'God spoke to Moses and to Aaron. He commanded them to be His emissaries to the Israelites and to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to take the Israelites out of Egypt.'

Exodus 6:13

Hi friend,

This coming Shabbat's Torah portion, read on Saturday, January 25th, is Parashat Vaera. In this week's reading, Va'era, Pharaoh refuses to allow the Israelites to leave Egypt, even after Aaron exhibits miraculous powers, transforming his staff into a serpent. The first seven plagues strike Egypt: Blood, Frogs, Lice, Wild Beasts, Pestilence, Boils, and Fiery Hail.

Please enjoy this teaching of our beloved Root Source teacher, Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz of blessed memory, about last week's Torah portion, Shemot, and share your thoughts with us!

Last week, our popular Root Source teacher Rabbi Gedalia Meyer talked about Shemot. Watch it below.

Participate in our enlightening lesson Genesis 1:3 with Teacher Seth Young. Learn more below.

Take part in the inspiring lesson Introducing Sarah’s names with the knowledgeable Dr. Rivkah Adler. Discover more below.

Check below to hear what Gidon Ariel and Jason Caplan have to share.

Bridging Faiths: Root Source and the Connection Between Jews and Christians. Watch it below. 

We sign off with a nice comment and a beautiful photo of the Jerusalem, Jerusalem District, Israel.

Shalom,

Gidon Ariel and Bob O’Dell 
Root Source Founders

G‑d reaffirmed His covenant with the Patriarchs, promising Moses to deliver the Israelites from Egypt despite their doubt and Pharaoh’s refusal. Pharaoh’s resistance triggered the plagues: the Nile turned to blood, frogs overran the land, and lice swarmed. Wild beasts destroyed Egypt, cattle died, boils afflicted its people, and fiery hail devastated the land. Each time Pharaoh begged for relief, only to harden his heart again, defying G‑d’s power and delaying the Israelites’ freedom..

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Please help us reach this important goal, so we can present Rabbi Dermer of a copy of this book later this year on his 95th birthday!

Parashat Shemot: The Exile and Redemption Mindsets

Genesis 1:3

Join Seth Young in this 20-minute video Lesson 2 of our Hebrew Grammar course as he analyzes and translates Genesis (Bereisheet) 1:3, “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light,” into Hebrew.

Gidon and Jason discussed Jason’s Universal Language Room, a musical project fostering community through four-note sequences, and proposed an Abulafia Conference to honor the 13th-century mystic. They also reflected on global leadership amid the Israel conflict, upcoming elections, and Rabbi Nachman’s teachings, linking them to Jung’s archetypes and encouraging Orthodox engagement in philosophy.

Paul Calvert interviewed Gidon Ariel of Root Source, a platform connecting Jews and Christians through education. Co-founded by Ariel and Bob O’Dell, it offers lessons on Jewish history, the Bible, and culture, helping Christians explore their faith’s Jewish roots. Ariel highlights mutual respect, overcoming prejudices, and fostering spiritual growth.

Comments

Besides comments on our blog posts and videos, Root Source CEO Gidon Ariel loves to chat directly with our students and subscribers! If you'd like to have a chat with him too, just respond to this email!

Meanwhile, Barbara, has a comment on blog post Coincidence? I think not!

"Excellent teaching Gidon, thank you! Am I right though that whilst there is the word m-k-r-m in modern hebrew, there is no word for co-incidence in the Hebrew bible because it is all G-d-incidence?"

Jerusalem District, Israel

Enjoy this photo of the Jerusalem, Jerusalem District, Israel by Duc Tinh Ngo
 

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