Portal:Judaism/Weekly Torah portion/Beshalach

Beshalach (בשלח) Exodus 13:17–17:16 The Weekly Torah portion in synagogues on Shabbat, Saturday, — “Who is like You, O Lord, among the mighty? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?” (Exodus 15:11.)

When Pharaoh let the Israelites go, God led the people roundabout by way of the Sea of Reeds. Moses took the bones of Joseph with them. God went before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night.

When Pharaoh learned that the people had fled, he had a change of heart, and he chased the Israelites with chariots, overtaking them by the sea. Greatly frightened, the Israelites cried out to God and complained to Moses. God told Moses to lift up his rod, hold out his arm, and split the sea. Moses did so, and God drove back the sea with a strong east wind, and the Israelites marched through on dry ground, the waters forming walls on their right and left. The Egyptians pursued, but God slowed them by locking their chariot wheels. On God’s instruction, Moses held out his arm, and the waters covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the Egyptians. Moses and the Israelites – and then Miriam – sang a song to God, celebrating how God hurled horse and driver into the sea.

The Israelites went three days into the wilderness and found no water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink the bitter water, so they grumbled against Moses. God showed Moses a piece of wood to throw into the water, and the water became sweet.



The Israelites came to the wilderness of Sin and grumbled in hunger against Moses and Aaron. God heard their grumbling, and in the evening quail covered the camp, and in the morning fine flaky manna covered the ground like frost. The Israelites gathered as much of it as they required; those who gathered much had no excess, and those who gathered little had no deficiency. Moses instructed none to leave any of it over until morning, but some did, and it became infested with maggots and stank. On the sixth day they gathered double the food, Moses instructed them to put aside the excess until morning, and it did not turn foul the next day, the Sabbath. Moses told them that on the Sabbath, they would not find any manna on the plain, yet some went out to gather and found nothing. Moses ordered that a jar of the manna be kept throughout the ages. The Israelites ate manna 40 years.

When the Israelites encamped at Rephidim, there was no water and the people quarreled with Moses. God told Moses to strike the rock at Horeb to produce water, and they called the place Massah (trial) and Meribah (quarrel).

Amalek attacked Israel at Rephidim. Moses stationed himself on the top of the hill, with the rod of God in his hand, and whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed; but whenever he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. When Moses grew weary, he sat on a stone, while Aaron and Hur supported his hands, and Joshua overwhelmed Amalek in battle. God instructed Moses to inscribe a document as a reminder that God would utterly blot out the memory of Amalek. Hebrew–English text

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Commentary from the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at the American Jewish University (Conservative)

Commentary from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America (Conservative)

Commentary by the Union for Reform Judaism (Reform)

Commentaries from Project Genesis (Orthodox)

Commentaries from Chabad.org (Orthodox)

Commentaries from Aish HaTorah (Orthodox)

Commentaries from the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation (Reconstructionist)

Commentaries from My Jewish Learning (trans-denominational)