January 19, 2024 · ט׳ שבט תשפ״ד
Parashat Bo · פרשת בא
A PEEK AT THE PARSHA In this week’s parsha, the Egyp�ans are punished with the last three (of ten) makkot: Arbeh (locusts), Choshech (darkness), and Makkat Bechorot (Plague of the First Born). Hashem commanded Bnei Yisrael with their first mitzvah: Kiddush Hachodesh, establishing a calendar based on the new moon. Then they were instructed to do the Korban Pesach (Passover sacrifice). The Korban Pesach entailed slaughtering a baby lamb and sprinkling its blood on the doorpost of their homes. It was roasted and eaten that night
ONE BIG IDEA Bo contains the first mitzvah given to the Jewish People: making a Jewish calendar that is based on the moon (not the sun, like the regular calendar). The lunar (moon) calendar has 12 months, just like the solar (sun) calendar. But lunar months are slightly shorter than solar months. This some�mes makes the lunar year too short and, eventually, the chagim would fall out during the wrong seasons (imagine if Pesach, Chag Ha’aviv, happened during the winter!) So some�mes, like this year, we need to add a month to make everything happen at the right �me.
together with Matzah and Maror. On the first night of Pesach, Hashem passed over all Jewish houses that had the blood on the doorpost, and the firstborn child was spared. A�er this last makkah, Paroh finally agreed to let Bnei Yisrael leave Egypt. Bnei Yisrael le� in such a rush that their dough didn’t have enough �me to rise and the bread was, in fact, Matzah. Before leaving Mitzrayim, Bnei Yisrael asked their Egyp�an neighbors for gold, silver and clothing in order to fulfill Hashem’s promise to Avraham that his children would leave Egypt with great wealth. Bnei Yisrael were commanded to do several mitzvot in this Parsha, including: Pidyon Haben (redeeming the first born boy), the Pesach mitzvot - Sippur Yetziat Mitzrayim (retelling the Pesach story at the Seder), ea�ng Matzah, and removing chametz from the house. The last mitzvah Bnei Yisrael received was wearing Tefillin. Tefillin, as well as many other mitzvot, were given to Bnei Yisrael in order to remember the miracles of leaving Mitzrayim.
TIMES - זמנים Candle-lighting: 4:39pm Havdalah: 5:38pm