Tales of the Torah
The Book of Exodus (Shemot)


It took 10 plagues on Egypt to convince Pharaoh
to let the Jewish people go from slavery.


Hey Torah Kid Talmidim, it's time to learn more Torah!

Moses wrote five books. They are the five books of the Torah. What is the name of the second book? Do you know?

Here are the names of all five books in English.

1. Genesis (Bereshit)
2. Exodus (Shemot)
3. Leviticus (Viyikra)
4. Numbers (B'Midbar)
5. Deuteronomy (Debarim)

The second book of the Torah is the book of Exodus. In Hebrew it is called the book of Shemot. Shemot means, "Names." It is one of the very first Hebrew words of the book of Exodus, because the first verse of Exodus says, "These are the Names of the Sons of Israel who went to Egypt with Jacob."

Look up Exodus 1:1-5 in your bible and find the English word Names in the first verse. How many Names are listed? How many descendents of Jacob in all?

The book of Shemot starts with the Israelites living in Egypt. It tells the story of how Pharaoh oppressed the Israelites and made their lives bitter by making them into slaves. The Israelites had to work making bricks and doing hard labor. Still they grew more and more numerous. Pharaoh commanded the Israelites to throw their baby boys into the Nile River. Do your remember what Yocheved, the mother of Moses, did to save her baby?

Why wouldn't Moses tell everyone he was a Hebrew? Click here to find out.

The Book of Shemot is full of famous stories about Torah people. It tells the story of Moses and his sister Miriam and her brother Aaron. It tells the story of the burning bush, the plagues on Egypt and the Passover. It tells the story of the crossing of the Red Sea. Do you remember that story? It is a story from the book of Shemot, the second book of the Torah!

Before he used a staff to part the Red Sea, what did Moses use to practice parting? Click here to find out.

Click here to read an old Jewish legend about crossing the Red Sea.

In the Book of Shemot is the story of the Ten Commandments. God came down on Mount Sinai and gave the Torah to Israel. He made Israel into his special people and gave Moses the two tablets of the Ten Commandments. What did the doctor tell the Rabbi to do for his headache? Click here to find out. In Exodus, we also read the story of the Tabernacle. God wanted to live among his people. He told Moses to have them make a Holy Place, a Tabernacle for him to live in. "Make it just like my Tabernacle in Heaven," God said. But instead, what were the people doing? They made an idol of a calf. Moses smashed the idol. After they had repented and God forgave them, they made the Tabernacle. Inside it was the Ark of the Covenant, the Menorah, the Table of Bread and the Incense Altar. God's spirit came down from Mount Sinai and went to live inside the new Tabernacle.

The book of Shemot is full of stories that are fun to read and study. Best of all, its' a mitzvah to learn the book of Shemot, because Shemot is a book of the Torah! Learning Torah is a mitzvah for Talmidim.

Kehilat Sar Shalom

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