What’s in a name?

This week we finish reading the second book of the Torah, the book of Exodus. Maimonides refers to this book as “The Book of the Redemption”. Where as in the modern world titles are often selected to increase sales, Biblically speaking, the titles that our sages give to these books can provide valuable insight into the book itself.

The Christian’s titled the book Exodus, because the exodus from Egypt is the main event of the book. The Jewish title of “Redemption” seems to be referring to the same event (the redemption is being freed from Egypt), but if the main point of the book is the exodus from Egypt, why doesn’t the book end somewhere around chapter 16, when the Jews leave Egypt, or cross the Sea of Reeds, or get the 10 commandments. Why does it go on for 20 more chapters?

The key is that in Jewish consciousness, leaving Egypt wasn’t the goal; it was a means to an end. The end was the building of the Mishkan (the portable temple), and through the Mishkan bringing G-d presence into the world. The redemption wasn’t complete until we read in the closing lines of the book “And the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the Mishkan.” It’s not until the Mishkan is complete and G-d presence enters the world that the book can come to a close.

So in a few weeks when Jews all over the world gather on Passover to remember the Exodus, let’s think about why we were brought out of Egypt and what freedom really means to the Jewish people (something that’ll talk about as we get closer to Passover).