Overview of the Weekly Reading: Bo
To be read on 5 Shvat 5765 (Jan.15)
Exodus 10:1-13:16; Haftorah: Jeremiah 46:13-28 (about another
downthrow of Egypt by G-d, eight centuries later)
Bo is the 3rd Reading out of 11 in Exodus and
15th overall, and 24th out of 54 in overall length.
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:15-65/Bo)
From the holy Zohar, teachings of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai
(Z:15-65/Bo)
Pharaoh
as "king" represented the source of spiritual impurity, and as such only
G-d could battle him.
For the full article, click to the "Weekly Torah" section on
our KabbalaOnline
site.
* * * * *
From the holy Ari,
Rabbi Yitzchak Luria of Safed (A:15-65/Bo)
[In]
the present exile [evil clothes] the legs [of holiness], there are therefore
two [aspects to it:] Edom and Ishmael, corresponding to the two legs and
feet.
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:15-65/Bo)
When
Israel is in exile it experiences an existence similar to that of the
moon. Just as the moon, despite its temporary eclipse, re-emerges and
shines, so will Israel re-emerge after its exile.
For the full article, click to the "Weekly Torah" section on
our KabbalaOnline
site.
FROM THE CHASSIDIC
REBBES (V:15-65/Bo)
"There was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three
days...they saw not one another… nor did anyone rise from his place."
(10: 22,23)
The worst kind of darkness is when people refuse to "see"
each other and are uninterested in knowing about their fellow man. Indeed,
the world is darkened when every individual lives only for himself.
When one ignores his responsibilities and makes believe that the problems
of others don't exist, the end result is that he himself will suffer
and not be able to rise.
(Eshkol Maamarim) (from L'Chaim #655)
A
MYSTICAL CHASSIDIC DISCOURSE
from the Chabad
Master series, produced by Rabbi Yosef Marcus for
www.ascentofsafed.com and www.kabbalaonline.org
MOSHIACH THIS WEEK
(M:15-65/Bo)
"With a mighty hand G-d took us out of Egypt." [13:14]
The Mighty Hand was directly not only against Pharoah, but also towards
the Jews. There were Jews who preferred to remain in Egypt, so G-d forced
them out against their will. Also from the current Exile G-d will take
us out via His mighty hand-against the will of any who prefer to remain
in Diaspora.!
from Sichos Kodesh (translated from Sichat HaShavuah #367)
[Reprinted with permission from L'Chaim Magazine (www.lchaim.org).]
An
essay from Rabbi Shaul Yosef Leiter, director of Ascent
(for a free weekly email subscription, click
here) (W:15-65/Bo)
This
week's parasha contains the last 3 of the 10 plagues and the final departure
of the Jewish people from Egypt. It opens with the words "Come to
Pharaoh because I have hardened his heart." The Kotzker Rebbe asks
why it says, "Come to Pharaoh" when it seems it should say "Go
to Pharaoh"? He answers simply that, with G-d, the word "come"
is appropriate while the word "go" (which implies leaving) is
not. This is because "the entire world is filled with His glory".
Now, those of us who were paying attention will remember that last week
we did have a verse that said, "Go to Pharaoh" (Ex. 7:15). Is
this not a contradiction? The grandson of the Kotzker, the Shem MiShmuel,
reminds us that this was said in connection with Pharaoh going into to
the Nile. If you look in Rashi for the reason why Pharaoh went each morning
into the water, you will understand why it is not appropriate to mention
a word that infers our constant closeness to
G-d in this context.
Other sources, including the Baal Haturim, give a different explanation:
"Going" to Pharaoh was always dangerous, but particularly at
that moment before the plagues of hail and locusts, when he was almost
at wit's end. Then, as always, when we endanger ourselves to help others,
the Almighty says, "Come - come with Me. I will be with you and I
will protect you."
On the words "I have hardened his heart," Rabbi Yechiel Michel
of Zlotshuv explains as follows: When we become totally focused on our
"I" we close up our ability to feel; therefore, the verse can
also be read as, "The 'I' in us has hardened the heart...."
Jews are supposed to have soft hearts.
The Torat Emet points out that the numerical value of the two main words
at the beginning of the portion, "Bo" and "Pharaoh",
together equal 358, the numerical value of the word "Mashiach".
The redemption from Egypt was the source and empowerment of all the coming
redemptions of the Jewish people, until the last and final redemption
that should come soon and quickly in our days. This was hinted in the
verse last week in which G-d answers Moses' question about what is His
name to tell the people. The answer was, "I will be who I will be."
Rashi explains that G-d was promising that just as He is with us in this
difficult exile in Egypt, so He will be with them in the future exiles.
Similarly, all of the future redemptions are based on this redemption.
Thus, parashat Bo depicts the very beginning of the final redemption for
all of the Jewish people - wherever and whenever they may be, according
to each person's own root in the Torah.
"And [the Egyptians] granted their request, and [the Israelite nation]
emptied out [in Hebrew, "nitzlu"] Egypt" (Ex. 12:36)
is a very important verse. As we were exiting Egypt, we collected everything
of value from the local inhabitants. Rashi explains the word "nitzlu"
as "they emptied". The Talmud says that they emptied Egypt like
a net emptied of fish, in order to fulfill the promise G-d made to Abraham
that they would leave with great wealth. Ultimately this wealth was used
by the nation to serve G-d while they were in the desert.
In these times immediately before the final redemption, every Jew should
therefore make certain that he uses every physical thing he comes into
contact with in this world in the proper way. Every physical object has
a spark of holiness exiled within it. When we use these objects properly,
we redeem these sparks and allow them to return to their divine source.
We will soon leave exile, and we must carry all of these sparks out of
exile with us. In this way, the exile will have served its purpose. The
exiles began in order to collect the sparks. The exiles will end when
the sparks are redeemed.
Shabbat Shalom!
Shabbat Shalom, Shaul
P.S. Please also read
my weekly Shabbat Law, below.)
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