YHVH charges Moshe to "go to Pharaoh", and it is this "going" which our Parasha is named after (the literal meaning of "bo" is "come"). The approximately three and a half chapters of Parashat Bo encompass several central themes. The historical narrative (describing the last plagues, some of the Israelites' preparations to leave Mitzrayim, and a few of their moves) is interspersed with themes of redemption, ransom, the Pesach celebration, injunctions to instruct the future generations, and several teaching tools that are to accompany the nation of Yisrael down the road of time. Thus, at the outset of Yisrael's travels, which ultimately will bring them to the Land of Promise, they are also embarking on a journey to becoming a (special) Nation. And while they had no time to prepare supplies (ref. 12:39), and were carrying almost only that which the Egyptians had given them (ref. 12:33, 35, 36), YHVH was starting to do His own equipping of this nascent nation on the road toward its destiny.
The educational theme is evident right at the beginning, by
the reason given for the "signs" performed
in Egypt: "That you may tell in the hearing of your son and your
son's son the mighty things I have done…" (10:2). "I have done"
here is denoted by the verb "hit'a'lalti," of the root a.l.l
(ayin, lamed, lamed). It is a multi-faceted verb, the meaning of which depends
on context, yet its root also forms one of the words for "infant" or
"babe" - "olal", such as used in Psalms 8:2:
"Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have
ordained strength" (emphasis added). Thus, within the word for YHVH's
"doings" – or miraculous performances in Mitzrayim, which the
Israelites are to tell their children - is hidden an allusion to these very
children!
By this time in the narrative, the land of Mitzrayim has
experienced great devastation, with much more to come. But before we begin
to elaborate on this theme, let us pause to examine a verb (with its Hebrew
usage) that is utilized in 10:3, where we read: "So Moses and Aaron
came in to Pharaoh and said to him, 'Thus says YHVH the Elohim of the Hebrews:
'How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My
people go, that they may serve Me'" (emphasis added). "Came into..."
echoes the initial above-mentioned call of YHVH to Moshe to "come" to
Par'oh. The latter's refusal "to humble" (or "surrender")
himself before YHVH is rendered in Hebrew by a verb which was used in Shmot
1:11, where it is translated as "afflict", or, literally, in
Hebrew, "to torture". Thus, there was an expectation that Egypt's
king (although not the same one who initiated the Israelites' afflictions)
would be answerable for what was inflicted upon this people group.
The severity of the next plague is such that locusts
"shall cover the face [literally "eye"] of the earth, so that no
one will be able to see the earth, and they shall eat the residue of what
is left, which remains… from the hail…" (10: 5, 15).
Here we find a sequel of three synonyms. The repetition serves to heighten the
proportions of the catastrophe. The Hebrew reads: "yeter [ha]*pleta [ha]nish'eret".
“Yeter” is that which remains, as is also seen in 12:10, where the lamb
is to be eaten in such a way that "you shall let none of it remain until
morning" (emphasis added). The term "pleta nish'eret" was also
mentioned by Yoseph, when he disclosed his identity to his brothers, saying the
following: "And Elohim sent me before you to put a remnant ["she'erit",
of the same root as "nish'eret" above] in the land for you and to
keep alive for you a great survival [pleta]” (Gen. 45:7,
literal translation, italics added). Yoseph’s words, regarding the survival of
his brethren, had a prophetic fulfillment, as the “remnant” of the Children of
Yisrael has not only “survived”, but it had actually
turned into multitudes, resulting in Mitzrayim's soil being left (almost)
without residue of remaining life (through
the plagues inflicted by the Elohim of the “remnant”, i.e. the Israelites).
Therefore, that which was a means of salvation for one people (as expressed by
Yoseph), turned into deadly circumstances for the other! Shaul the apostle expresses
a similar principle in the following words: “We are to Elohim the fragrance of
Messiah among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to
the one the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life
leading to life" (2nd Cor. 2:15-16).
Par’oh's now-exasperated servants complain about Moshe,
describing him as a "mokesh" – “snare” (10: 7).
However, according to Ee’yov (Job) 34:30, it is a Godless king, such as Par’oh,
who “should not reign lest the people be ensnared" (emphasis
added)! Indeed, no sooner were the locusts removed, when Par’oh's persistence
brought about the ninth plague. Total darkness descended upon his
land, and his people were ensnared once more. The darkness was so thick
that it could be "ya'mesh", that is, "felt"
or "touched" (10: 21. See also Genesis 27:12, describing the
concern of Ya'acov, who was impersonating his brother, lest his father should
discover his real identity by “touching” his smooth skin). In 10:23, we are
struck by the contrast between the total darkness prevailing over
Mitzrayim and the well-lit dwellings of the Israelites, where the source
of Light was the Almighty Himself.
It is now time to prepare for the final phase and the start
of a new one. YHVH declares to Moshe that He is about to strike the final blow
on the Egyptians and on their king, “afterward he will let you go from
here; when he lets you go he will surely drive you out of here altogether”
(ref. 11:1). The last phrase may be also rendered
(although without negating the conventional meaning): “he will send you from
here. As if sending off a bride will he expel you from here” (“surely” – ‘kala’
here – can mean 'completely' OR a 'bride'). The (Hebrew) terms “driving” and
“sending” are also used for divorce. What’s more, when in the next verse Moshe
is told that Yisrael is to ask from their neighbors' for articles of silver and
gold, one wonders if this isn’t symbolic of a bride’s dowry, the dowry that she
was now to retrieve, upon her ‘disengagement’ from the relationship with
Mitzrayim and its ruler, being set free to follow YHVH to “the wilderness, to a
land not sown” (ref. Jer. 2:2). Perhaps YHVH's insistence (in-spite of His own
unlimited power) that it be Par'oh who would release Yisrael, supports this
probability that YHVH's people were bound legally to Mitzrayim's sovereign.
It is taught that the pattern of the lives of the fathers is
followed by their children or posterity. If that is the case, then Avram's
descent to Mitzrayim during a time of famine, giving up his wife to Par'oh who
suffered from "great plagues" as a consequence (ref. Gen. 12:10-20,
cf. 26:1-11), certainly supports the latter events taking place in our
Parasha.
Moshe goes on to convey to Par'oh the news regarding the
slaying of the Egyptians' firstborn sons, in place of Yisrael’s slain male
babies, while the slaying of the former's firstborn was already predicted by
YHVH in Shmot 4:22-23. This is followed by instructions for the Pesach lamb,
whose smeared blood will single out the homes of the Hebrews when YHVH will be
striking the Egyptian homes by killing their firstborn. Each Hebrew household
was to partake of one lamb or share it with others if the family was too small
to consume it all. The expression used, "according to the number"
(12:4), is denoted by a single word - "[beh]mich'sat," rooted
in k.s.s (kaf/chaf, samech, samech), meaning "to allocate". A similar
root is k.s.h (kaf, samech, hey), which means "to cover". Thus, even
before an explanation is given for the procedure of choosing, slaughtering,
eating the lamb, and applying its blood, the text points subtly to the Lamb
which has been ‘allocated’ and designated to be slain from the foundations of
the world (ref. Rev. 13:8), Whose blood was given for the covering of sin.
The blood over the Hebrews’ doors enabled YHVH to steer clear
of their homes by passing over - "pasach"
(ref. 12:23) - a verb rooted in p.s.ch (pey, samech, chet) and means to
“pass" or "skip". Yishayahu (Isaiah) 31:5 says: "Like
flying birds, so YHVH of Hosts will protect Jerusalem… He will pass over
["pasach"] and rescue it”. Hence, a lame or limping person is
a “piseh’ach” (e.g., 2nd Sam. 9:13; 1 Kings 18:21). This verb
gives the feast its title of Pesach.
We have already noted that our Parasha is 'didactically
inclined', with 12:14-22 being devoted to instructions about the future life of
the Israelites, once planted in their own land. This passage is fraught with distinct
words and terms. We already examined the notion of "allocating" in
verse 4. In verse 6, we note that the lamb was to be "kept"
(from the 10th of the first month, until the 14th).
But rather than a verb, a noun is used there - "mishmoret", of
the root sh.m.r (shin, mem, resh). In verse 17, the Children of Yisrael are
instructed: "to observe the Feast of Matzot". "Observe" is
again from the same root, meaning “to keep, or guard”, while in verse 24 the
Israelites are told, "to observe", literally "keep", what
now becomes an ordinance to be practiced upon entering the Land. In the future,
the night commemorating the exodus from Mitzrayim will become a
"night of solemn observance (or vigil)"
- "shimurim" (verse 42), and again in 13:10, "You
shall keep this ordinance in its season from year to year".
Thus, upon those who had been “kept” or “protected” (shamar) by their Elohim,
it is now incumbent to do their own form of “keeping”.
The lamb was to be slaughtered on the 14th day
of the month, "at twilight" (12:6), which is "ben
arba'yim”. “Arbayim" is the plural form of “erev” (evening), the
all-familiar term we have been discussing over and over. Most interpreters and
commentators believe that "between the evenings" (its literal
meaning) denotes "twilight". However, there exists a minority view
that supports the literal “between the evenings”, making that expression a
reference to an entire day, between the 14th and the 15th.
The meat was to be eaten with bitter herbs, “maror”,
and unleavened bread called "matza", which
are thin wafer-like crackers baked without yeast (12:8).
The root m.tz.h (mem, tzadi, hey) means “to drain out”
to the very last drop of water (e.g., Jud. 6:38) since the leavening agents
require liquid to be activated. The bitter herbs most likely point to the
"bitterness" experienced by the Children of Yisrael in Mitzrayim.
Sh’mot (Exodus) says: "And they made their lives bitter with
hard bondage--in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the
field" (italics added).
In 12:14 we encounter for the first time one of the words for
"feast" - "chag" (although in verb form it
appeared already in Ex. 5:1). Since the annual reoccurrence of the Feasts makes
them cyclical, “chag” is related to the verb "choog" which
describes a circle (Job 22:14; Pro. 8:27; Is. 40:22). By its very nature this
word implies not only a (set) time but also a place - a
“circle”. Another such 'multi-dimensional' word is "holy
convocation", also appearing here for the first time (v. 16). This "holy convocation"
or "assembly" is "mikra kodesh". The
root k.r.a (kof, resh, alef) means “to call”, even though the
"convocation" - the assembling - is made up of people. The
"mikra kodesh" (i.e., the congregation) is designated, therefore, by
its calling, but is also connected to a place. In Yishayahu (Isaiah) 4:5, for
example, we read: "Then YHVH will create over the whole area
of Mount Zion and over "mikra'eh'a"
("her assemblies") a cloud by day…." These “holy convocations”
are, of course, to be also special times. The “calling”, therefore, proves
to be the common ‘ingredient’ bonding the people, their place of gathering, and
the times wherein they are to convene, indicating that Time, Place, and People
are joined in YHVH's economy. This concept (but with the usage of a different
term) will surface again in future Parashot.
In their Egyptian Pesach, the Israelites were promised that
"the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses... And when I see the
blood, I will pass over you" (12:13). This "seeing" (of
the blood) brings to mind another "seeing" on the part of YHVH, as
was stated by Avraham, who on the road to Mount Moriah responded to his son's
inquiry regarding the offering, saying: “YHVH will see (literally)
for himself the lamb for the offering" (Gen. 22:8 italics added). And
although (at that time) it was a ram that was provided, the beginning of the
fulfillment of those words is taking place now, in Mitzrayim, later to have a
further fulfillment, to an even greater degree, by another Lamb. One more
connection to the Lamb of Elohim is found in 12:46, where it says that none of
the bones of the lamb are to be broken, an injunction which finds its
fulfillment in Yochanan (John) 19:33.
The Egyptians finally relent to send off the Israelites.
According to 12:33, "they pressed” them to leave. However, "pressed"
in this case is from the root "strong" - "chazak" -
which makes it a fulfillment of 6:1 “…For with a strong hand [Par’oh] will let
them go, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his
land". Another fulfillment, this time of 3:22, is taking place here in
12:35-36 when the Egyptians consent to give their former slaves gold, silver,
and garments. This is described as the “spoiling of the Egyptians", which
is also a fulfillment of YHVH’s promise to Avraham concerning the Egyptian
Diaspora, out of which his seed was to "come out with great wealth"
(Gen. 15:14). "Spoiled" is "(va)yinatz'lu",
of the root n.tz.l (noon, tzadi, lamed), which most frequently means to "survive, save, rescue, or deliver".
In fact, it came up in Parashat Sh’mot (5:23) when Moshe complained to YHVH on
behalf of his people, saying, “For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your
name, he has done evil to this people; neither have You delivered Your
people at all (italics added). But now not only are they being
"delivered", but they are also "procuring" gifts
(the form of n.tz.l as it is used here) from those who had subjugated them. The
fact that all of these terms are rooted in the same three letters lends an
extra emphasis, or 'twist', to the rescue story and sheds light on the
protagonists (YHVH as the "savior", and on those who are being
"saved"). The gold and silver will no doubt serve later for the
making of the Mishkan’s articles (and likely also for the golden calf). But
even beforehand, in Shmot (Exodus) 33:6, where the Israelites remove their
jewelry, the verb used is "(va)yitna'tzlu" (again of the root
of n.tz.l). The unusual usage of this word highlights the origin of these
articles.
Upon leaving Mitzrayim, a "mixed multitude" (“erev rav”
– literally “a great mixture”) goes out with the Sons of Yisrael. After
“arbayim” (“twilight”) above (with its root e.r.v. - "evening" –
being a "mixed" state, 12:38), “mixture” is now being applied
to the nature of the "multitude”. More on this group of people in future
Parashot.
When the time allotted for their sojourn in the land of Exile
has come to an end, "on this very day" (12:41), YHVH's people,
who had been waiting for so long, are suddenly forced to hurry and leave. We
recall the case of Yoseph, who was also made to hurry out of prison when the
time ordained for his sufferings had fully expired (ref. Gen. 41:1, 14). In
both cases, the word used is "miketz" ("at the end of").
When it is time for a change, there is not one moment to spare.
The latter part of the Parasha, 13:1-16, is devoted to
further instructions. First and foremost, among them is the "setting
apart" of the firstborn: "…every one who opens the womb among the
sons of Israel belongs to me" (13:2), declares YHVH. In verse
15, He elaborates on this, saying that since He "killed all the firstborn
in the land of Egypt… therefore [the Israelites are to] sanctify
to YHVH all males that open the womb, and all the firstborn of [their] sons
[are to be] redeemed/ransomed". In last week's Parasha, we saw how
"ransoming" separated the Israelites from the Egyptians (8:23), even
before the smiting of Mitzrayim's firstborn. The notion of
"ransom" (“p'dut”) becomes even more evident when blood separates the
Egyptian firstborn from those of Yisrael's. The ultimate ransom price for
purchasing 'Yisrael the Firstborn' thousands of years later will be, and still
is, Messiah's blood.
Among the "firsts" in this Parasha, there is a
first reference to a name of a month - the "month of Aviv"
(13:4). The literal meaning of "aviv", which became synonymous
with "spring", is a stalk of grain whose ears are
still green. This word indicates the very beginning of growth, before the
fruit or grain has had time to develop (e.g., Job 8:12; Song of Solomon 6:11),
and is perhaps (also) a reflection on the condition of the Nation in formation.
The fact that the noun “aviv” starts with alef, bet, the first two letters of
the Alphabet, letters that also form the word “av” - “father”, highlights its
“firstness”.
Twice in this portion of instructions, we encounter
references to the "signs" that are to be on one's hand and forehead
(13:9, 16). These "signs" are to remember and commemorate the
"strong hand with which YHVH brought you out of Egypt" (v. 16),
and "so that the Torah of YHVH may be in your mouth" (v. 9). In both
places, the mention of these "signs" is related to the teaching of
the generations to come. In addition, in keeping with the pedagogical message
included in the Parasha, several possible approaches are offered to a variety
of future inquirers about the Pesach practices and their teachings. In 12:26-27
we find: "When your children say to you, ‘What does this service mean to
you…?’ you shall say, ‘it is the sacrifice to YHVH’s Passover’…" In 13:14,
"When in time to come your son asks, saying, 'What is this?' You shall say
to him, 'by strength of hand YHVH brought us out of Egypt’…" And in 13:8,
"You shall tell your son on that day, saying, 'It is because of this YHVH
did for me when I came out of Egypt’". All three of these are echoed in
the traditional Pesach Haggada, read on the Passover eve ceremony called the
Seder. There they are called the “Four – since another one is added based on
Dvarim (Deuteronomy) 6:20 – Questions”, and are posed by the youngest member of
the family.
Lastly, in order to partake of the Pesach, a man was required
to be circumcised (ref. 12:48), a fact that connects the Paschal lamb to
circumcision. It points to the renewal of the Covenant established with Avraham
and his descendants. Interestingly, in Parashat Sh'mot (4:22), YHVH declares
that Yisrael is His “firstborn”, and in the same breath predicts that because
Par’oh will refuse to let His firstborn go, He will kill his firstborn
(4:22,23). In the episode that immediately follows, Moshe’s wife is
circumcising her son, using the term "a groom of blood" (4:24-26).
This act and choice of vocabulary reinforce the connection of the Paschal
lamb's blood to the blood of circumcision.[1] Our
"Groom of Blood", Yeshua, is also the epitome of the Pesach
offering. His Blood has rendered us - the
"circumcision who worships Elohim in the Spirit" (Phil. 3:3).
* Ha denotes the definite article in Hebrew.
[1] The Chumash Shmot With The Commentary Daat
Mikrah, Pub. Mossad Harav Kook, Jm. 1991.
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