Parshat Bo: Exodus 10:1 -13:16 By Rabbi Denise L. Eger

In this week’s portion, Parshat Bo, the remainder of the plagues descends upon Egypt because of the stubborn hubris of the Pharaoh. This is an indecisive king.
He vacillates on his decision to let the Israelites leave. Pharaoh changes his mind several times and issues several different scenarios—from only letting the men leave to worship and thereby holding the women and children hostage to letting them all leave at once to oppressing the Israelite slaves even more.

With each plague—the last four outlined in this week’s section of Torah, the courtiers, Pharaoh’s advisors, play a role in propping him up as yes men are trained to do. Our Torah couches Pharaoh’s changes of mind and heart with the phrase “God hardened Pharaoh’s heart.” Pharaoh’s heart was stiffened and he became entrenched in his world view. He was blind to signs and wonders of the first six plagues. He refused to admit that there could be a power greater than all of Egypt. Even though his own eyes and ears were witness to God’s power, might and glory.

Without just jumping to the idea that God wanted to merely manipulate the King of Egypt—perhaps our text is pointing to something deeper. Because in all of Jewish tradition we approach life and the world with the idea that human being have choices. God may point out the path, choosing life over death, choosing blessing over curse but ultimately each person has the free will to make her decision.

I believe this is no different for Pharaoh. He ultimately can choose the path of life over death for all of Egypt. But he fails miserably because with the increasing severity of each plague culminating in this week’s final plague of the death of the first born, Pharaoh chooses death and curse for his empire. Maybe that is fitting because in Egypt there was a culture that embraced a celebration of death. After all the pyramids are the grand tombs of royalty and the ancient Egyptian beliefs in life after death an important part of ancient Egyptian culture and religion. Yet this celebration of the culture of death plays havoc with the mind and the heart and reality whether in Pharaoh’s time or in our own.

But Moses and Aaron convey and warn Pharaoh of the tragic errors he is making. Even the Egyptian wizards and priests and courtiers advise Pharaoh differently. They have recognized that the first six plagues, blood, frogs, lice, wild beasts, cattle plague, and boils have wreaked havoc upon Egypt. Each of these plagues has brought a power and might that supersedes the magic and divinities of Egypt. Now the court advisors realize that Moses and Aaron and more importantly, the God of the Israelites mean business but are pointing to deeper values –values of justice and freedom and life.

And so we learn to perhaps open our own eyes and hearts to the signs and miracles that still surround us. We learn that we must overcome the expression in our own time that celebrates death—the violence that we are so inured to, the devaluation of our neighbors. Perhaps we might heed the messages of God’s power and presence in our lives if we open our hearts to it. And like Moses and Aaron who conveyed God’s truth to Pharaoh perhaps we ought not to be afraid to speak up and share our ideals, our ethics and our deeply held Jewish values that point the way to God’s blessing in our lives and in the world.

Posted by Jimmy at January 28, 2009 04:49 PM