Parsahs Bo

This week’s Parsha is called, Parshas Bo. In this week’s Parsha we learn about the last three makkos (plagues) that are delivered by Hashem (G-d) to the Egyptians.

The seventh makka was called, arbeh (locusts). It is brought down in the midrash, (a book compiled by the very wisest Rabbis) that these locusts weren’t your ordinary locusts, these locusts were described by the midrash as having, “teeth like iron, horns of oxen, claws like lions, wings like eagles, and writhing backs like those of snakes.” In this plague the entire Egypt was polluted with locusts. Similar to the previous plagues the Pharaoh came to Moses and told him that he would let the Jews go free as soon as Moses stopped the plague. So again, Moses davened to Hashem to stop the plague. When the plague ended the Pharaoh changed his mind again.

Hashem then brought a ninth plague choshech or darkness. This plague lasted for days and during these six days of darkness the darkness I worsened to the point that the Egyptians could actually feel the darkness weighing down on them. And again the Pharaoh played shtick (Yiddish for “tricks”) on Moses.

Now after experiencing nine awesome acts of none other than Hashem himself taking his “ordinary” creations (blood, frogs, lice, animals, disease, blisters, hail, locusts, and darkness) and using them in the most “extraordinary” way a manner in which the world had never seen them nor could they have imagined them you would think the Pharaoh would concede but he didn’t. He still didn’t give in so Hashem brings the tenth and last plague of makkas b’choros (the death of the first born). Before this plague begins Moses and Ahron command the Jewish people to bring a Korban Pesach, (an offering involving the slaughtering of a lamb) and to smear it’s blood on their doorposts, so that when Hashem went out and to kill all of the Egyptian b’choros (first born) He would pass over, (that’s how Passover got it’s name,) those Jewish homes.

In a perfect climax (Hollywood could not have matched this scene) when the plague began and the Pharaoh saw and heard the cries of those dying, he ran franticly through the streets searching for Moses out of fear for his own life because the Pharaoh was a b’chor. Pharaoh found Moses and told him that they could go free! So the B’nai Yisroel packed up and in the morning went on their way which we call the “Exodus” and the birth of a nation!

To avoid overlooking a key element we also learn in this Parsha about the commandment for Jewish men over the age of thirteen to put on Tefillin (Phylacteries). Tiffilin are basically black leather boxes with black leather straps. One box is placed in a very specific place on one’s bicep and the other box on a particular place on the forehead by the hair line. In side these boxes are four Parshios or passages from the Torah that discuss the mitzvah of Tefillin. In fact there are two of the passages are from this week’s Parsha.

We put the Tiffilin shel yad (the hand Tiffilin) on our bicep next to one’s heart and the Tiffilin shel rosh (head Tiffilin) on our forehead, so Hashem should be constantly with us in our thoughts and feelings. May we all merit to have such a level of devaikus (attachment) that Hashem himself and his Holy Torah is constantly in our thoughts and feelings! –Amen!

HAVE A GREAT SHABBOS AND WEEKEND!

Stay tuned for next week’s Parsha called, Parshas B’shalach!