This week's portion is THE PORTION. We are right in the middle of Moses' standoff with Pharoah to let the Hebrews go. Pharoah despite being shown several miracles, continues to harden his heart, so God pours forth His great and mighty wonders resulting in the beginning of the 10 plagues of Egypt. Support my work! www.ashsoular.com

This week's portion is super exciting, almost like someone should make a movie out of it 😉 Parashat Shemot begins the second book of the Torah, also called Shemot in Hebrew (meaning "names"), or "Exodus" in English. It gets its name from the opening line of this portion, listing the names of Jacob's family who came to Egypt. But this portion is really about the story of Moses and God's plan to deliver the Israelites from harsh oppression under a new Pharaoh who did not know Joseph. The Israelites multiply greatly, so Pharaoh enslaves them with forced labor and decrees that Hebrew midwives must kill all newborn Hebrew boys. The midwives fear God and refuse, so Pharaoh orders all Hebrew boys thrown into the Nile. Moses' mother hides him for three months, then places him in a basket among the reeds. Pharaoh's daughter finds him, takes pity, and adopts him, naming him Moses because she drew him out of the water. Moses grows up, sees an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, kills the Egyptian, and flees to Midian to escape Pharaoh. In Midian he defends the daughters of the high priest named Jethro at the well, and Jethro welcomes him, giving Moses his daughter Zipporah in marriage. God appears to Moses in a burning bush, reveals His name as "I will be what I will be", and says He has seen the affliction of His people. He commands Moses to go to Pharaoh and say, "Let My people go." Moses doubts why God chose him because he is not a good speaker. God gets angry but provides Aaron to speak for him and gives Moses three signs: the staff turning into a serpent, his hand becoming leprous then healed, and Nile water turning to blood. Moses and Aaron go to Pharaoh and ask to let the people go worship God in the wilderness. Pharaoh refuses, accuses them of being lazy, and increases the Hebrew slaves' burdens: no more straw for bricks, yet the same quota. The Israelites complain to Moses. Moses cries out to God, who replies that now he will see what God will do to Pharaoh to force him to let the people go. Support my work! ➡️www.ashsoular.com

Vayechi means "and he lived" and it continues after the 17 years Jacob lived in Egypt. Before he is about to die, Jacob/Israel blesses his 12 children but with the inclusion of Ephraim and Menasseh as if they were his own. Jacob dies and Joseph has him embalmed. Joseph's brothers fear that now that their father has died, Joseph will seek revenge for what they did to him, but instead they are met with forgiveness, as Joseph explains how God used that painful experience to save many lives including theirs and he promises provision for them and their children. This portion ends with Joseph's death at 110 years old. To support my work: www.ashsoular.com

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Parashat Miketz continues the story of Joseph after he interprets the dreams of the Pharaoh's butler and baker. While he is still in prison, Pharaoh begins to have dreams, but no one is able to give him an interpretation. The butler finally remembers Joseph and tells the Pharaoh about him. Joseph is able to interpret his dreams accurately, predicting that there will be a famine after 7 years of plenty, and explains how Egypt will stock up and prepare for it. Pharaoh elevates him to his second-in-command. Meanwhile, Joseph's father Israel and his brothers are facing the famine in Canaan and hear that Egypt has plenty of grain. His brothers go to buy grain and Joseph recognizes them but they do not recognize him. Joseph figures out all kinds of ways to get all of his brothers to come back and stay in Egypt, by tricking them. Finally, this portion ends with Benjamin being set up by Joseph to look guilty of theft so he has to be left behind with him. The brothers, knowing they promised their father they would not return without Benjamin, beg Joseph for mercy, but Joseph sticks to keeping Benjamin with him. Support my work! www.ashsoular.com

In Parashat Vayeshev, we follow Jacob's family as they live in the land of Canaan. We see Joseph's favoritism from his father and his dreams, which make his brothers so jealous they sell him to become a slave to Egypt. Then comes the scandalous story of Judah, his sons, and Tamar. While in Egypt, God blesses Joseph so even as a slave, everything he touches prospers. Everyone notices, including the captain of the guard's wife, who tries to seduce him. Joseph says no, so she falsely accuses him and gets him thrown in jail. While in prison, Joseph interprets the dreams of two prisoners who worked for Pharaoh. Both dreams come true exactly as he said. The cupbearer gets his job back... but the portion ends on a cliffhanger: the cupbearer forgets to tell the Pharoah about Joseph. ➡️Support my work: www.ashsoular.com

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