* Translation by Yehoshua Siskin
1. This week’s Torah portion is Bo. It is the third parasha in the book of Exodus. It is here that the last three of the ten plagues — locusts, darkness, and death of the first born — appear.
2. After the ten plagues, the Exodus from Egypt finally happens. The nation of Israel goes out from slavery to freedom. This new-found freedom is the beginning of a new era, not only for the nation of Israel but for the entire world. Never again will slavery of any people or individual be acceptable. From this moment on, freedom will be a universal value and offer a glimpse of the final redemption that is to come.
3. Together with the stirring events of the Exodus, this parasha introduces the first mitzvah given to the Jewish people, that of sanctifying the new month. This is followed by mitzvahs concerning Seder night, the prohibition of eating chametz or leavened food during the Pesach holiday, the obligation to put on tefillin, and others.
4. Many commentators highlight the importance of consuming the Pesach offering (a sheep) by the family at home. Real revolutions begin in the home. We are enjoined to celebrate the Pesach holiday as a family at home and not, as some might think, to revel wildly over our liberation in the streets. The Seder that brings the Exodus to life is, first and foremost, an educational opportunity and has thus been celebrated, throughout the generations, in a family setting around the dining room table. Ultimately, nations are built from families and the experiences their members share.
5. The new month of Shevat begins this evening, Wednesday, and lasts until tomorrow evening. On the 15th of this month, we celebrate Tu Bishvat, the new year of the trees.
Chodesh tov and Shabbat shalom.
Weekly Shiur in Hebrew:
