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.