Our kids just returned from a few days at the beach. They were full of excitement as they told us all about their adventures. The little ones became seashell scavengers and brought back some beauties. They loved walking together in the sand collecting shells and making family memories.
This week’s Torah portion is Bo, which means “come”.
Gd commands Moses to go to Pharaoh to warn him about the upcoming 8th plague.
Bo/come however does not seem to be the right word. Instead it perhaps should have said “lech/go”.
Bo is word that connotes journeying together.
Gd is telling Moses to come. They will go together on this expedition.
Moses will not be left alone to carry the burden.
Bo is a comforting word.
Gd does not leave us alone to fend for ourselves.
Hashem/Gd is real.
He wants a relationship with us.
This is in juxtaposition to Pharaoh who thinks he is a gd, but certainly doesn’t behave like one who cares very much.
The plagues are bracketed by his selfish behavior.
In the first plague of Blood, all the water in Egypt turned to blood. The whole country was in a state of upheaval. In the midst of it all the verse tells us
“Pharaoh turned away and came to his palace”.
Due to a merit Pharoah had accrued, he actually had water to drink, so instead of feeling the pain of his people, he just turned his back on them and closed the door.
Nine plagues have elapsed.
The last one, the death of the firstborn is beginning. Once again the country is in a turmoil. The screaming is unbearable as death visits every home.
Finally Pharaoh is moved to action. He wakes up frantically in the middle of the night and literally begs the Jews to leave.
The verse says “and Pharaoh got up that night”.
Rashi, the 11th century commentator, elucidates these words by explaining that Pharaoh got up — from his bed.
Shira Smiles, contemporary Torah teacher in Jerusalem asks us, what is Rashi teaching us?
Where should Pharaoh be in the middle of the night if not in his bed?
Her answer is a window into the psychology of this despot.
After nine horrific plagues and misery with the final plague looming, how on earth could the leader of the country go to bed?
Apparently the journey from plague 1 to plague 10 had not activated Pharoah’s characteristic of compassion and concern for his people.
He was just concerned about his beauty rest. His cavalier attitude is reflected in the fact that he could go to sleep at the time of a crisis that affected every family in his country.
Their is a beautiful inspirational quote called Footprints in the Sand. It speaks of a person on the journey of life, which is reflected in the imagery of walking on the beach. The varied scenes of life are accompanied by two sets of footsteps in the sand, one for the protagonist and one representing Gd’s presence and support. But during the lowest periods there was only one set of footprints. The protagonist is distraught and questions Gd’s absence, as only one set of footprints appear at the time when Gd was most needed, He seemed to have disappeared. To which Gd “replies” that one set of footprints were visible because that was when Gd was doing the carrying. The footprints were His!
We all go for walks on the beach with our families, collecting the seashells and avoiding the detritus. But if we have a loving hand guiding us, someone who says to us, come-we will journey together, then that is a trek which will end with joyous memories that will fuel our expedition and bring us to a destination of meaning and redemption.
Shabbat Shalom and so much love!