally, with his relationship with the divine. Jacob is renamed 'Israel', and a series of births and deaths remind us that this family is evolving. But it is a terrible encounter at Shechem that may change this family and its future for ever. What does it take to be Jewish? And what boundaries must we draw from ourselves? This week's Parasha lets us dive into all of this.

The seventh Parasha of Torah follows Jacob's journey away from his father's home, to Haran, where his grandfather Abraham lived and the city his uncle Laban still calls home. Marrying both of Laban's daughters, Jacob soon begins to build the family that will eventually become the twelve tribes of Israel, although the tensions that build up between Jacob and his uncle are beyond simple repair, and yet another familial bond breaks. This Parasha also contains one of the most culturally significant stories in all of Torah, that has formed part of popular consciousness the world over - Jacob's Ladder. Connecting our world and that of the divine, the ladder on which angels are ascending and descending signifies the unbreakable bond that holds us fast to G-d.