The first day (yom) of creation is introduced with the vision of the earth as tohu vavohu (without form and void), and the Spirit of Elohim is seen hovering over the waters. Then the first direct quotation of Elohim is given: yehi or (let there be light!), with the added commentary that Elohim then saw that the light was tov (good) and separated it from the darkness (choshek). The Divine Narrator then adds that Elohim called the light yom (day) and the darkness lialah (night), and so ends the first day.The story ends with the descent of Jacob and his family to Egypt. It contains the commandment of circumcision, and the promise of God to Abraham that he would receive the Land of Israel and that his descendants would be a major, positive influence on the world.
The Shemot narrates the history of the Egyptian bondage, the Exodus from Egypt, and the journey to Mount Sinai under the leadership of Moses. The second half of the book tells of the Covenant that was established between God and Israel at Sinai and promulgates laws for the ordering of the life of Israel. Exodus closes with the building of the Tabernacle (Mishkan), a portable Temple that housed the Holy Ark containing the Tablets of the Law.
Here, Moses is called at the Tent of Meeting, and has communicated to him the laws of the korbanot, the animal and meal offerings brought in the Sanctuary. These include; ascending offering (olah), the five varieties of meal offering (minchah), the peace offering (shelamim), the different types of sin offering, and the guilt offering (asham) brought by one who has misappropriated property of the Sanctuary.
Leviticus itterates ritual, legal and moral practices, with emphasis that God wishes to live with humans. The book teaches that faithful performance of the sanctuary rituals can make that possible, so long as the people avoid sin and impurity. The rituals, especially the sin and guilt offerings, provide the means to gain forgiveness for sins and purification from impurities so that God can continue to live in the Tabernacle in the midst of the people. Both Jews and Christians have not observed the instructions of Leviticus for animal offerings since the first century AD. Because of the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD however Jewish worship has focused on prayer and the study of Torah.
Moses conducts a census of the Israelites; God describes the unique duties of the Kohath family of priests.
On the first of Shevat (thirty-seven days before his passing), Moses begins his repetition of the Torah to the assembled children of Israel, reviewing the events that occurred and the laws that were given in the course of their forty-year journey from Egypt to Sinai to the Promised Land, rebuking the people for their failings and iniquities, and enjoining them to keep the Torah and observe its commandments given them as an eternal heritage, into which they shall cross after his death. After his farewell, Moses wrote thirteen complete copies of the Torah, gave one to each of the twelve tribes, and placed one in the Holy Ark.
