Shemot — Exodus
The story of redemption — from slavery in Egypt to the giving of the Torah at Sinai.
Shemot (שְׁמוֹת), meaning "Names," is the second book of the Torah. It begins with the enslavement of the Israelites in Egypt and culminates in the construction of the Tabernacle — God's dwelling place among His people. At its center is the revelation at Mount Sinai, where the Torah was given to Israel and the Noahide Laws were formally codified for all nations.
For Noahides, Shemot is the book where the Seven Laws received their divine legal force. Maimonides teaches that a Noahide who observes the laws because God commanded them through Moses at Sinai — as recorded in this book — is considered among the righteous of the nations.
Weekly Portions of Shemot
- Shemot — The birth of Moses, the burning bush, God's mission to redeem Israel
- Vaera — The first seven plagues upon Egypt
- Bo — The final three plagues, the Exodus from Egypt, the first Passover
- Beshalach — The splitting of the Red Sea, the Song of the Sea, manna in the desert
- Yitro — The giving of the Torah at Sinai, the Ten Commandments
- Mishpatim — Civil and moral laws, the covenant at Sinai
- Terumah — Instructions for building the Tabernacle and its vessels
- Tetzaveh — The priestly garments and the inauguration offerings
- Ki Tisa — The Golden Calf, Moses' intercession, the second tablets
- Vayakhel — The construction of the Tabernacle begins
- Pekudei — Completion of the Tabernacle, the Divine Presence fills it