Geulah Narratives and Human Development - The first parshiot of this Sefer establish a dichotomy between two elements of ge’ula. Parsha Shemot presents aspects of ge’ula that involve universal, moral issues and reflect the earthiness of Moshe himself. Here we are given only the pekidah – the nameless, earliest seeds of ge’ula pregnant with potential (which explains why the parsha is focused on women). Parshas Vayera and Bo, in contrast, present the specifics of ge’ula, in which we find the named, defined elements of an unfolding, historical process. Hence, this week’s Ashkenazic haftorah describes Yisrael as a root that will blossom with fruit as the initial pekidah becomes actualized over time. It is Moshe’s task to become the nexus of these two visions – balancing the human concerns of the here and now with the concerns of ultimate meaning that will unfold over generations. This achievement is a function of dibur, in which Yetziat Mitzrayim is not an event that needs to be retold, but the beginning of a paradigm in which the continued narrative is the Yetziat Mitzrayim. Hence, this week’s Sefardic haftorah highlights two definitions of neviut – one as possessing the ability to speak (Moshe’s issue), and the other as possessing the maturity to share God’s vision for Yisrael (Yirmiyahu’s issue). Ge’ula takes us on a journey wherein the embarrassment of pesel Michah is overcome, and we reach the day when “Ya’akov will not be ashamed.”

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