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והגדת לבנך ביום ההוא לאמר

Sruly Schnair
In Bo, 5785

And you shall tell your son on that day. (13:8)

The Rambam (Sefer HaMitzvos 157) writes that it is mandatory for us to remember/reflect on the various trials and tribulations that we experienced in Egypt, so that we can properly pay gratitude to Hashem for saving us.  Unless one understands the pain, he is unable to be makir tov, pay gratitude.  Horav Yaakov Cohen, zl, delves into Rambam’s source for this comment.  Nowhere in the Torah does hakoras hatov play a role in the mitzvah to remember Egypt.  He cites the AbudRaham, who quotes Rishonim, who explain the term haggadah, which serves as the seder night’s primer, as being derived…

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Home -> 5785 -> Bo

ויקחו להם איש שה לבית אבות

Sruly Schnair
In Bo, 5785

They shall take for themselves – each man – a lamb for a father’s house. (12:3)

The Egyptians suffered through nine makos, plagues, but apparently dug in and refused to budge.  The Jewish People were not leaving Egypt.  It was now time for the coupe de grace, the finishing blow that would “convince” Pharaoh that Hashem was in control, and He was taking the Jews from them.  The tenth plague, smiting the first born, was told to Moshe Rabbeinu during his first encounter with Hashem at the Burning Bush.  Yet, Hashem required a prologue before preceding to the final act of makos bechoros.  The people were commanded to take a lamb for each family, slaughter and…

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ויהי חשך אפלה בכל ארץ מצרים ... לא ראו איש את אחיו ולא קמו איש מתחתיו

Sruly Schnair
In Bo, 5785

And there was a darkness of gloom throughout the land of Egypt…No man could see his brother nor could anyone rise from his place. (10:22,23)

In his sefer, Yalkut Chinuch L’Doros, Rabbi Simcha Zissel Dessler, Shlita, quotes a story from Horav Yisrael Meir Lau, Shlita, which is well-worth repeating.  Fifty years ago, a place in the center of Tel Aviv’s downtown was where the wagon drivers would line up and wait for passengers who either wanted to travel or to ship their packages.  One of these drivers was an observant Jew, by the name of Yoska, who would first participate in the vasikin, sunrise, minyan, and then he was off to work.  As time passed, Yoska’s aged horse left this world.  Lacking the funds to…

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Home -> 5784 -> Bo

והיה לך לאות על ידך

Sruly Schnair
In Bo, 5784

And it should be for you a sign on your arm. (13:9)

Horav Aryeh Levin, zl, the Tzaddik of Yerushalayim, reached out to Jews of all backgrounds and religious persuasions. He made it a point to visit the prisons run by the British and also visit those with contagious diseases, such as leprosy. Indeed, he was one of the few who did this. Certainly, no one of his exalted stature carried out such exalted acts of chesed. During the British Mandate, political prisoners – such as the young, Jewish freedom fighters – were sentenced to the gallows by the British courts. The shadow of death was hardly ever overruled by a pardon….

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Home -> 5784 -> Bo

קדש לי כל בכור פטר כל רחם

Sruly Schnair
In Bo, 5784

Sanctify for Me every first born, the first issue of every womb. (13:2)

Chazal (Kiddushin 29b) derive from here that the term b’chor, firstborn, applies only to the firstborn of the mother. A firstborn who is the first for the father, but not the mother, does not become consecrated b’kedushas bechorah, the sanctity of the firstborn. We wonder why this is so? The bechorim are sanctified due to the miracle concerning their salvation when all the heathen firstborn of Egypt were slain. The Jewish firstborn were spared. Regarding the Egyptian firstborn, no distinction was made whether it was the father’s or mother’s firstborn – they all died. Indeed, if no firstborn was in…

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ויצא מעם פרעה בחרי אף

Sruly Schnair
In Bo, 5784

And he left Pharaoh’s presence in a burning anger. (11:9)

Moshe Rabbeinu finally became angry with Pharaoh, whose irrational, egotistical obstinacy was endangering his entire country. Pharaoh was playing games with Moshe. First, no; then, yes; then, who will go? Finally, when Pharaoh told Moshe not to return unless he despaired for his life, Moshe replied, “I will no longer see your face.” Despite Moshe’s justified anger, he still spoke respectfully to Pharaoh. Indeed, he told Pharaoh that, at the next plague, it will be his slaves who will be coming to him, pleading for an end to the plague. In the end, it was Pharaoh, accompanied by his slaves,…

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ולמען תספר באזני בנך

Sruly Schnair
In Bo, 5784

And so that you may relate in the ears of your son. (10:2)

One of the mysteries that plague the commentators is the fact that the two sons of Moshe Rabbeinu were not in Egypt during the demonstration of the miracles and wonders associated with the Exodus. They did not see Krias Yam Suf, the Splitting of the Red Sea. All of Klal Yisrael observed the final end of 210 years of slavery, as their oppressors experienced a fitting end to their domination of the Jews. Two sons, not just ordinary sons, but the two children of the man of the hour, who became the Rabban Shel Kol Yisrael and its quintessential leader….

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Home -> 5783 -> Bo

קדש לי כל בכור... ויאמר משה אל העם זכור את היום הזה אשר יצאתם ממצרים... והיה כי יביאך ד'

Sruly Schnair
In Bo, 5783

Sanctify to Me every firstborn… Moshe said to the people, “Remember this day on which you departed from Egypt… And it will come to pass that Hashem shall bring you.” (13:1,2,4)

Rarely does a mitzvah receive such a hakdamah, foreword, prior to presenting the actual mitzvah to Klal Yisrael. Apparently, the mitzvah of kiddush b’chorim, sanctification of the firstborn, is tied directly to the story of the Egyptian bondage and the ensuing exodus. First, we note that unlike for the b’chor of an animal whose kedushah is pronounced by the declaration, Harei zeh kadosh, “This is sanctified,” this declaration does not suffice for a human firstborn. It is critical that we expend much effort in raising the infant b’chor to achieve Heavenly kedushah. This is the idea behind prefacing the mitzvah…

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Home -> 5783 -> Bo

ולא יהיה בכם נגף למשחית בהכתי בארץ מצרים...ואתם לא תצאו איש מפתח ביתו עד בקר

Sruly Schnair
In Bo, 5783

There shall not be a plague of destruction upon you when I strike in the land of Egypt. (12:13)…You shall not leave the entrance of the house until morning. (12:22)

The Jews were warned to stay home during the destruction that Hashem was wreaking in Egypt. What about the Jew who left his house? Did he perish together with the Egyptians? Rashi alludes to such a situation when he comments concerning the pasuk, “There shall not be a plague of destruction upon you.” If a Jew happened to be in an Egyptian home during the plague, was he smitten together with his Egyptian host? No. This was Hashem’s promise: “Jews will not die.” Mishnas Rashi wonders why there is a question that a member of the Jewish People would suffer…

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Home -> 5783 -> Bo

והיתה צעקה גדלה בכל ארץ מצרים אשר כמהו לא נהיתה וכמהו לא תסף

Sruly Schnair
In Bo, 5783

There shall be a great outcry in the entire land of Egypt, such as there had never been and such a there shall never be again. (11:6)

Moshe Rabbeinu warned of the impending plague of makkas bechoros, smiting of the firstborn. He added that the cries of grief would supersede any cries that had been and any cries that would ever be. These are strong words coming from the individual who was the medium for the last nine plagues that had devastated Egypt. One would expect that such words would have shaken up the Egyptians to their very core. The Midrash HaGadol, however, relates a dialogue that ensued between an elderly Egyptian woman and Moshe. The woman screamed, “You are a false prophet! An old woman who…

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