Category Archives: Weekly Torah Parashat

Parashat “BO”

The fifteenth reading from the Torah is named Bo (בוא), which means “Come.” The title comes from the first words of the first verse of the reading, which says, “Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘[Come] to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart” (Exodus 10:1). The portion begins by concluding the narrative of the ten plagues, the tenth of which is the slaying of the firstborn. To avoid the plague, the Israelites are given the instructions for the Passover sacrifice and the laws of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Pharaoh finally consents to let Israel go, and they leave Egypt.

Va’era

Oh Boy! Sure feels like exile to me. Exile from what? Is freedom the opposite of exile? This week the first seven Plagues descend on Egypt and Pharaoh. What do these plagues mean? There is a lot in this weekly parashat to consider.

The second reading from the book of Exodus and fourteenth reading from the Torah is named Va’era (וארא), which means “And I appeared.” The title comes from the first words of the second verse of the reading, which says, “And I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty” (Exodus 6:3). The portion begins with four expressions of redemption whereby God promises to bring Israel out of the Egyptian bondage. The narrative progresses to tell the story of the first seven of the ten plagues that God unleashed on Egypt.

Shemot

Shemot (שמות) is both the title for the second book from the scroll of the Torah and the title of the first Torah portion. Shemot means “names.” The English-speaking world calls this book Exodus. The Hebrew title for the book comes from the opening phrase of the book: “Now these are the names (shemot) of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob” (Exodus 1:1).

Exodus means “departure.” The book of Exodus tells the story of the children of Israel enslaved in Egypt and their miraculous redemption through the hand of Moses, the story of the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, the construction of the golden calf and the construction of the Tabernacle.

We find the children of Israel in slavery. It seems at first that the God of their forefathers has forgotten them. But God has not forgotten His promises.

Today, our group has its first Sangha session. Have you ever had an experience of having a heavy tongue? Were you afraid to speak up? Were you uncertain, ashamed, fearful?

A preview Of Exodus

This Saturday night at sunset we move from the first book of the Torah and enter the second book. We leave Genesis and we enter Exodus. The Hebrew word for the second book is Shemot which means Names. The Jewish tribe is now in slavery in Egypt. For 200 years and then Moses comes on the scene and leads them out of Egypt. The first three weeks of January we will be reading about the 10 Plagues. I came across this fascinating presentation and wanted to share with those of you following along. Listen until the end. Listen with an open mind and with “The Bigger Picture” in mind. Can you see how it is still playing out today?

Vayechi

The last reading from the book of Genesis is named Vayechi (ויחי), which means “and he lived.” The title comes from the first verse of the reading, which says, “Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years” (Genesis 47:28). In this Torah portion, Jacob prepares for his death by securing a double portion of inheritance for Joseph and then blessing each of his sons with prophetic blessings. The book of Genesis ends with the death of Jacob, followed shortly by the death of Joseph and a promise of redemption from Egypt.

Phase Zero ends Saturday at sunset and we enter the second book of The Torah.

What happens with a seed before it bursts forth? It swells. The seed is planted and moisture (water) surrounds it and permeates it and it begins to swell until the primary root emerges.

The last 9 months we have been coming together several times per week to practice yoga, meditation and other spiritual/metaphysical “maps” of the territory. Hopefully, you have experienced increased awareness through your participation. Complementing the awareness we strive to inject more equanimity. The “middle path” is attained when awareness and equanimity are in balance. Progression and growth occur when awareness and equanimity increase simultaneously.

Joseph represents the foundation in the Tree of Life; Yesod. We are ready to burst forth. The first three weeks may be a bit rocky but after the 21st of January we will be strongly in growth mode.

I look forward to The New Year and to transitioning from Phase Zero to Phase 1.