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Torah Reading Synopsis

Last week's Torah portion (parashat Bo) described how the children of Israel were finally delivered from Egypt after God delivered the tenth and final plague during the time of Passover. In this week's portion, the Israelites began their journey home, after 430 years of exile.  Instead of leading Israel along a direct route to the Promised Land, however, God directed them south, into the desert, in order to avoid war with the Philistines. The Israelites first traveled from Raamses (near the Nile Delta) to the city of Sukkot, an Egyptian city on the eastern border. After this they went south to Etham, at the "edge of the desert," where the Shekhinah Glory appeared as a Pillar of Cloud by day and as a Pillar of Fire by night to lead them on their way. When Pharaoh heard that the Israelites were camped at Etham, however, he thought they were lost and hemmed in by the desert. The LORD then "hardened Pharaoh's heart" one final time so that he would pursue the Jews and attempt to bring them back to Egypt. God then redirected the Israelites to camp by a pagan sacred place (Baal-Zephon) near the edge of the sea, where the Egyptian army finally caught up with them. Dramatically, the Israelites were caught between "a rock and a hard place" - with the sea on one side, and Pharaoh's army on the other...

The people were terrified and began to blame Moses for their predicament. Moses reassured them of God's deliverance and raised his staff to divide the waters of the sea. All that night the Shekhinah Glory enshrouded the Egyptian army but gave light to Israel as the people crossed through the sea on dry ground. Just before dawn, the dark pillar of cloud that veiled the Egyptian army lifted, and the soldiers immediately rushed after the Israelites into pathway of the sea. God then told Moses to lift his staff again so that the waters would overwhelm the Egyptians with their chariots and horsemen. By the time dawn arrived, the Israelites saw the dead bodies of Pharaoh's army lining the seashore. Moses and Miriam then led the people in the "Song of the Sea" (i.e., shirah hayam) a spontaneous hymn of exaltation and thanksgiving.

The LORD then led the people away from the sea, into the desert of Sin (מִדְבַּר־סִין), a desolate region about midway to Mount Sinai. After traveling three days without finding any water, the people complained and God provided them with fresh water at Marah. Awhile later, the matzah the people had brought with them ran out and God tested their obedience by giving them "bread from heaven" (i.e., manna). The portion ends with the Amalekites' surprise attack of Israel at Rephidim, near Mount Sinai, and the introduction of Joshua (יְהוֹשֻׁעַ) as the leader of the army of Israel.

Shabbat Shirah - שַׁבַּת שִׁירָה

This week's Torah portion includes the famous Shirat Hayam (the "Song the Sea"), a hymn of praise the Jews sang after they crossed the Red Sea and were delivered from Pharaoh's attacking army (Exod. 15:1-9). In Jewish tradition, the Shabbat on which Shirat Hayam is sung is called Shabbat Shirah ("Sabbath of the Song"). (In Christian tradition Shirat Hayam is sometimes called "The Song of Moses," though this is a misnomer since Moses' song is actually recorded in Parashat HaAzinu). The triumphant song begins: "The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation" / עָזִּי וְזִמְרָת יָהּ וַיְהִי־לִי לִישׁוּעָה (Exod. 15:2, cp. Isa. 12:2). For Orthodox Jews, singing Shirat Hayam every day (i.e., during morning services) is thought to fulfill the biblical commandment to "remember the day of your departure from the land of Egypt as long as you live" (Deut. 16:3). Note that Shirat Hayam is also sung on the 7th day of Passover, as a memorial of the deliverance by God through the waters of the Sea of Reeds.

Tu B'Shevat - טו בשבט

The month of Shevat (שְׁבָט) is the eleventh month of the Jewish calendar counting from the month of Nisan (Zech. 1:7). On the Jewish civil calendar, however, Shevat is the fifth month (counting from the month of Tishri).

The Mishnah (Rosh Hashanah 1) proclaims the 15th day of the month of Shevat (i.e., Tu B'Shevat) as the New Year for the Trees. This year occurs on Teusday, Feb. 7th at sundown. Shevat 15 was originally the date selected when tithes (maaser) from fruit trees were due to be given to the priests, though now it is observed throughout Israel as a sort of national "Arbor Day." It is customary to eat various fruits and nuts from the Land of Israel on this date and to recite the Shehecheyanu blessing. Since the Torah alludes that human life is like "the tree of the field," i.e., כִּי הָאָדָם עֵץ הַשָּׂדֶה, Deut. 20:19), some of the sages mark Tu B'Shevat as sort of mystical holiday as well.

For more information about Tu B'Shevat, including basic instructions for performing your own Tu B'Shevat Seder, please see this page.

Blessing before Torah Study:

Some terms:

• Parashah is the weekly Scripture portion taken from the Torah. Each parashah is given a name and is usually referred to as "parashat - name" (e.g., parashat Noach). For more information about weekly readings, click here.
   
• Aliyot refer to a smaller sections of the weekly parashah that are assigned to people of the congregation for public reading during the Torah Reading service. In most congregations it is customary for the person "called up" to recite a blessing for the Torah before and after the assigned section is recited by the cantor. For Shabbat services, there are seven aliyot (and a concluding portion called a maftir). The person who is called to make aliyah is referred to as an oleh (olah, if female).
   
• Maftir refers to the last Torah aliyah of the Torah chanting service (normally a brief repetition of the 7th aliyah, though on holidays the Maftir portion usually focuses on the Holiday as described in the Torah).  The person who recites the Maftir blessing also recites the blessing over the Haftarah portion.
   
• Haftarah refers to an additional portion from the Nevi'im (Prophets) read after the weekly Torah portion. The person who made the maftir blessing also recites the blessing for the Haftarah, and may even read the Haftarah before the congregation.
   
• Brit Chadashah refers to New Testament readings which are added to the traditional Torah Reading cycle. Often blessings over the Brit Chadashah are recited before and after the readings.
   
• Mei Ketuvim refers to a portion read from the Ketuvim, or writings in the Tanakh. Readings from the Ketuvim are usually reserved for Jewish holidays at the synagogue.
   
• Perek Yomi Tehillim refers to the daily portion of psalms (mizmorim) recited so that the entire book of Psalms (Tehillim) is read through in a month. For a schedule, of daily Psalm readings, click here.
   
• Gelilah refers to the tying up and covering the Sefer Torah (Torah Scroll) as an honor in the synagogue.
   
• Divrei Torah ("words of Torah") refers to a commentary, a sermon, or devotional on the Torah portion of the week.

Related Topics:

• Year Through the Torah Book
• Weekly Torah Reading Schedule (entire year)
• Weekly Psalms (Tehillim) Schedule
• Blessing said for (personal) Torah Study
• Archived Portions

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