The Purpose of the Exodus

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1. "When you bring the nation out of Egypt, you will serve God upon this mountain"

   Sharón Rimón

   Parashat Yitro describes the main component of the change Bnei Yisrael are meant to undergo while travelling through the desert. Bnei Yisrael arrive at Sinai - the place they had originally set out for in order to worship God, where they will experience God's revelation and become God's nation.

2. The Beit HaMikdash

   Rabbi Alex Israel

   The Mikdash is much larger than the Mishkan and is filled with a disproportionate number of vessels in comparison to the Mishkan. The dating of the commencement of the building of the Mikdash to Yetziat Mitzrayim defines the Mikdash as the pinnacle of the redemption of Egypt. The Cherubs and the windows have a unique role in the Mikdash. The different systems for counting the months of the year are evaluated.

3. Commemorating the Exodus from Egypt

   Rabbi Michael Hattin

   In Jewish history, certainly in Biblical history, the defining moment is the Exodus from Egypt. It is this passage from slavery to liberation that marks the birth of the nation of Israel and heralds their entry onto the stage of world history.  For that reason, the pivotal episode is writ large and often upon the pages of Jewish tradition. By exploring the many ceremonies and rituals commemorating the Exodus, we can learn about its more fundamental goal of describing God's relationship to the world – His power, His knowledge and His involvement, and about the power of mitzvot in general as the pivotal elements in guiding our lives towards moral meaning and spiritual substance.

4. The Exodus from Egypt as a Social Revolution

   Rabbi Meir Lichtenstein

   תאריך פרסום: תש"ע | |

   Why is the Exodus a cornerstone of our identity as Jews? What was so important about the transformation that Am Yisrael underwent during the Exodus and in the desert? By going back to the stories in Sefer Bereishit and examining the nature of society, we can see many examples of what it means to be a self-sufficient civilization, disconnected from God, morals, and ethical principles. The experience of the Exodus is meant to teach us how to revolutionize a society, and how to build a civilization while simultaneously always standing before God. 

5. Parshat Beshalach

   Rabbi Menachem Leibtag

   Bnei Yisrael gloriously depart Egypt, expecting a short journey to the Land of Israel. To their surprise, they encounter instead situations of frightening war, terrible hunger, and life-threatening thirst. Are Bnei Yisrael expected not to complain; to passively accept this fate, to wait patiently for God's salvation? Is God simply 'testing' their patience? In order to answer these questions we explore the purpose of the Exodus from Egypt as a process of building trust in God. During the six week period after the Exodus, Bnei Yisrael encounter several traumatic experiences and changes in daily routine which help transform their instinctive physical dependence on Egypt to their instinctive physical dependence on God.

6. The 'Real' Story of the Exodus - Why the Book is Better than the Movie

   Rabbi Menachem Leibtag |

   There are many questions we can ask about the Exodus story. For example, why didn't Moshe tell Pharaoh the truth about where the nation of Israel wanted to go? What was Pharaoh afraid of? This shiur offers an in-depth reading of the Exodus story, and a different perspective which clarifies the inconsistencies in the story, suggesting that perhaps the problem isn't convincing Pharaoh to let Israel go, rather it is convincing Israel to leave. 

7. Structure and Meaning of Sefer Shemot

   Dr. Yael Ziegler | 36 minutes

   This shiur looks at some of the broader themes in Sefer Shemot, the story of Bnei Yisrael’s development into a nation. Why was the nation created? What was the purpose of the idea of a nation with a special relationship with God? The Book of Shemot can be divided into three broad sections, but how do the stories between the Song at the Sea and Mount Sinai fit into these categories? We return to some of the motifs in the first section of Shemot in order to answer our questions.

   The story of Yitro serves as Shemot’s finale to the universalist goal of the Exodus story—that Egypt will recognize God. The rest of Shemot – the Giving of the Torah and the setting up of the Mishkan – begins to fulfill the other goal of the Exodus story: helping the People of Israel cultivate their own recognition of and relationship with God.

8. Behar: Leaving Egypt

   Rabbi Jay Kelman

9. "The Divine Presence Within Israel is a Need of the People" - "Shechina BeYisrael Tzorech Hediot"

   Rabbi Ezra Bick | 36 minutes

   We will be looking at a short section that is one of Ramban's most important comments in his entire commentary on the Torah. In a break from the usual, we will explore one of his comments that he categorizes as sod - the hidden, underlying meaning of the text. What does it mean that God took Israel out of Egypt so that He would dwell in their midst? Is the Exodus necessary for God to dwell in Israel's midst? Is it a conditional statement? Is dwelling in Israel's midst the purpose of the Exodus? Who benefits, and why is God's presence within Israel so crucial?

   As we consider different responses to these questions, we gain insight into Ramban's approach to both peshat and Kabbalistic sod perspectives on the relationship between God and Israel.

    

    

10. Ramban on Tetzaveh - The Shechinah within Israel

    Rabbi Ezra Bick | 36 minutes

    In this shiur, we examine one of the most important comments in Ramban's commentary to the Torah. What does it mean that God took Israel out of Egypt to dwell in their midst? Was the construction of the Mishkan really the purpose of the Exodus? Why would this be, and what does this mean? Is the Divine Presence dwelling in the midst of the nation for the purpose of God, Israel, or the other nations - or some combination thereof?

11. Pesach Lesson Plan

    Gila Chitiz

    Lesson plan geared towards upper highschool level (11-12th grade) about the goals of the miracles surrounding the Exodus from Egypt. The lesson can be used as an independent study project or as a classroom lesson plan. The attached document contains the student copy; please see the accompanying teacher's guide for answers and additional notes. 

12. Pesach Lesson Plan- Teacher's Guide

    Gila Chitiz

    Attached is the teacher's guide meant to accompany the Exodus lesson plan (please see other article in the series). 

13. The Prophecies of Amos: Oracles Against the Nations (continued)

    Shiur #18

    Rabbi Yitzchak Etshalom

    As we continue to look at the hymn of praise in the oracle against Israel, we wonder: What does this tell us about the purpose of the Exodus? When does the Exodus from Egypt reach its conclusion?