Parashat Bo 5786 -24 January 2026 / 6 Sh’vat 5786

“Gaddi's Notes on the Eternal Wisdom of the Prominent Sages”:

Bo: The Moment Israel Becomes a Redeemed Nation

Parashat Bo is understood by the sages not merely as the conclusion of the plagues, but as the inner birth of redemption itself. It reveals how divine lightpenetrates the deepest darkness and how Israel is spiritually reshaped into a redeemed nation.

1. “Bo el Paroh” – Entering the Depth of Impurity

The Zohar (Bo 34b–36a) teaches that Pharaoh was not only a human tyrant but the spiritual embodiment of the great serpent, the root of arrogance and denial of God.

The Torah does not say “Go,” but “Come”, implying that God Himself accompanies Moshe into the innermost chamber of evil.

Redemption cannot occur by avoidance alone; it requires confrontation at the source.

The Arizal explains that Moshe was entering the shoresh ha-ra (root of evil) to extract the final sparks of holinesstrapped within Egypt.

2. Locusts – The Collapse of Illusory Sustenance

Shemot Rabbah (13:7) explains that the locusts devoured what the hail had spared, symbolizing thatEgypt’s illusion of recovery was false. Spiritually, this represents thedismantling of false reliance.

The Sfat Emet teaches that material abundance without divine alignment ultimately consumes itself. Egypt’s power was rooted in external control; once severed from divine flow, it collapsed rapidly.

3. Darkness – When Truth Is No Longer Accessible

Rashi (Exodus 10:22) describes the darkness as thick, immobilizing the Egyptians. Midrash Tanchuma (Bo 3) explains that this darkness was not natural—it was a spiritual blindness where one could not see or move.

The Baal Shem Tov teaches that true darkness is not absence of light, but inability to recognize God’s presence. Israel, however, “had light in their dwellings” —meaning inner clarity even amidst concealment.

4. Death of the Firstborn – Judgment at the Root

The Maharal (Gevurot Hashem, ch. 36) explains that the firstborn represents reshit—origin and strength. Egypt’s worldview was struck at its beginning.

The Zohar adds that Egypt’s power was sustained by distorted spiritual channels; the death of the firstborn severed those channels entirely. Redemption occurs when the spiritual pipeline of impurity is cut off.

5. The Pesach Offering – Radical Separation from Idolatry

Shemot Rabbah (16:2) emphasizes the danger Israel faced by slaughtering the lamb, an Egyptian deity. This act was an open declaration of loyalty to God.

The Ramban explains that the blood on the doorposts served as a covenantal sign, transforming private homes into sacred spaces. Redemption begins within the home, not the palace.

The Zohar teaches that the blood corresponds to gevurah refined by faith, turning judgment into protection.

6. Sanctifying the Moon – Freedom as Mastery of Time

Ramban (Exodus 12:2) states that this mitzvah is foundational because control over time defines freedom. Slaves live in imposed time; free people sanctify it.

The Kli Yakar adds that the moon’s renewal mirrors Israel’s destiny: decline followed by renewal. Redemption is cyclical yet inevitable.

7. Haste and Unleavened Bread – Faith Before Completion

Mechilta deRabbi Yishmael explains that Israel left Egypt before spiritual perfection. The matzah represents simplicity and surrender.

The Sfat Emet teaches that redemption begins with emunah peshutah (simple faith). Understanding follows movement, not the reverse.

Conclusion – Bo as the Torah of Redemption

Parashat Bo reveals a central principle of the sages: Redemption is not escape—it is transformation.

Through confronting darkness, rejecting false power, sanctifying time, and acting in faith, Israel becomes a vessel for divine light. The Exodus thus becomes an eternal spiritual pattern, reenacted in every generation and within every soul.

Bo teaches that God does not only take us out of Egypt—He takes Egypt out of us.

“Bo el Paroh” — Entering the Core of Darkness

The Torah’s wording “Bo el Paroh” (“Enter into Pharaoh”) is one of the most penetrating phrases in the entire Exodus narrative.

The Jewish sages teach that this is not a linguistic nuance but a spiritual instruction revealing how redemption truly unfolds.

1. “Enter to Pharaoh” — Not Proximity, but Penetration

The Zohar (Bo) explains that God did not ask Moshe to approach Pharaoh, but to enter his inner chamber, the psychic and spiritual core of Egyptian power.

Pharaoh is identified with the tannin ha-gadol—the great primordial dragon (cf. Ezekiel 29:3)—the spiritual source from which Egypt’s arrogance, domination, and denial of God flowed.

Chassidut emphasizes a crucial principle here: external confrontation never produces lasting transformation. Redemption requires penetrating the root, not treating symptoms.

This is why the Torah parallels:

“ Bo el Paroh ” — Enter Pharaoh

“ Bo el ha-Tevah ” — Enter the Ark

Just as the Ark was an inner refuge that transcended the flood, Moshe’s entry into Pharaoh was an inner descent into the heart of evil, accompanied by God Himself.

According to Zohar Va’era, this moment marks a direct confrontation between the King of Kings and the spiritual power animating Egypt.

Gaddi Efrayim Notes: Every generation has its “Pharaoh”, but Pharaoh is not only external. It is the inner voice of ego, control, and self-deification. True tikkun begins when one is willing to enter—not escape—that space, together with God.

2. “I Have Hardened His Heart” — Absolute Divine Sovereignty

Moshe is shaken by Pharaoh’s resilience. Seven plagues have already struck, yet Egypt stands unmoved. The Zohar and Chassidic masters explain that Moshe feared evil possessed independent strength.

God responds: “For I have hardened his heart.”

This is a foundational teaching of Jewish faith: There is no autonomous power besides God.

The hardening of Pharaoh’s heart was not resistance to God—it was resistance from God, serving a higher purpose.

This principle is mirrored in the Book of Iyov (Job). The Satan acts only because God initiates and limits his role. Iyov’s greatness lies in his clarity: “Hashem gave, Hashem took.” He never attributes suffering to a competing power.

Chassidut teaches that evil exists only as a tool, never as a rival. Even concealment, confusion, and resistance are instruments of divine pedagogy.

Beit Yisrael insight: In times of unusual resistance, confusion, or spiritual darkness, the question is not “Why is this happening?” but “What deeper attachment to the Creator is being demanded of us now?”

3. Why Ten Plagues? — Education, Not Coercion

God could have freed Israel without a single plague. The sages insist that the plagues were not for God’s sake, but for human consciousness.

The Torah states explicitly that the final plagues would become a testimony for future generations (Exodus 10:2). Redemption had to be known, internalized, and remembered.

Through the plagues:

• Egypt learned that its gods were illusions

• Israel learned that dependence on God is not theoretical—it is existential

• Trouble and concealment awaken longing. Longing creates vessels. Vessels receive redemption.

4. Troubles and Lack of Light — The Inner Meaning of the Final Plagues

Chassidut reframes suffering and darkness not as punishment, but as educational concealment.

Isaiah’s words are central here:

“I form light and create darkness; I make peace and create adversity.”

When light is withdrawn, the soul is invited to seek its source.

Gaddi Efrayim Notes: Periods of spiritual dryness are not abandonment; they are invitations to deeper cleaving (devekut). The absence of light tests whether our relationship with God is conditional or absolute.

5. The Last Three Plagues and the Intellectual Sefirot

The sages teach that the final three plagues correspond not to emotion or action, but to consciousness itself:

Binah (Understanding) — LocustsBinah is expansion and comprehension. When corrupted by ego, it becomes intellectual exploitation. The locusts devour everything, reflecting understanding severed from humility.

Hokhmah (Wisdom) — DarknessHokhmah is divine insight, which requires bitul (self-nullification). Egypt’s darkness reflects the inability to receive wisdom because ego blocks illumination. Israel, possessing humility, retains light.

Daat (Knowledge / Integration) — Death of the FirstbornDaat is lived truth—knowledge that shapes identity. The death of the firstborn shattered Egypt’s sense of continuity and meaning, while Israel emerged with integrated faith, ready to bind knowledge to life.

Together, these plagues dismantle false consciousness and rebuild divine awareness.

Conclusion — Redemption from the Inside Out

Parashat Bo reveals a radical truth of Jewish mysticism:

Redemption does not begin with escape. It begins with entry.

God enters Pharaoh. Light enters darkness. Faith enters confusion.

And Israel is born not merely as a free people, but as a people who know—deeply and irrevocably—that there is no power besides Him.

This is the eternal Exodus, taught by the sages, lived by Israel, and renewed in every soul that dares to “enter” together with God.