Thursday, January 26, 2012

Parshat Bo


Moses and Aaron rebuke Pharaoh for refusing to allow the Israelites to go and worship God. Although Pharaoh's courtiers plead with him to obey God in order to save Egypt, the Pharaoh ignores their advice, and locusts, the eighth plague, come to destroy those parts of Egypt left unharmed by the hail. The plague is lifted when Pharaoh pleads with Moses and Aaron, but God once again hardens Pharaoh's heart and the Israelites are not freed. Then the plague of darkness falls without warning - only the Israelites have light where they live.


God tells Moses that the next plague will be the last and Moses warns Pharaoh that God will triumph with the slaying of all the firstborn of Egypt.


Prior to the occurrence of the tenth plague, Moses and Aaron instruct the Israelites in the laws of Passover. On the tenth day of the first month, the people are to slaughter a lamb, smear its blood on their doorposts, and eat its roasted flesh hurriedly in remembrance of the tenth plague and their hasty Exodus from Egypt. In the future, this festival is to be a time of remembrance for the Israelites. For seven days,t hey are to eat only unleavened bread. Further, the people are commanded to explain these observances to their children so that the festival will be a reminder to all generations that God freed the Israelites from Egypt.


The Israelites apply lamb's blood to their doorposts as they were instructed by Moses. In the middle of the night, all the firstborn in the land of Egypt are struck down. The Pharaoh summons Moses and Aaron and bids them to depart with the Israelites. Because of their haste in leaving Egypt, the people take their dough with them before it is risen. They also take spoils from the Egyptians. The portion concludes with the note that the Israelites had lived in Egypt for 430 years and at the time of the Exodus, some 600,000 departed from Egypt plus children, livestock, and a mixed multitude of others.
(Synopsis courtesy of Teaching Torah, by Sorel Goldberg Loeb and Barbara Binder Kadden)


Questions for your Shabbat table:
  • Parshat Bo is part of the retelling of the Passover story - the Exodus from Egypt. Most families help celebrate Passover by holding a seder at home and eating special food. What are some of the foods of Passover, and what do they symbolize?
  • Every year when we celebrate Passover, we remember that we were once slaves. Why do you think it is so important that we remember we were once slaves?
  • What are some plagues of our contemporary society that trouble you? How do you respond to them?
This week's g-dcast cartoon on Parshat Bo: