ויאמר אלהים אל־משה אהי ה אשר אהי ה ויאמר כה תאמר לבני ישראל אהיה שלחני אליכם
And G'd said to Moses, “Ekyeh-Asher-Ekyeh,” continuing, “Thus shall you say to the Israelites, ‘Ekyeh sent me to you.’”

Shemot narrates the period of oppression of the Jewish people in Egypt and the rise of Moses as their leader and liberator. From a Qabalistic perspective, this account is not only historical but also a symbolic map of the soul's journey.

The new Pharaoh, who "did not know Joseph", represents a new phase of spiritual darkness. The exile in Egypt symbolizes the soul's exile into the Klipot, the shells or forces hiding the divine light. This exile is interpreted as a necessary descent for spiritual elevation, deeply rooted in Jewish mysticism.

In this context, Egypt (Mitzrayim in Hebrew), literally meaning "narrow places", symbolizes the limitations and restrictions faced by the soul in its physical incarnation. Thus, the slavery in Egypt is a metaphor for the soul's enslavement to the material and selfish forces of the world.

Moses, whose name means "drawn from the water", symbolizes the extraction of the soul from its earthly limitations and elevation towards its divine origin. His story is a paradigm of the redemptive potential within each soul, called to free itself and others from spiritual bondage.

Moses' story, from his miraculous birth to his encounter with G'd in the burning bush, is full of Qabalistic symbolism. Each event reflects a stage in the soul's ascent: from its divine origin, through the trials and tribulations of the physical world, to its eventual spiritual realization and redemptive mission.

Pharaoh's resistance to releasing the Israelites can be interpreted as the ego's and material forces' resistance to keeping the soul in a state of forgetfulness of its true spiritual essence. Hence, the Exodus from Egypt symbolizes the soul's journey towards liberation and the revelation of its true spiritual self.

Shemot teaches us valuable lessons about the nature of the soul and its journey. It reminds us that despite the challenges and "narrow places" of material life, our true self is spiritual and destined for a higher existence.

This interpretation invites us to reflect on our own "enslavements" and how we may be restricted by the Klipot in our lives. Just as Moses led the Israelites to freedom, each of us has the potential to free ourselves from our limitations and discover our true spiritual essence.

Shemot reminds us that beyond our earthly struggles, we are divine souls on a journey towards spiritual realization and union with our divine source.