Torah Reading: Shemot (Exodus) 1:1–6:1 Haftarah: Isaiah 27:6–28:13; 29:22–23 Introduction The book of Shemot opens not with miracles, plagues, or revelation—but with names . This is not accidental. The Torah begins Israel’s redemption by reminding us that before there was a nation, there were individuals known and remembered by God. Redemption in the Torah never begins with power—it begins with identity. From Family to Slavery Israel enters Egypt as a family of seventy sou

Torah Portion: Vayechi (Genesis 47:28–50:26) Parashat Vayechi is the final portion of the book of Genesis, yet it does not feel like an ending. Instead, it feels like a handoff—a quiet transition from promise to process, from family to nation. One of the first things the sages point out is that Vayechi is a “closed portion” ( parashah setumah ). There is no visual break between the end of Vayigash and the beginning of Vayechi. According to Rashi , this teaches that when Ja

Torah Portion: Vayigash (Genesis 44:18–47:27) Last week, in Parashat Miketz, we left off with tension hanging in the air. Joseph—still unrecognized by his brothers—had placed a final test before them. Benjamin, the youngest and most vulnerable, stood accused. The question remained: Had the brothers truly changed? This week’s Torah portion, Vayigash, answers that question in one of the most powerful moments in the entire book of Genesis.