Comments on: On the Weekly Torah Portion of Shemot http://igal.fogbound.net/2013/12/20/on-the-weekly-torah-portion-of-shemot/ Thu, 23 Mar 2017 00:47:56 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.7.6 By: On The Weekly Torah Portion Tetsaveh http://igal.fogbound.net/2013/12/20/on-the-weekly-torah-portion-of-shemot/#comment-264 Tue, 08 Apr 2014 13:45:32 +0000 http://igal.fogbound.net/?p=339#comment-264 […] soul from boundaries in duality to freedom in unity (see commentary on the weekly Torah portion of shemot). Now the text combines this metaphor with another—the one about building a mishkan. Again, it is […]

]]> By: Igal http://igal.fogbound.net/2013/12/20/on-the-weekly-torah-portion-of-shemot/#comment-36 Mon, 30 Dec 2013 23:00:55 +0000 http://igal.fogbound.net/?p=339#comment-36 Thanks, Judy!

]]> By: Judy fox http://igal.fogbound.net/2013/12/20/on-the-weekly-torah-portion-of-shemot/#comment-35 Mon, 30 Dec 2013 17:17:33 +0000 http://igal.fogbound.net/?p=339#comment-35 Very beautiful and touching essay about the exodus and Moses and the story of your family and father. Your father looks like a beautiful man. Thank you. judy

]]> By: Igal http://igal.fogbound.net/2013/12/20/on-the-weekly-torah-portion-of-shemot/#comment-34 Mon, 30 Dec 2013 16:42:59 +0000 http://igal.fogbound.net/?p=339#comment-34 תודה רבה, איריס.

]]> By: iris http://igal.fogbound.net/2013/12/20/on-the-weekly-torah-portion-of-shemot/#comment-30 Thu, 26 Dec 2013 13:13:22 +0000 http://igal.fogbound.net/?p=339#comment-30 סיפור מרגש

]]> By: Igal http://igal.fogbound.net/2013/12/20/on-the-weekly-torah-portion-of-shemot/#comment-28 Sat, 21 Dec 2013 22:34:30 +0000 http://igal.fogbound.net/?p=339#comment-28 Many thanks, Soli!

]]> By: Soli Yisrael Foger. http://igal.fogbound.net/2013/12/20/on-the-weekly-torah-portion-of-shemot/#comment-27 Sat, 21 Dec 2013 22:31:57 +0000 http://igal.fogbound.net/?p=339#comment-27 What a beautiful דבר תורה and how beautifully does it connect you to your father – צבי זצ״ל.
I too believe that the story is meant to heighten our own realization about the G-dly and the magical in our lives and to stop us from ending up in our own desert – without knowing towards where we are going. But I’d like to point out to another element embedded in our transition from Genesis בראשית to שמות – to Exodus שמות.
In all fairness, if we wanted to use the Torah to pave our road as Jews, we could start it from exodus שמות, with the exodus from Egypt יציאת מצרים, and the miracles G-d made for us to form us into a nation.
But in naming the members who came down to Egypt, the Torah connects Israel – the nation, to Israel – the family. It makes all he difference in highlighting the meaning of our nationhood in more than having a common goal, land, Torah and purpose. It highlights the reason why we should be each other’s brother’s keeper כל ישראל ערבים זה לזה, by showing us three things: One; that we are all truly brothers. Second, that there are consequences, meaning just as in the covenant that G-d had made with our Patriarchs and Matriarchs – because of their faith, so will we be strengthened by G-d’s covenant with us as part of his covenant with them, if we are worthy, as being their children. And Thirdly, giving us role models and pointing to us our unique place among the nations.
While G-d was willing to destroy the world, so is G-d wanting to save and rebuild the world through his chosen people, starting with Abraham and Sarah.
All of this would have been missing if the story had started with שמות.
With the stories of Genesis בראשית, the Torah becomes much richer.
It’s just too bad that freedom depends on understanding what is slavery.
Every nation, just like every person, we need to know humility before building our temples.
Shabbat Shalom
May your father’s neshama have the greatest Aliya in the heavens and may your eyes stay as bright as they were when you sat together.

Soli Yisrael Foger

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