Overview of the Weekly
Reading: Bo
To be read on 8
Shvat 5764 (Jan.31
)
Bo
is the 3rd Reading out of 11 in Exodus and 15th
overall, and 24th out of 54 in overall length.
Exodus
10:1-13:16;
Haftorah: Jeremiah 46:13-28 (about another downthrow of Egypt
by G-d, eight centuries later)
Pirkei
Avot: not till after Passover
Bo (Exodus 10:1-13:16) opens with the plagues of locusts and darkness.
Then, Moshe warned Pharaoh of the last plague, the death of the
firstborn. G-d commanded the Jews to designate a lamb as a pascal
offering which would be slaughtered and its blood put on the doorpost,
a sign so that in that Jewish home, no Jewish firstborn would be
harmed. G-d commanded that Jews not to do labor on the first and
last days of the holiday, to eat matzahs, and not to own any leavening.
The Jews did as they were commanded, and the night of Passover,
the non-Jewish male and animal firstborns were killed. The Egyptians
sent the Jews away, bestowing upon them many riches. They hurried
the Jews so much so that the Jews' dough did not have time to rise
and remained unleavened matzahs. Next are listed a few of the Passover
laws for future generations. Also mentioned are laws of consecrating
firstborn Jewish males and animals, and the mitzvah of tefillin.
FROM THE MASTERS
OF KABBALA (K:15-64/Bo)
From the holy
Zohar, teachings of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai
(Z:15-64/Bo
)
Just
as he [Job] judged others, so was he himself judged. Job was one of
the closest advisors to Pharaoh, and when Pharaoh rose up over the
People of Israel to kill them, [Job] told him otherwise.
For the full article, click to the "Weekly Torah" section
on our KabbalaOnline
site.
* * * * *
From the holy
Ari, Rabbi Yitzchak Luria of Safed
(A:15-64/Bo
)
Pharaoh
did not know about [the aspect of G-d signified by] the Name Havayah,
and in fact denied [the aspect signified by] this Name (G-d forbid),
as it is written, "I do not know G-d [Havayah]." (Ex. 5:2) However,
he did recognize [the aspect of G-d signified by] the Name Elo-him,
as it is written, "It is the finger of G-d [Elo-him]." (Ex. 8:15)
For the full article, click to the "Weekly Torah" section
on our KabbalaOnline
site.
* * * * *
From the Shelah,
Shney Luchot HaBrit by Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz
(S:15-64/Bo
)
We
must remember that, though the redemption from Egypt was indeed a
great redemption, it was not an ultimate redemption. Such a redemption
will occur only in the future when the Mashiach comes, at which time
the impact of the remaining two letters in G-d's Ineffable Name will
also be felt [the vav and the final hei].
For the full article, click to the "Weekly Torah" section
on our KabbalaOnline
site.
FROM THE CHASSIDIC
REBBES (V:15-64/Bo)
"Go
to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart." (10:1)
If the purpose of the Ten Plagues would have been to "soften"
Pharaoh's heart, his free will - the ability to choose without outside
coercion - would have been impaired. G-d therefore "hardened"
Pharaoh's heart to level the playing field and preserve his free
will. Furthermore, the Hebrew word for "hard," "kaveid,"
also means "liver." The longer liver is cooked, the harder
it becomes. Pharaoh's heart was like a piece of liver; as the Ten
Plagues progressed, it just got harder and more rigid.
(HaDrash Veha'Iyun)
"With a mighty hand G-d brought us forth out of Egypt."
(13:14)
G-d's "mighty hand" was directed not only toward Pharaoh
and the Egyptians but toward the Children of Israel, as some Jews
preferred to remain in slavery and were redeemed by G-d against
their will. Likewise, G-d will redeem us from our present exile
with a "mighty hand," taking with Him even those Jews
who might prefer to remain in exile.
(Lubavitcher Rebbe)
A
MYSTICAL CHASSIDIC DISCOURSE
from the Chabad
Master series, produced by Rabbi Yosef Marcus for
www.ascentofsafed.com and www.kabbalaonline.org
An
essay from Rabbi Shaul Yosef Leiter, director of Ascent
(for a free weekly email subscription,
click here)
(W:15-64/Bo)
This
week's Torah portion includes G-d's first commandment to the Jewish
people as an entity: the sanctification of the new month (see Sefer
HaChinuch for an in depth explanation). On the first verse of
the Torah, Rashi comments that G-d began with the story of Creation
until the Egyptian exodus (as opposed to beginning with the first
official mitzvah) in order to demonstrate that He is the Creator
of everything, and therefore it is His privilege to give the land
of Israel to whomever He chooses - and He chose the Jewish people.
Nevertheless, we can still question His reason for choosing to sanctification
of the moon as the first commandment? It must be that there is something
especially significant in this mitzvah, a founding principle,
which made it the first one to be commanded to the nation.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe cites the Midrash on Naso that G-d's intention
in the creation of the world was His desire to create for Himself
a dwelling place in the lower realms. This means that He wanted His
sanctity to dwell even in this physical plane. This is accomplished
when we perform G-d's commandments. By doing divinely inspired actions
in a physical world, we reveal His holiness. Every time we use something
physical in the performance of a commandment - for example, Chanuka
candles, or challahs on Shabbat, or a coin for charity - we draw divine
energy upon our body, soul, and on the physical object itself, making
a dwelling place for G-d in this plane.
But what does making for G-d a dwelling place have to do with the
sanctification of the new moon? In Tanya (2:7), the first Chabad Rebbe
makes an interesting distinction. The physical world consists of two
different elements: time and space. Different sources explain that
time was created before space and was the very first creation, a prerequisite
for everything else. Therefore, the first commandment of the Torah
relates to the nature of time: the commandment of the sanctification
of the moon.
The Jewish calendar is based on the 29 1/2 day lunar cycle yielding
a 29 or 30 day month. Years begin and end when the months are completed.
The dates of holidays are all determined by the cycle of the moon.
By our fulfilling the commandment of sanctifying the arrival of the
new lunar month, we draw down divine energy on the entire construct
of time.
This is the meaning of the blessing, "(G-d) sanctifies Israel
and (the events at that) time". Matter is conserved, and even
a soul can never die; the one commodity we can never hold on to is
time. Let us try from now on to use every fraction of time to make
this world a dwelling for G-d, to be revealed with the imminent redemption.
All firsts are related. This first mitzvah is connected to the first
verse of the Torah, which teaches that the Land of Israel was given
to the Jewish people. This is to remind us that in addition to time,
physical matter (i.e. the Land) also must be instilled with holiness.
By imbuing both time and space with holiness, we will hasten the fulfillment
of the prophecy that "the earth will be filled with the knowledge
of G-d, as the waters cover the sea". May it be now!
Shabbat Shalom!
Shabbat Shalom, Shaul Leiter
(for a free weekly email subscription,
click here)
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