Exodus · Weekly Torah portion
Parashat Vaeraוָאֵרָא
Torah reading
Exodus 6:2-9:35
Haftarah
Ezekiel 28:25-29:21
What happens in Vaera
God reaffirms the covenant with four promises of redemption — the same four we mark with four cups at the Passover seder. Moses and Aaron confront Pharaoh, and the plagues begin: blood, frogs, lice, wild beasts, cattle disease, boils, and hail. Pharaoh's magicians match the first tricks but soon concede, 'This is the finger of God.' Again and again Pharaoh's heart hardens, and each refusal deepens the confrontation between the Egyptian empire and the God of enslaved people.
Big themes
- The habit of stubbornness
- Power confronted by justice
- Promises of redemption
If this is your bar or bat mitzvah portion
Pharaoh keeps hardening his own heart until the Torah says God hardens it for him — a haunting picture of how habits form. Each time we refuse to change, the next refusal comes easier. What starts as a choice can end as a character.
Learning to chant Vaera?
Ready 13 builds a verse-by-verse practice plan for this exact portion — chanted reference audio, karaoke highlighting, trope games, and a countdown that keeps the big day on track.
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