Bo (parsha)

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Bo (בא – Hebrew for “go,” the first word that God speaks in the parshah, in Exodus 10:1) is the fifteenth weekly parshah or portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the third in the book of Exodus. It constitutes Exodus 10:1–13:16. Jews in the Diaspora read it the fifteenth Sabbath after Simchat Torah, generally in January or early February.

desert locust

1 Summary
2 Commandments
3 Haftarah
4 Further reading
5 External links

[edit] Summary

[edit] The last plagues of Egypt

After seven plagues, God continued visiting plagues on Egypt. Moses and Aaron warned Pharaoh to let the Israelites go, or suffer locusts covering the land. (Ex. 10:3-5.) Pharaoh’s courtiers pressed Pharaoh to let the men go, so Pharaoh brought Moses and Aaron back and asked them, “Who are the ones to go?” (Ex. 10:7-8.) Moses insisted that young and old, sons and daughters, flocks and herds would go, but Pharaoh rejected Moses’ request and expelled Moses and Aaron from his presence. (Ex. 10:9-11.) Moses held his rod over the land, and God drove an east wind to bring locusts to invade all the land. (Ex. 10:12-15.) Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron, asked forgiveness, and asked them to plead with God to remove the locusts. (Ex. 10:16-17.) Moses did so, and God brought a west wind to lift the locusts into the Sea of Reeds. (Ex. 10:18-19.) But God stiffened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go. (Ex. 10:20.)

Then God instructed Moses to hold his arm toward the sky to bring darkness upon the land, and Moses did so, but the Israelites enjoyed light. (Ex. 10:21-23.) Pharaoh summoned Moses and told him to go, leaving only the Israelites’ flocks and herds behind, but Moses insisted that none of the Israelites’ livestock be left behind, for “[W]e shall not know with what we are to worship the LORD until we arrive there.” (Ex. 10:24-26.) But God stiffened Pharaoh’s heart, and he expelled Moses saying: “[T]he moment you look upon my face, you shall die.” (Ex. 10:27-28.) Moses warned Pharaoh that God would kill every firstborn in Egypt, but not a dog of the Israelites. (Ex. 11:4-7.) And Moses left Pharaoh in hot anger. (Ex. 11:8.)

[edit] The first Passover

God told Moses and Aaron to mark that month as the first of the months of the year. (Ex. 12:1-2.) And God told them to instruct the Israelites in the laws of Passover, and the Israelites obeyed. (Ex. 12:3-28, 43-50; 13:6-10.) (See Commandments below.)

[edit] The plague of the firstborn

In the middle of the night, God struck down all the firstborn in Egypt. (Ex. 12:29.) Pharaoh arose in the night to a loud cry in Egypt, summoned Moses and Aaron, and told them to take the Israelites and go. (Ex. 12:30-32.) So the Israelites took their dough before it was leavened, borrowed silver, gold, and clothing from the Egyptians, and left the Land of Goshen for Sukkot. (Ex. 12:34-37.) God instructed Moses to tell the Israelites to consecrate to God every firstborn man and beast, and Moses did so. (Ex. 13:1-2, 11-15.)

[edit] Commandments

According to Maimonides and Sefer ha-Chinuch, there are 9 positive and 11 negative commandments in the parshah:

Courts must calculate to determine when a new month begins Ex. 12:2
To slaughter the Passover lamb at the specified time Ex. 12:6
To eat the Passover lamb with matzah and maror on the night of the fourteenth of Nisan Ex. 12:8
Not to eat the Passover meat raw or boiled Ex. 12:9

Passover Seder Plate

Not to leave any meat from the Passover lamb over until morning Ex. 12:10
To destroy all chametz on the fourteenth of Nisan Ex. 12:15
To eat matzah on the first night of Passover Ex. 12:18
Not to find chametz in your domain seven days Ex. 12:19
Not to eat mixtures containing chametz all seven days of Passover Ex. 12:20
An apostate must not eat from the Passover lamb Ex. 12:43
A permanent or temporary hired worker must not eat from it Ex. 12:45
Not to take the paschal meat from the confines of the group Ex. 12:46
Not to break any bones of the Passover lamb Ex. 12:46
An uncircumcised male must not eat from it Ex. 12:48
To set aside the firstborn animals Ex. 13:12
Not to eat chametz all seven days of Passover Ex. 13:3
Not to see chametz in your domain seven days Ex. 13:7
To relate the Exodus from Egypt on the first night of Passover Ex. 13:8
To redeem the firstborn donkey by giving a lamb to a Kohen Ex. 13:13
To break the neck of the donkey if the owner does not intend to redeem it Ex. 13:13

[edit] Haftarah

The haftarah for the parshah is Jeremiah 46:13–28.

[edit] Further reading

The parshah has parallels or is discussed in these classical sources:

Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 2:14:4–2:15:1.
Mishnah: Hallah 1:2; Orlah 3:3; Bikkurim 2:9; Pesachim 1:1–10:9; Beitzah 1:1; Megillah 3:4; Avodah Zarah 5:9; Zevahim 3:6; Menachot 3:7; Bekhorot 1:1–6:12, 8:1; Keritot 1:1.
Mekhilta According to Rabbi Ishmael 1:1–18:2.
Exodus Rabbah 13:1–19:8.
Zohar 2:32b–44a.