Bo – Page 6 – Peninim on the Torah

והיה כי ישאלך בנך מחר לאמר מה זאת ואמרת אליו בחזק יד הוציאנו ד' ממצרים מבית עבדים

And it shall be when your son will ask you at some future time, “What is this?” You shall say to him, “With a strong hand Hashem removed us from Egypt from the house of bondage.” (13:14)

Rashi explains the above pasuk as presenting the question of a foolish child who is unable to ask a question in depth. Therefore, he is vague and simply asks, “What is this?” Elsewhere, the Torah presents the question differently: “What are the testimonies, statutes and judgments, etc.?” This is the question of the wise son. Thus, the Torah speaks with respect to four sons: the wicked one; the one who is unable to ask; the one who asks in a vague manner; the one who asks in a wise manner. Horav Gamliel Rabinowitz, Shlita, derives from the Torah’s addressing four…

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וישאלו איש מאת רעהו ואשה מאת רעותה כלי כסף וכלי זהב

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bo, 5773

Let each man request of his fellow and each woman from her fellow silver vessels and gold vessels. (11:2)

Klal Yisrael left Egypt with enormous material wealth. Hashem promised Avraham Avinu that his descendants would be subjugated to difficult toil and slavery. When they would be finally liberated, however, they would leave as kings, triumphant in their victory over tyranny and laden with material bounty. On Pesach night, we celebrate the Egyptian exodus by remembering that night of triumph. During the Seder, we recall the slavery, celebrate the liberation and praise the Almighty, Who orchestrated the entire experience. The Korban Pesach, Pascal-offering, was offered together with the Korban Chagigah, Festival-offering. We no longer have the Bais Hamikdash as a…

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ואמרתם זבח פסח הוא לד'

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bo, 5773

It is a Pesach feast-offering to Hashem. (12:27)

The above pasuk is used as the response to the wise son in the Haggadah. The highlight of the Seder for many people is the recitation of the section addressing the arba banim, four sons. It allows us to reflect upon the individual natures and proclivities of different people and to analyze “what went wrong.” Why does one boy become a chacham, wise man, while another boy in the same class, from a similar family, becomes a rasha? It is in the genes, or is there more to it? I do not think that anyone has a definitive answer to…

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ויהי בעצם היום הזה יצאו כל צבאות ד' מארץ מצרים

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bo, 5773

It was on this very day that all the legions of Hashem left the land of Egypt. (12:41)

Yetzias Mitzrayim, the exodus from Egypt, was the seminal event that commenced our journey toward nationhood, with its conclusion at Har Sinai, where we accepted the Torah and became Hashem’s People. The Torah is the contract that binds us to the Almighty, but it all started with yetzias Mitzrayim. Had we not been liberated, then we could never have achieved nationhood. Indeed, zechiras Yetzias Mitzrayim, remembering the Exodus, is part and parcel of Jewish tradition. Our national motif is included within the heritage of every Jewish Festival, as a constant reminder that the event we are presently celebrating would not…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bo, 5772

“There was a thick darkness throughout the land of Egypt for a three-day period.” (10:22)

Rashi asks a question regarding makas choshech, the plague of darkness, which he does not ask concerning any of the other plagues: Why did Hashem specifically bring about the plague of darkness? He answers that there were Jews in Egypt who refused to leave. They would rather choose to live with the slavery, suffering and persecution that Egypt had to offer than risk possible death in the wilderness. During these three days of darkness these Jews died and were buried by their brethren. Resigned to remaining in the position in which they were before the plague began because of the…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bo, 5772

You shall say, “It is a Pesach feast-offering to Hashem, Who skipped over the houses of Bnei Yisrael in Egypt when He smote the Egyptians, but He saved our households.” (12:27)

Imagine, person A testifies that person B attempted to kill him. Person B is found guilty and placed in jail. Afterwards, person A makes a festive feast thanking the Almighty that he was not also incarcerated. Anyone privy to this case would certainly raise his eyebrows and wonder if person A is sane. Is that not, however, what the pasuk relates to us? The Egyptians sinned against the Jews. Hashem found them guilty and punished them severely. The Jews were offering their gratitude to Hashem for not also killing them! Why? It is the Egyptian who was the aggressor,…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bo, 5772

“Pharaoh rose up at midnight.” (12:30)

After Moshe notified Pharaoh of the impending death of the firstborn Egyptians, the Torah states that “Pharaoh rose up at midnight.” From where did he rise? Rashi responds, “From his bed.” Anyone who had been following the narrative knows that Pharaoh’s time was up. Everything that Moshe had said would occur had been realized. Nine devastating plagues had come and gone. What more did Pharaoh need to make him face the reality that Egypt was doomed? He was being told about the tenth and most devastating plague – makas bechoros, death of the firstborn. What did he do the night…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bo, 5772

“And it shall be when your son shall ask you at some future time, ‘What is this?’” (13:14)

In the Haggadah, this question is attributed to the ben tam, simple son. How does the author of the Haggadah know this? Indeed, who says this question is the result of a curious, sincere and innocent mind; perhaps he is asking this mockingly, in an attempt to ridicule the mitzvos. Interestingly, regarding the simple son, the Torah says, “And it shall be when your son shall ask you at some future time,” while regarding the ben rasha, wicked son, the Torah says, “And it shall be when your children say to you, What is this service to you?” (12:26). It…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bo, 5771

Hashem said to Moshe, “Come to Pharaoh, for I have made his heart… stubborn… and so that you may relate in the ears of your son and your son’s son that I made a mockery of Egypt.” (10:1,2)

Hashem informs Moshe Rabbeinu that He is keeping up the pressure on Pharaoh by threatening and exacting greater punishments. All this is for the purpose of teaching the Jewish People how He toyed with the Egyptians. The idea that Hashem manipulated the Egyptians is novel and begs elucidation. Why trifle with people who warrant powerful rebuke and punishment? Hashem punishes the wicked with serious punishments – not by toying with them. Imagine a child acting inappropriately at home. His father’s response is, “I am going to show you what I can do to you.” Obviously, the father is going to…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bo, 5771

“And so that you may relate in the ears of your son and your son’s son that I made a mockery of Egypt… that you may know that I am Hashem.” (10:2)

Every generation has its despots, evildoers who prey on the weak, the insecure and the unprotected. The Jewish People have had to contend with villains of all stripes: religious demagogues; sociopaths; psychopaths; and felons of all persuasions. Eventually, they all have gone down in infamy, receiving their due punishment, which Hashem ultimately metes out at His discretion. However, the question still gnaws at us: Why are so many evildoers permitted to continue their corruption unabated? While this question can only be answered from a spiritual perspective, the following vignette does shed some light on the matter. Horav Yisrael Salanter, zl, once…

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והיה כי ישאלך בנך מחר לאמר מה זאת ואמרת אליו בחזק יד הוציאנו ד' ממצרים מבית עבדים

And it shall be when your son will ask you at some future time, “What is this?” You shall say to him, “With a strong hand Hashem removed us from Egypt from the house of bondage.” (13:14)

וישאלו איש מאת רעהו ואשה מאת רעותה כלי כסף וכלי זהב

Let each man request of his fellow and each woman from her fellow silver vessels and gold vessels. (11:2)

ואמרתם זבח פסח הוא לד'

It is a Pesach feast-offering to Hashem. (12:27)

ויהי בעצם היום הזה יצאו כל צבאות ד' מארץ מצרים

It was on this very day that all the legions of Hashem left the land of Egypt. (12:41)

“There was a thick darkness throughout the land of Egypt for a three-day period.” (10:22)

You shall say, “It is a Pesach feast-offering to Hashem, Who skipped over the houses of Bnei Yisrael in Egypt when He smote the Egyptians, but He saved our households.” (12:27)

“Pharaoh rose up at midnight.” (12:30)

“And it shall be when your son shall ask you at some future time, ‘What is this?’” (13:14)

Hashem said to Moshe, “Come to Pharaoh, for I have made his heart… stubborn… and so that you may relate in the ears of your son and your son’s son that I made a mockery of Egypt.” (10:1,2)

“And so that you may relate in the ears of your son and your son’s son that I made a mockery of Egypt… that you may know that I am Hashem.” (10:2)

YEARS

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