The second Torah portion reading from the Book of Exodus this week is in some respects THE beginning of the Exodus itself, in that it describes the first set(s) of the ‘Ten Plagues of Egypt.” ‘Vaera’ (Exodus 6:4 through chapter 9), beings, however, with an explanation of His Name, YHVH. “And I appeared,” (‘vaera’) He says, to Abraham, and to Yitzak, and to Yakov, “as El Shaddai, but by My Name YHVH I did not,” at not in the way that He is about to, “make Myself known to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And that is the essence of what He is about to do!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Erev Shabbat reading, as usual, covers the story itself, but also starts to lay out the incredible significance of just what that means:<\/p>\n\n\n\n