"There was light in their dwellings"(Exodus 10:23) Shevat 9, 5784/January 19, 2024 In this week's Torah portion, Bo, we read of the final three plagues with which G-d struck Egypt, as well as the preparations for Israel's exodus from Egypt. If the first seven plagues failed to make much of an impression on the hard-hearted, obstinate and imperious Pharaoh, the final three plagues would provide a knockout blow. Each of the ten plagues was designed to undo one of the ten basic acts of creation performed by G-d during the six days in which He shaped and brought our world into existence. Each act of unraveling an aspect of creation would have certainly frightened an ordinary man into accepting at once that he is no match for G-d. But Pharaoh was no ordinary man. Pharaoh refused to acknowledge G-d's existence, and by doing so he backed himself into an inescapable corner. The final three plagues visited upon Egypt, the plague of locusts, darkness and the killing of the firstborns, would strip Pharaoh of his last vestiges of self knowledge and human agency. G-d created the fundamental elements of our universe through a process of differentiation and separation. He created light and separated light from darkness and day from night. He created the heavens and the earth and separated the upper waters from the lower waters and dry land from the seas. Our ability to think and to act is based on our ability to make distinctions between these disparate and contrasting realities. Our ability to observe such distinctions in our material world ultimately enables us to differentiate between right and wrong, good and evil. We are told that the plague of locusts was so thick that "They obscured the view of all the earth, and the earth became darkened, and they ate all the vegetation of the earth and all the fruits of the trees, which the hail had left over, and no greenery was left in the trees or in the vegetation of the fields throughout the entire land of Egypt." (Exodus 10:15) The entire nation of Egypt, from Pharaoh on down, could no longer see light or dark or white or black. It all became a blur, an indistinct imperceptible haze. Creation itself was reverting back into a primordial fog, and with it, man's own individuality. Pharaoh was so shaken by this loss of self that he confessed to Moshe his sin "against HaShem your G-d and against you. But now, forgive now my sin only this time and entreat HaShem your G-d, and let Him remove from me just this death." (ibid 10:16) But this was only the beginning. The next plague, darkness, would plunge Pharaoh and all of Egypt into a darkness so thick, so void of light, that every single Egyptian was enveloped in a cocoon of pitch darkness. "They did not see each other, and no one rose from his place for three days." (ibid 10:23) Each and every Egyptian was embalmed in total and absolute isolation, unable to see, to touch, to speak to one another. "It is not good that man is alone." (Genesis 2:18) G-d's very first observation of man, His prize creation, was that man must not be alone. Man's lack of a fellow man was so grievous, so detrimental to man's well being that G-d had to immediately provide a remedy. Until this moment everything in G-d's creation had been good. But man, alone without a fellow man to reach out to, to see, to speak to, was a tear in the fabric of creation that required immediate repair. And now, embedded in a darkness so thick that they could not move, the Egyptians, and most importantly, Pharaoh, were losing their very grip on their own humanity. Three days of total darkness brought them to the edge of sanity. So shaken was Pharaoh by his three days of dark, immobilizing darkness, that, in desperation, he told Moshe, "Go away from me! Beware! You shall no longer see my face, for on the day that you see my face, you shall die!" (Exodus 10:28) Dazed and crazed by his experience, Pharaoh unwittingly sealed his fate and the fate of his nation. He would never see Moshe's face again. The final and fatal plague Moshe would announce not to Pharaoh but to the children of Israel as he prepared them to leave Egypt. So detached Pharaoh was from his own humanity that he was no longer relevant, neither to Moshe, nor to Israel, nor to G-d. The final plague, the death of the firstborn sons of all Egypt, was ironically the blow that, by virtue of the unparalleled tragedy it imposed upon Egypt, actually returned to them their humanity. By taking away their firstborns, G-d was returning the Egyptians to the world of the living. But while Pharaoh and his people were losing the very distinctions that defined them as human beings, as the sons of Adam, created in the image of G-d, Israel was busy acquiring the defining principles that would shape them and make of them a distinct nation, equipped with agency and a future. "This month shall be to you the head of the months; to you it shall be the first of the months of the year," (ibid 12;2) G-d tells Israel. By handing over to Israel control over time G-d was granting Israel freedom to determine its own course. Israel was gaining her freedom, coming into focus, beginning to define herself as a people, even as Egypt was fading into oblivion. From this point on, Israel, in tandem with HaShem, will chart her own path and realize her own unique role in G-d's world. Today, just as in Pharaoh's day, there are many thousands of people in the world who are lost in a thick, impenetrable darkness, trapped by their own stubborn adherence to a doctrine that refuses to admit G-d's presence in the world, and replaces His light with a dark and bleak inversion of reality. This mixed multitude refuses to admit to the basic distinctions which G-d designed in creation, and arm themselves with the audacity to invent new determinations in reality: the shade on one's skin is inviolable. Gender is not. And ultimately, at the top of the ladder of their perverse "moral" universe, Israel, the very people who were blessed with "light in all their dwellings" (ibid 10:23) while Egypt was plunged into darkness, and the G-d of Israel, who liberated man from the shackles imposed by other men, and by the false doctrines imposed by other men, are the targets of their light-starved hatred and abuse. We don't know how long today's plague of darkness will continue to rob from so many their most basic ability to grasp anything other than darkness itself. But we who have been blessed with light must continue to make our way forward, aligning our destiny with G-d who created light so that we can see the good and pursue the good in life. A better future, a promised land, a covenant with HaShem calls us. We must make haste to leave the darkness of Egypt. . |
Tune in to this week's Temple Talk, as Yitzchak Reuven talks about the plague of darkness, then & now, the freedom to choose good over evil, and the death of the firstborns for those who deny G-d! Pharaoh was just one man who chose to deny G-d and follow the path of darkness leading to death. Today there are millions of self proclaimed Pharaohs who choose darkness over light and death over life, all because they are too full of themselves to make room for G-d. |
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He who does not learn from history is doomed to repeat it. This modern day observation describes the essence of Jewish ritual and explains why the Torah devotes more attention to the Passover observance of the exodus than to the exodus itself. Bo (Exodus 10:1 - 13:16)
Parashat Bo is read on Shabbat:
Shevat 10, 5784/January 20, 2024 |
Haftara For Shabbat Parashat Bo
Jeremiah 46:13-28: "The word that HaShem spoke to Jeremiah the prophet, concerning the coming of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon to smite the land of Egypt. Proclaim it in Egypt and let it be heard in Migdol, and let it be heard in Noph and in Tahpanhes, say, "Stand fast and prepare yourself, for the sword has devoured round about you...'" |
Become a Member of the Temple Institute! Introducing the Temple Institute's new membership card, in PDF format to conveniently download onto your phone. We are issuing the new membership cards to all new donors and will soon be sending the new card to our veteran donors, as well! (If you are expecting to receive your card, please check your spam folder!) |
Fighting For The Holy Temple! This IDF soldier tells the story of the nation of Israel and what we are fighting for: our freedom in our homeland, Moshiach and Beit HaMikdash - the Holy Temple! Am Yisrael Chai! |
The Four Horns Of The Altar On the four corners of the mizbeach were four horns (kranot) - each horn had an area of one square cubit and was one cubit in height. The horns protruded from the mizbeach and were an integral part of it; if a horn was damaged the mizbeach was deemed unfit for use. |
Extremely Rare, Important 2550-Year-Old Silver Coin Discovered In Excavations At The Judean Hills Rare evidence for the earliest use of coins in the country—an extremely rare silver coin dated to the Persian period (6th–5th centuries BCE)—was recently discovered in an Israel Antiquities Authority excavation at a site in the Judean Hills. |
The Kohanim's Walkway The kohanim's (Temple priests') walkway was on the top of the mizbeach (altar). All the kohanim that ascended the mizbeach would do so from the right (east), encircle the mizbeach and descend from the left,(as seen in second from right, bottom picture). There were three exceptions to this rule... |
Unearthed: 2,500-Year-Old Silver Coin From Kingdom Of Judah The excavation also exposed a building from the First Temple Period, with even earlier evidence for commerce in the form of a shekel weight.
An extremely rare silver coin dated to the Persian period (6th–5th centuries BCE) was recently discovered during an Israel Antiquities Authority excavation in the Judean Hills, providing evidence for the earliest known use of coins in the area. |
The Two Libation Cups Two small cups were located on top of the mizbeach, next to the horn on the southwest corner. These cups were used to receive the libations. The wine libation was poured into one of the cups, and this was done daily at the completion of the burnt and peace offerings. The other cup was for the water libation which was done during the Sukkot festival. Near the cups a pile of salt was kept, used for salting the libations and for the meal-offerings before their offering. |
Holy Temple Dog Tag! All IDF soldiers are instructed to make a pouch for their dog tags so that they won't reflect light or make noise, as that could compromise their safety in a combat situation. This soldier took the time to design a pouch showing the facade of the Holy Temple! This is what Israel is fighting for: "a house of prayer for all nations!" (Isaiah 56:7) No more hatred, no more death cults. Only love, peace and prayer! |
The Three Woodpiles Three woodpiles were arranged at the top of the mizbeach: the large wood pile, the incense woodpile and the woodpile for the perpetual fire. On Yom Kippur, an additional woodpile was prepared for the incense burned in the Holy of Holies. All types of wood were fit to be used for these fires, with the exception of olive and grapevine wood. However, in practice, wood of fig, walnut and pine trees were used, for these burn well. |
Mikdash Monday - 7 Species (Part 5) “For Hashem your G-d brings you into a good land, a land of water courses, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills; A land of wheat and barley, of vines, figs, and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey;” (Deuteronomy 8:7-8) |
Kohanim At Work! We currently don't have the Holy Temple, (may we merit to rebuild it soon!), but that doesn't mean that kohanim today don't have a job to fulfill. This young kohen spent the afternoon blessing IDF troops on their way into Gaza with the ancient priestly blessing |
Chut Hasikra: The Crimson Line The Crimson Line was a thin red strip that ran all along the mizbeach and divided its height into two. The upper part was five cubits, including the height of the horns. The bottom half was five cubits, including the base. Some offerings, such as the burnt and peace offerings, required their blood to be dashed upon the bottom half of the mizbeach. |
Shavua Tov From The Temple Mount! 740 Jews ascended the Temple Mount this past week, in purity and despite the pouring rain! Over 9,000 Jews have ascended and prayed o the Temple Mount since the start of the war 100 days ago, and they are all praying for the same thing: that HaShem will guard over our brave soldiers, that we succeed in freeing our hostages and that we achieve total victory over Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and the puppetmaster of them all - Iran! Amen! Shavua tov - have a good week! |
Build a House for HaShem! "Be strong and have courage! Build a House for HaShem!" In this scene from a film soon to become an integral part of the Temple Institute's Jerusalem based Visitors Center experience, the prophet Samuel charges King David with the task of building the Holy Temple! |
The Glory of this Last House Shall be Greater than the First! "The Glory of this Last House Shall be Greater than the First!" In this scene from a film soon to become an integral part of the Temple Institute's Jerusalem based Visitors Center experience, Zerubavel from the house of David and Kohen Gadol (High Priest) Yehoshua consult with the prophet Haggai who instructs them to waste no time in rebuilding the Holy Temple! |
Red Heifers Arrive In Israel! On Thursday, September 15, 2022, 5 PM, 5 perfect, unblemished red heifers arrived in Israel from the USA. A modest ceremony was held at the unloading bay of the cargo terminal at Ben Gurion airport, where the new arrivals were greeted and speeches were made by the incredible people who have put their hearts and souls and means into making this historic/prophetic day become a reality. |
Biblical Red Heifer Could Bring Million Visitors To Samaria The Ancient Shiloh heritage site will soon host a Red Heifer research center. Hundreds of visitors flocked to Shiloh in Samaria’s Binyamin region on Thursday to welcome a biblically pure red heifer. The 22-month-old cow, which was brought to Israel from the United States, found a new home at the Ancient Shiloh heritage site, where the biblical Tabernacle once stood. |
Blessings from the holy city of Jerusalem!
Yitzchak Reuven
The Temple Institute |
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