What is "shemot"

Shemot is a Hebrew word, which is the second word of the Book of Exodus, the second book of the Torah (the first five books of the Tanach, or Hebrew Bible). It means "Names".

When used as a noun, Shemot might refer to:

• The Hebrew title of the biblical Book of Exodus
• Shemot (parsha), the thirteenth weekly parsha in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah readings
• Shemot Rabbah is the midrash on the Book of Exodus

Shemot, Shemoth, Shemois, Shemaus, Shemeis, or Shemos ( — Hebrew for "names," the second word, and first distinctive word, of the parashah) is the thirteenth weekly Torah portion (, parashah) in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the first in the Book of Exodus. It constitutes The parashah is made up of 6,762 Hebrew letters, 1,763 Hebrew words, and 124 verses, and can occupy about 215 lines in a Torah Scroll (, Sefer Torah). Jews read it the thirteenth Sabbath after Simchat Torah, generally in late December or January.

The parashah tells of the Israelites' affliction in Egypt, the hiding and rescuing of the infant Moses, Moses in Midian, the calling of Moses, circumcision on the way, meeting the elders, and Moses before Pharaoh.