There is an almost universal custom among Jewish communities to read the Book of Ruth on Shavuot. This extremely short book tells the story of a Jewish family who leaves Israel during a famine, and migrates to the Land of Moab. There, the sons of the family marry Moabite women, and, along with their father, die. When the famine is over, the mother, Naomi, the only remaining member of the original family, returns to Israel, accompanied by one of her two daughters-in-law, Ruth.

This week's parsha begins with a visit from Moshe's father-in-law, the Midianite priest, Yitro. The Torah tells us that after Yitro heard about the miraculous events surrounding the exodus from Egypt, he took Moshe's wife and children, whom Moshe had left behind in Midian when he went to free the Jewish people from Egypt, and brought them to the Israelite camp in the desert. Moshe comes out to greet him, and then tells him about all of the tribulations the Israelites had gone through, and how God had, again and again, saved them.

This week's parsha brings us the final three plagues inflicted upon the Egyptians. After the penultimate plague - darkness - God, Moshe, and Pharaoh all get ready for the final, catastrophic blow of the killing of the first-born. The verses which describe the events leading up to this horrible, definitive plague, contain an interesting theme, one upon which I would like to focus; that of the house or home.

This week, we begin the Book of Exodus, with the story of the growth, enslavement, and redemption of the Jewish people in Egypt. Moshe, of course, figures prominently. The Torah tells us about the genocidal Egyptian decree to throw every male Israelite baby into the Nile, and how Moshe's parents, in an attempt to save him, first hid him, and then, when he grew too big to hide, placed him in a small basket on the river and watched to see what would become of him.

This week we read Parshat Vayechi, the coda to the Joseph story. The drama actually ended in last week's parsha, when Joseph finally reveals himself to and is reconciled with his brothers - the very brothers who sold him into slavery all those years before. His father Yaakov then comes down to Egypt to see his long-lost and much beloved son.

Over the last few weeks, many of the stories in the Torah have centered around lies - Yaakov lying to his father Yitzchak in order to steal from him the blessing he intends to give to his brother, Esav. Lavan lying, in turn, to Yaakov, and giving him Leah in marriage rather than Yaakov's beloved Rachel. Yaakov misleading Esav into thinking that he would eventually join him in the Land of Se'ir.