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January 8, 2011
PARASHAT BO (Go--- to Pharaoh)
1 ST Aliyah (p. 248 at the top)
Many of us have seen or can recall Cecil B. DeMille’s The Ten
Commandments . In this lengthy film, great stress is put on the physical, visual trappings of Pharaoh’s court. Apparently, no expense was spared to bring in costumes, sets and extras. The results cause the audience to focus on the splendor of Egyptian culture, despite the fact that it is peopled by the villains of the story. In contrast, the Bible says practically nothing about the visual backdrop of the Plague narrative or story. Just as Genesis made reference to the mighty culture of Babylonia by parodying or making humor of it, such as in the Tower of Babel story, Exodus strips down Egyptian culture by making it disappear and ridiculing its gods. The Torah saves its descriptive minutiae for the Tabernacle in a later chapter. This profoundly “anti-cultural” stance was characteristic of Israel’s world view and was a mystery to the Greeks and Romans who centuries later conquered the land. This view was especially attractive to the
Israelites who wandered in the desert for forty years and who wandered to other lands, through the centuries, while exiled. The
Torah emphasizes spirituality in a practical way. It wants people to live sacred lives by following mitzvoth. The Torah refuses to elevate materialism, although wealth does have a place in society, depending upon how it is used. The Torah recognizes the danger of living in a society without spiritual values. Using this as a gage, wealthy

2 societies, such as the United States, can be open to criticism. In this portion, the pattern continues. Moses and Aaron go to Pharaoh and demand that the Israelites be let go. Pharaoh is threatened with locusts.
Pharaoh’s courtiers, who also have their hearts hardened by
God, disagree with Pharaoh and ask the question, “How long shall this one be a snare to us?” The courtiers say, “Let the men go…Are you not yet aware that Egypt is lost?” The point here is the courtiers are able to free themselves from their hardened heart. If they can, then Pharaoh should be able to as well. We are all able to change. It might not be easy. But, it can be done. Pharaoh’s proposal of only letting the men go and not the women, children and the herds of animals leads to the eighth plague
—locusts.
2 nd Aliyah (Sha ne) p.249 verse 12
The locus swarm is one of the worst scourges. An area of one square kilometer can contain 50 million such insects; in a single night, they can devour 100,000 tons of vegetation. Usually human weather conditions contribute to their proliferation. These locusts invaded the land of Egypt in such intensity that they hid all the land from view.
The land was darkened. The grand scale of this 8 th sign underscores that it is a onetime cataclysmic event aimed to demonstrate God’s supremacy. But what if God’s supremacy is not recognized? What if a leader’s heart continues to harden? Then God’s signs will continue and the world’s plagues will continue to destroy. Hamas, Hezbollah,
Iran, the Taliban and the Palestinian leadership continue to create their own plagues by failing to free themselves from their hardened hearts. Men and women continue, throughout the world, to create their own plagues. It is time for the totalitarian leaders and terrorist

3 groups to heed Moses to let their people go. In the usual manner,
Pharaoh insincerely tells Moses that he stands guilty before the Lord.
In response, the winds shifted and the locusts were hurled into the
S ea of Reeds. Being relieved of the locusts, Pharaoh’s heart hardened. This led to the 9 th plague
—darkness. According to some commentators, the plague was not a physical darkness but a deep spiritual or psychological darkness. Many commentators refer to it in symbolic terms. It could represent Egypt’s blindness to Adonai. The
Pharaoh was unable to see the light that only God can reveal, with all its moral implications. The darkness, however, revealed the total inadequate power of the Egyptian sun god, re. We, here at Beth El, must open our eyes to the light of the Torah and its mitzvoth. We need to let the light of Shabbat, the light of performing deeds of loving kindness, and the light of doing acts of tikkun olam to enter our lives so that the ninth plague will not affect us as it affected Pharaoh and the people of Mitzrayim.
3 rd Aliyah (Shileshe) p.251 verse 24
The plague of darkness frightened Pharaoh so he summoned Moses.
He told Moses, “Go worship the Lord but only your flocks and herds shall be left behind.” In response, Moses replied that you yourself must provide us with sacrifices and burnt offerings. Pharaoh’s heart stiffened and he told Moses, “Be gone from me! Take care not to see me again, for the moment you look upon my face you sh all die.” Thus
Pharaoh closed the door on any further negotiations. The signs, plagues or natural disasters left the mighty Pharaoh more unyielding than ever. Then Moses is instructed to tell the people to borrow from his or her neighbor objects of silver and gold. To explain the

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Israelites’ actions, commentators connect the verse telling the
Israelites to borrow from their neighbor with Deuteronomy 15:13, which states that a Hebrew slave should not be set free without payment. Yet, is this fair? What did the Egyptian underclass have to do with the enslavement of the Israelites? Weren’t they already serfs? Shouldn’t the payment come from the court of Pharaoh? The final act of God is about to come crashing down on Pharaoh and his people. Unfortunately the innocent must suffer because of the hardening heart of Pharaoh. His decisions have consequences for the entire nation. Our own decisions, our own hardened hearts can affect our friends and our own families. Let this be the year we break through our personal darkness to experience the light of the Torah.
4 th Aliyah (Rivee) p.252 verse 4
God announces the final terrible plague. “Toward midnight I will go forth among the Egyptians, and every first-born in the land of Egypt shall die.” In spite of this severe warning, Pharaoh’s heart hardened.
What’s wrong with him that he cannot submit to the inevitable? The signs are there but he has a moral deficiency that does not allow him to change. He has been given nine opportunities to save his people but yet his character does not allow him to see the writing on the wall
—“let my people go”. The Pharaoh is blinded by his own ego and beliefs. Does he really believe he is a god and that his word cannot be challenged? This tenth plague is such a seminal event, in Jewish history, that the month of Nisan will mark a new beginning, not only in the cycle of the calendar but in the lives of the Israelites. The Torah is envisioning a new order of life that will be dominated by the consciousness of God’s active presence in history and in the lives of

5 the people. One of the first steps in the process of liberation was for the Israelites to have their own calendar, their own way of keeping track of time and recalling the most important days of their people’s history. A slave does not control his or her own time. The lunar calendar is the Jewish catechism for the most concise summary of what we remember and for what we stand. This is why “The Lord said to Moses and Aaron…This month shall mark for you the beginn ing of the months…” The text takes a break from the narrative at this point perhaps to heighten the suspense and drama of the story.
It pauses to give instruction for the preparation of the Passover sacrifice, the application of blood to the doorposts and lintels, and the
Feast of Matzoth
—all means of remembering and commemorating
God’s power. This instruction depicts the Exodus from Egypt as the start of a new epoch in Israelite history and in the relationship of the
Israelites with God. Some scholars see the Feast of Unleavened
Bread, the Passover sacrifice, the institution of the New Year, the commemoration of the first-born as a merging of distinct festivals. All are now linked together through the celebration of Pesach or
Passover.
5 th Aliyah (Ha meshe) p. 257 verse 21 (poem)
Moses directs the people by telling the elders to pick out lambs for the
Passover offering. Then he tells them to take a bunch of hyssop, sort of like our oregano, dip it in blood and apply it to the lintel and doorposts. In this way, the Lord will Passover the door and not let the destroyer enter the house. Moses tells the people that this rite shall be observed by future generations. The text states, “And when your children ask you, ‘what do you mean by this rite? You shall say…”

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This is the origin of the familiar Seder custom of having the children ask the Four Questions. It is better to encourage children to ask questions. Pesach has become a family celebration designed to help cement the community together. It has become a commemorative meal to help us remember not only the specific steps of Passover, but the ideal of freedom. The Holiday wants us to feel Passover personally as if we were actually there. It infuses, in us, the very spirit of Judaism. The Seder is our memory meal as we recall the power of
God and the deliverance of the Israelites. We become participants with Moses. Here is a poem adapted from Hara E. Person ’s poem entitled, Passover Love Song :
The Seder is a love song written
In the language of silver polish
And dishpan hands
Freshly grated lemon zest
Sliced meat
With once Castle (and now Tango) waiting for his share
White tablecloths
To-do lists by Harriet
Trips to the Butcherie
This is how it is done
Ashkenazi charoset with its apples,

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Walnuts, raisins mixed in wine made by Louis
Chopped liver made in the food processor
Diane’s matzoh ball soup, with Howard insisting on a taste
Harriet’s home-made gefilte fish
George’s poking out its eyes
Stuffing , Oscar’s favorite
Tzimme s, Donna’s specialty, but husband Michael has to carry it
Turkey and brisket cooked on separate days
Coconut macaroons, some dipped in chocolate
Remember
Mam a’s silver candlesticks, blessed be her memory
The salt bowls in which to dip the celery sticks
Alan’s red horseradish—dangerous to inhale
Decorative seder plates commemorating the events in Mitzrayim
Grape juice stains on the tablecloth
George’s put-together Hagaddah, along with the Cantor in-the-
Box
Our mismatched family of friends--
Stephen, Irene, Margie, Michael, another Michael,
David, Wendy, Sidney, Sema, a gaggle of kids, Samantha,
Bailey Rose and the sports enthusiast Tyler

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and a mystery guest
—Elijah singing and laughing to the songs, accompanied by tambourines and don’t lick the wine from your finger after the plagues!
This is more than a recipe for nostalgia
This is an urgent coded message of
Survival
Adaptation
Love.
Read between the words!
6 th Aliyah (She she) p.258 verse 29
The beginning of this portion is truly frightening. Deliverance is as a result of violence. The first-born become the victims. It is difficult to read, especially when you realize mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers are dying. According to the text, “In the middle of the night the Lord struck down the entire first born in the land. There was a loud cry in
Egypt for there was no house where there was not someone dead.”
The enslaved Hebrews were protected by the blood on the doorposts.
According to Professor Lynn Heller, blood, the rite of circumcision and the covenant go together. The blood on the doorpost becomes like the altar in the tabernacle. The blood represents life, like the blood during the birthing process. It signifies the birth of a nation; a new partnership between Israel and God. The new community is being

9 created through the sacrifice of the paschal lamb. Don Isaac
Abrabanel, a refugee of the expulsion from Spain, said, in 1492, “By spilling a drop of wine, from the Pesach cup for each plague, we acknowledge that our own joy is lessoned and incomplete. For our redemption had to come by means of the punishment of other human beings. Even though these are just punishments for the evil act,
Proverbs (24:17) says, “Do not rejoice at the fall of your enemy.” So the people took their dough before it was leavened. After 430 years, some 600,000 men on foot, aside from children and women, left
Egypt.
7 th Aliyah (Shive e) p.260 verse 2
In this portion, God gives the Israelites several mitzvoth to perform.
They are: all male first-born Israelites shall be sanctified to God, all male first-born kosher animals should be used as a sacrifice, eat matzos on Passover, and recount the story of the Exodus at the
Passover Seder. The last line of Shive- e states: “And so it shall be a sign upon your hand and as a symbol on your forehead that with a mighty hand Adonai freed us from Egypt.” It is striking that a people so recently released from bondage in Egypt should respond to their freedom not by wanting to live without obligations but by willingly binding themselves to the God who freed them, in the symbolism of t’fillin. By using t’fillin and by the covenantal events at Sinai, freedom can be defined as our ability to choose who to serve. It is remarkable, that the people, who were just freed from slavery, chose to serve
Adonai. The Exodus is the story of the enthronement of God. Jews of today continue to serve the God that freed the ancient Israelites.

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Maftir (P. 262, verse 14)
Haftarah (P. 263 at the top)
Ya-a-mode, Ya-a-mode, Ben ben Moshe, Maftir Chazak or:
Ya-amode, Ya-a-mode, El-eezar ben Daveed v’Shrona, Maftir
Chazak