This week tells the story of the actual Exodus from Egypt -- the last three of the Ten Plagues; the commandment to observe the Passover feast; and the actual act of leaving. It marks the birth of the Jewish people as a nation.
And yet despite the fact that the portion is about an exodus -- a "leaving" -- the title of the portion is called "Bo" in Hebrew, meaning "come." The name comes from the first passage: "The Lord said to Moses: 'Come to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, in order that I may place these signs of Mine in his midst.'" (Genesis 10:1)
Obviously, the context of "come" refers to "coming" to Pharaoh, and not "coming" out of Egypt -- but here, too, the usage is odd. Why not command Moses to "go" to Pharaoh? Why does God say "come," as if inviting Moses?
One answer is that God is the prime mover behind the whole narrative -- even controlling Pharaoh's own heart -- so that in ordering Moses to "come" to Pharaoh, he is also telling Moses to "come" to Him and continue the fulfillment of his plan for the Israelites.
Another answer is that sometimes, in leaving a bad situation, we are conscious of the cost of making that decision, but we should be more aware of what we gaining by walking away -- that we are "coming" into our own, into who we are.
It can be tough to walk away from a job or a relationship that isn't working out -- and many people stay in those situations because of the costs of leaving -- but when we leave, we may "come" to our destiny, returning rather than leaving.
https://www.chabad.org/parshah/torahreading.asp?aid=2492615&p=complete&jewish=Bo-Torah-Reading.htm
The story of Noah is familiar; the details, less so.
Noah is often seen as an ambivalent figure. He was righteous -- but only for his generation. What was his deficiency?
One answer suggests itself: knowing that the world was about to be flooded, he built an Ark for the animals and for his own family -- but did not try to save anyone else or to convince them to repent and change their ways (the prophet Jonah, later, would share that reluctance).
Abraham, later, would set himself apart by arguing with God -- with the Lord Himself! -- against the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, saying that they should be saved if there were enough righteous people to be found (there were not).
Still, Noah was good enough -- and sometimes, that really is sufficient to save the world. We don't need heroes every time -- just ordinary decency.
Hi all -- as I noted last month, I'm going to be closing down my Locals page, at least for tips and subscriptions -- I may keep the page up and the posts as well, but I'm no longer going to be accepting any kind of payment.
Look for cancelation in the very near future. Thank you for your support!
An interesting weekend -- one of the last of Daylight Savings Time -- in which there is much to celebrate, much to contemplate, and a bit to worry about.
The Gaza peace deal is shaky, but holding, after the living hostages returned; the shutdown is still going on, with no end in sight; the China trade war is heating up; and the confrontation with Venezuela continues to escalate.
The "No Kings" protest was a dud, despite the media's attempt to inflate it. What I find fascinating is that the Democrats have basically stolen the rhetoric and the imagery of the Tea Party protests, circa 2009. They claim they are defending the Constitution -- just like the Tea Party did.
On the one hand, this is good. How wonderful to have a political system in which both sides, bitterly opposed though they are, articulate differences through the Constitution -- and not, as in so many other countries, outside it.
On the other, this is sheer hypocrisy for the Democrats. Not only did they malign the Tea Party as ...
