This week we enter the nineteenth weekly Torah portion, Terumah, which in Hebrew means “offering.” At this point in the Exodus story, the Israelites have just witnessed the dramatic crossing of the Red Sea and stood at the base of Mount Sinai to receive the covenant. They have been given the foundational instructions for living…
This week’s Torah portion covers Exodus 18:1–20:23. As you have already noticed by now, each of the 54 weekly Torah readings get their own title. The titles usually derive from the first meaningful word or words in the text. Mostly, the titles translate to unrevealing phrases like “And he called,” “Elevate!” or “Send for yourself.”…
This week’s Torah portion, Bo, covers Exodus 10:1 to 13:16. The narrative intensity hits its peak here. The last three of the ten plagues descend on Egypt: locusts devour the crops, impenetrable darkness shrouds the land, and finally, the firstborns of every Egyptian family are killed during the night. The portion begins with a command…
This week’s Torah portion covers Exodus 6:2-9:35. It is called Va’era, which means “and I appeared,” the first words spoken to Moses in the text. In Va’era, the story of the Exodus begins. Plagues hit the Egyptians in full force. Pharaoh knew the names of many false gods, but the one true God, the God…
This week’s Torah portion is called Shemot, which in Hebrew means “names.” Genesis closed with the descendants of Jacob living in the land of Egypt, waiting out the period of famine that had overtaken the region. What started as a temporary move turned into a centuries-long stay. We do not know the exact time interval…
As we follow the Jewish reading calendar, we arrive at this week’s Torah portion, called Vayigash (Genesis 44:18–47:27) which means “and he drew near.” It is the climax of the Joseph cycle, when he reveals himself to his brothers, who assumed he was long dead. For both Jewish and Christian readers, Vayigash is a revelation…
The Hebrew title of this week’s Torah portion is Miketz, which translates to “at the end,” and it covers Genesis 41:1 to 44:17. After two years, Joseph’s long season of suffering is almost over. This portion chronicles his meteoric rise from prisoner to the Pharaoh’s chief economic advisor, second in command only to the ruler…
Once Jacob and his family settle into the land promised to his father Abraham, the narrative moves to the dynamics between his many children. At first, the story feels consistent with the biblical theme of sibling rivalry. Cain and Abel, Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob and Esau, and now Joseph versus his brothers. Except, Joseph’s life…
Bible Fiber is doing a one-year sprint through the foundational narratives of the first five books of the Bible, the Torah. As we follow the weekly Jewish reading calendar, we arrive at this week’s Torah portion, called Vayishlah, which means “and he sent.” The portion covers Genesis 32:4 through 36:43. At the start of the…
Bible Fiber is on a one-year sprint through the foundational narratives of the first five books of the Bible, the Torah. As we follow the weekly Jewish reading calendar, we arrive at this week’s Torah portion, called Vayetzei which means “and he went out.” This portion covers Genesis 28:10−32:3. It is a pivotal 20-year period…