Jewish Texts

The Torah mentions the ages of Moses and Aaron to teach us that age is a source of pride and that by honoring the elderly we bring richness to our own lives.

The differences between the midwives' encounter with Pharaoh and the officers' and taskmasters' encounter teach us to appreciate the context of biblical narratives.

The reference to forgetting Joseph raises questions about how oppression is linked to a group's commitment to the larger society.

The antidote to the terror of living in a dangerous world is to participate in the liberation of others.

The complicated beginnings of the Exodus from Egypt establish the expectation that redemption is often not a smooth process.

The divine name that God tells Moses at the burning bush expresses the different and evolving relationship that God has with every individual.

By listing the names of Jacob's family members who went into Egypt the Torah reminds us of the number of people who affect our lives.

Jacob's death provokes the latent fear in Joseph's brothers that Joseph bears a grudge against them and the desire to make peace with him.

Joseph serves as a model of creating opportunities for repentance and forgiveness.