Bo – Rabbi Jon 's Website and Blog

January 11, 2022

Rechavia, Sabba Moshe, and the Night Before Leaving Egypt: A Midrash

I wrote this midrash on the 5th of Sheva 5782 (January 8, 2022) as my Dvar Torah for Parashat Bo, and in particular chapters 11-12 of Exodus, which introduce and lead into and through the last of the ten plagues in Egypt. I was thinking about issues of collective accountability and responsibility, which are the ethical… Continue reading

Antisemitism, Bo, Books, Calendar, Coronavirus, Current Affairs, History, Holidays, Hope, Justice, Leadership, Midrash, Parashat Hashavua, Pesach, Shabbat Hachodesh, Tikkun Olam, Torah, Tzedek, USA

March 21, 2014

E-Maggid: What Is Freedom?

"Tell old Pharaoh: Let My people go." Everyone knows the words of the old spiritual. But in the Torah, the words are a bit different. Say to him: Adonai, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to you to say: Let My people go so they may serve Me in the wilderness (Exodus 7:16).… Continue reading

Bo, E-Maggid, Freedom, Holidays, Pesach, Soul, Spirituality

January 26, 2012

Parashat Bo: Redemption is God’s True Power

Of all the commentaries on the Torah, the one that Jews traditionally turn to first is the commentary of Rashi, Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, who lived in France in the eleventh century. Rashi’s very first comment on the Torah asks this question: Rabbi Yitzchak said: The Torah did not need to begin until chapter 12 of… Continue reading

Bo, Parashat Hashavua, Spirituality

January 22, 2010

Parashat Bo: A Hardened Heart

This Dvar Torah was created by the Zayin class at the Temple Beth Abraham Religious School for their class service this Shabbat — I put the ideas into words. Yishar kochachem! * * * * * Parashat Bo begins with these words: Adonai said to Moshe: Come to Pharaoh, because I have hardened his heart… Continue reading

Bo, Parashat Hashavua