IN A NUTSHELL Shemot tells the story of how a family became a nation called the Jewish people. The descendants of Yaakov were away from their homeland, living instead in Egypt. They grew and grew until they were no longer a family, but a people. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, became scared that they would become so strong and powerful, they might rebel against him and take over Egypt. So he decided to make them his slaves. Then, just to be doubly sure they couldn’t flourish, he ordered all male Israelite babies to be killed.

Yokheved, a Jewish woman, saved her baby son by hiding him in a basket and placing him on the River Nile, hoping someone would find him and look after him. That baby was Moshe. He was found and adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter, and he grew up in Pharaoh’s royal household.

Moshe saved a Jewish slave from a harsh Egyptian taskmaster and then was forced to run away from Egypt to Midyan, where he married Tzipora and became a shepherd.

While looking after his sheep, Moshe discovered the Burning Bush, through which God spoke to him, giving him the mission of returning to Egypt to set the people free. Moshe didn’t feel he was the right man for the job, but he nervously agreed, and travelled back to Egypt to carry out this task with the help of his brother Aharon.

Unfortunately, Pharaoh’s response to Moshe’s request for the people’s freedom was to increase the work expected of his Jewish slaves. The parasha ends with God telling Moshe that He would soon act to save the people from Pharaoh.

QUESTION TO PONDER

How do you think the people must have felt at the moment when Moshe was sent to save them?