Parashah: Sh’Mot
Torah Portion -Sh’Mot Exodus 1:1-6:1(Names)
Sh’Mot opens with the multiplication of the children of Yisrael in Mitsrayim and the rise of a new Pharaoh who fears their strength. Oppression intensifies through forced labor and infanticide, yet Elohim preserves life through faithful midwives and the deliverance of Moshe. Moshe is raised in Pharaoh’s house, flees after defending an Israelite, and encounters Elohim at the burning bush. Yahuah reveals His Name and commissions Moshe to confront Pharaoh and bring His people out. The portion ends with initial resistance, increased hardship, and Elohim reaffirming His covenant promises.
Haftarah
Isaiah 27:6–28:13; 29:22–23
The Haftarah speaks of Yisrael taking root, blossoming, and filling the earth with fruit, echoing their growth in Mitsrayim. It contrasts discipline with destruction, showing Elohim’s measured correction of His people. The prophet warns against reliance on human strength and false security. The closing verses affirm that Yahuah will redeem the house of Ya‘aqob, and His people will stand in awe of His set-apart Name.
Brit Hadashah (New Testament)
Matthew 2:13–18
The flight of Yeshua to Mitsrayim and Herod’s slaughter of children mirrors Pharaoh’s decree, highlighting a recurring pattern of deliverance amid persecution.
Acts 7:17–36
Stephen recounts the rise of Moshe, the oppression in Mitsrayim, and Elohim’s deliverance through signs and wonders, directly paralleling Sh’Mot.
Romans 9:14–18
Sha’ul reflects on Pharaoh’s hardened heart, emphasizing Elohim’s sovereignty and purpose in displaying His power.
Hebrews 11:23–27
Moshe’s parents and Moshe himself are commended for faith, choosing obedience and reproach over the temporary riches of Mitsrayim.
Psalms for Reflection
- Psalm 18 A declaration of deliverance, portraying Yahuah as a mighty rescuer who draws His servant out of distress.
- Psalm 25 A prayer for guidance, forgiveness, and covenant faithfulness, fitting Moshe’s calling and dependence on Elohim.
- Psalm 46 Affirms Elohim as refuge and strength, present in upheaval and conflict, echoing Yisrael’s trials.
- Psalm 105 This psalm recounts the covenantal faithfulness of Elohim from Abraham through Joseph. It reinforces that Israel’s presence in Egypt was not an accident, but part of a divine plan.
Summary of Parashah Sh’Mot (Exodus 1:1-6:1)
Torah Portion Sh’Mot opens by naming the sons of Yisrael who came into Mitsrayim, affirming continuity between the covenant made with Avraham and the nation now multiplying in exile. Though Yosef and his generation pass away, the children of Yisrael increase greatly, filling the land. This growth provokes fear in a new Pharaoh who does not know Yosef, leading to systematic oppression through forced labor. Mitsrayim seeks to weaken Yisrael through affliction, yet the more they are oppressed, the more they multiply, revealing Elohim’s blessing cannot be restrained by human power.
Pharaoh escalates his cruelty by commanding the Hebrew midwives to kill male infants. The midwives fear Elohim rather than Pharaoh and preserve life, and Elohim rewards them. When Pharaoh orders all newborn Hebrew sons to be cast into the Nile, a Levite woman hides her child and places him in a basket among the reeds. The child is discovered by Pharaoh’s daughter, who shows compassion and raises him as her own. He is named Moshe, “drawn out,” foreshadowing his future role in drawing Yisrael out of Mitsrayim.
As an adult, Moshe witnesses the suffering of his people and kills an Egyptian who is beating a Hebrew. When his act becomes known, Moshe flees to Midyan. There he becomes a shepherd, marries Tzipporah, and lives in obscurity. Meanwhile, the cries of Yisrael rise up to Elohim, who remembers His covenant with Avraham, Yitzḥaq, and Ya‘aqob.
Elohim appears to Moshe in a burning bush that is not consumed, revealing His holiness and calling Moshe to lead His people out of Mitsrayim. Elohim reveals His Name, Yahuah, and declares that He has seen the affliction of His people and has come down to deliver them. Though Moshe resists the call due to fear and self-doubt, Elohim assures him of divine authority and power, including signs to authenticate the mission.
Moshe returns to Mitsrayim with Aharon and declares Elohim’s command to Pharaoh. Pharaoh responds by increasing the labor of Yisrael, causing the people to despair and question Moshe. The portion ends with Moshe crying out to Yahuah, and Elohim reaffirming that redemption will come by His mighty hand.
Sh’Mot establishes the foundational pattern of redemption: oppression, divine compassion, covenant remembrance, and deliverance through Elohim’s chosen servant.