Summary Bo 5762
The Egyptians suffer the last three of the Ten Plagues: locusts, darkness and the death of the firstborn. Each time it seems that Pharaoh will relent and let the Israelites out of Egypt. Pharaoh's closest advisers plead with him to do so, but each time he changes his mind.

Before the Tenth Plague, G-d commands all the Israelites to take the Pascal Lamb, smear its blood on their lintels and doorposts and eat its meat, together with matzah and bitter herbs, on the night of 15 Nissan. Thus the first ever Seder was celebrated before the Istraelites had even left Egypt. They were also given the commandment of Rosh Chodesh and the Jewish months, which would be governed by the cycle of the moon.

The Torah then describes the Death of the Firstborn and the actual Exodus. Several commandments are given to ensure that the Exodus is never forgotten: the festival of Pesach, including teaching the children; Pidyon Haben (redemption of the firstborn), and the mitzvah of Tefillin.

Points to Ponder
1. The main theme of Bo is the Exodus, but there is a theme within a theme. Before the 8th plague, Pharaoh indicated his willingness to let the Israelites leave Egypt, but would only allow the men to leave. Moses had originally only requested a three-day journey into the desert to worship, so why should that involve the children?

Like the Soviet Communists, Pharaoh understood that by only permitting the older men to worship, the religion would soon die out, without the children to carry on. For this reason, Moses insists that if the children could not leave, then nobody would. This is also why the Torah states three times in this week's portion that when we celebrate the Seder, we are involve the children, teach them about the Exodus and our traditions, and encourage them to ask questions.

There is a connection between this idea and the prohibition of leavened products on Pesach as a reminder of the haste in which the Israelites left Egypt. Once they were allowed to leave, they had to seize the opportunity and leave immediately, without even time to let the dough rise. When we bake matzot, we do it quickly and don't allow any time for the dough to ferment.

Here is another hint about our children's Jewish education and nurturing. We should not allow them to 'ferment' before educating them. The time to begin is at birth. Just as their senses pick up their environment, and the tools to communicate are put in place during their first year, so we must ensure they imbibe a Jewish environment. The longer we delay the task, the more difficult it becomes. And just as the seder is accompanied with many practical symbols, the best way of educating our children is by practical example.

2. If Rosh Hashanah marks the New Year, surely the first month is Tishrei. Why then do we count the months from Nissan?

Answer:
The answer lies at the beginning of Chapter 12, where we are told that 'this month is to be for you as the first of the months' of the year. We gained our distinct identity as a nation in the month of Nissan.

3. Why did they celebrate the Israelites celebrate their first ever seder in Egypt, while they were technically still slaves? (See chapter 12)

Answer:
There are two types of freedom, which are closely connected: physical and spiritual. The Israelites in Egypt demonstrated in a tangible way that they wanted to leave Egyptian culture behind them, by doing as G-d had commanded. The lamb was one of many Egyptian idols, so slaughtering the pascal lamb demonstrated a genuine desire for change and freedom.

Shabbat Shalom