The Exodus You Almost Passed Over

Is there an Exodus story that we almost passed over? Every year we read the story of the Israelites' Exodus from Egypt. It seems like something we already know. But do we? Questions haunt the careful reader. Among them: Doesn't the name Passover seem a bit strange? Why not just call it Freedom Day, or Independence Day? And did the Exodus have to be so complicated? Couldn't an All-Powerful deity have teleported the Israelites out of Egypt and spared everyone the arduous process of the Ten Plagues? Then there's the uncomfortable parts of the Exodus: Why, exactly, did God have to harden Pharaoh's heart? Was that really fair? In this book, Rabbi Fohrman invites us to look at the Exodus story with fresh eyes - to join him, as it were, on a guided adventure, a close reading of the ancient Biblical text. In so doing, Rabbi Fohrman reveals a side of the Exodus story that illuminates not just our past, but our future, and tells not only of our freedom, but of our destiny. This book will uncover secrets that lay hidden in this ancient and sacred saga; it tells the tale of the Exodus you thought you knew.

Rabbi David Fohrman is the Dean and founder of Aleph Beta and scholar for the Hoffberger Foundation for Torah Study. He lectures internationally on Biblical themes. Rabbi Fohrman currently resides in Woodmere, NY with his wife and children, where he also serves as resident scholar at the Young Israel of Woodmere. Rabbi Fohrman is the author of The Beast that Crouches at the Door, finalist for the 2007 National Jewish Book Award, and The Queen You Thought You Knew. He served as a senior writer and editor for ArtScroll s Schottenstein Edition of the Talmud, and taught Biblical Themes at The Johns Hopkins University. Rabbi Fohrman s recorded lectures and animated videos are available at alephbeta.org.