This week's 10-Minute Torah (January 8, 2022): "Parashat Bo" 5782

https://youtu.be/cG8addJb8lw

Parashat Bo 5782 / פָּרָשַׁת בֹּא

Read on 8 January 2022 / 6 Sh'vat 5782.

Parashat Bo is the 15th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading.

Torah Portion: Exodus 10:1-13:16 https://tikkun.io/#/r/2-10-1

Parashat Bo tells of the last three plagues on Egypt and the first Passover.

Triennial year 3

1: 12:29-32 · 4 p’sukim ·

2: 12:33-36 · 4 p’sukim ·

3: 12:37-42 · 6 p’sukim ·

4: 12:43-51 · 9 p’sukim ·

5: 13:1-4 · 4 p’sukim ·

6: 13:5-10 · 6 p’sukim ·

7: 13:11-16 · 6 p’sukim ·

maf: 13:14-16 · 3 p’sukim ·

Haftarah: Jeremiah 46:13-28 · 16 p’sukim

As Pharaoh has been stubborn throughout the first nine plagues, this last plague, the killing of the first-born is what finally convinced Pharaoh to release the Israelites. The remarkable part of this portion is the institution of the Pesach offering. This is the beginning of Judaism.

The final part of this portion contains commandments that also constitute two of portions written on parchment that are inside the two tefillin (Along with the “Shema” and first two paragraphs). Specifically, this is chapter 13 of Shemot, verses 1 – 8 and verses 9 – 16. The first section establishes the festival of Pesah. We are commanded to remember that day when we were released from bondage in Egypt by Hashem. We commemorate the day by eating the flat bread or matzah for seven days. We are also commanded to teach our children. We then have the first commandment to make this also a sign on our arm (the weaker) and also between our eyes.

The next paragraph (verses 9 – 16) tells us that when we come into the land promised to our Patriarchs, we will consecrate our first born, as well as first born of our herds to Hashem. This is in honor of Hashem sparing our own first born as the Destroyer killed the first born of Egyptian people and livestock. The commandment to wear the tefillin is repeated.

This also discusses fulfilling the promise made to Abraham that his descendants would leave Egypt with great wealth, establish a calendar based on the monthly rebirth of the moon and having the Pesach sacrifice's blood sprinkled on the doorposts and lintel of every Israelite home, so that G‑d should pass over these homes when He comes to kill the Egyptian firstborn. The roasted meat of the offering is to be eaten that night together with matzah and bitter herbs.

Kabbalah: The Torah does not tell us the exact times when many important events occurred. Nevertheless, we are told that Pharoah commanded the Jews to leave Egypt exactly at midnight on the 15th of Nissan. Further, the Torah narrates the exact moment they actually left: The next day, precisely at noon – not delaying even for the “blink of an eye”.

As we have other signs to remind us to honor G-d’s commandments (mezuzot and tzitzit) this is the first commandment to have a sign of G-d’s mercy.