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Parshas Bo is often remembered for its drama, the final plagues, the breaking of Pharaoh, and the Exodus itself. But beneath the miracles and spectacle lies something quieter, more demanding, and deeply personal: the courage to move forward before clarity arrives.
Until now, the Jewish people had endured slavery, suffering, and survival. In Parshas Bo, something shifts. For the first time, Hashem doesn’t only save them—He asks something of them.
Before freedom is visible…
Before redemption is complete…
Before the sea splits…
Hashem instructs the Jewish people to prepare.
They are commanded to bring the Korban Pesach, mark their doorposts with blood, gather their families indoors, and trust that something unseen, but promised, is about to unfold. These instructions are not given after redemption, but before it.
This is not accidental.
Faith Before Proof
The people of Israel are not yet free. Pharaoh is still in power. The danger is real. And yet, they are asked to act as free people before they feel free.
This moment defines Jewish faith.
Emunah, in Parshas Bo, is not belief born of miracles. It is a belief strong enough to act without guarantees.
To slaughter the Egyptian deity publicly.
To follow instructions that make no strategic sense.
To trust that staying indoors is safer than escaping.
To mark one’s home with a sign that looks irrational, until it isn’t.
Freedom, the Torah teaches us, does not begin when circumstances change.
It begins when identity changes.
“This Month Shall Be for You”
One of the most striking commandments in Parshas Bo is the very first mitzvah given to the Jewish people as a nation: Kiddush HaChodesh, the sanctification of the new moon.
Time itself is handed to us.
Slaves do not control their time.
Free people do.
With this mitzvah, Hashem tells the Jewish people:
You are no longer defined by what happens to you.
You are now responsible for how you spend your time.
Redemption is not only an escape from Egypt, but also the beginning of agency, responsibility, and moral choice.
The Doorposts We Still Mark
We no longer place blood on our doors. But Parshas Bo asks a timeless question:
What marks our homes today?
What values are visible inside our walls?
What do our children see modeled in moments of uncertainty?
When fear is loud, what quiet commitments guide us?
In moments of crisis, personal, communal, or national, we often wait for clarity before moving forward. Parshas Bo challenges that instinct.
Sometimes the right step comes before understanding.
Sometimes obedience precedes explanation.
Sometimes courage is choosing not to flee, but to stay grounded where you are.
Redemption Is a Process, Not a Moment
The Exodus is not completed in a single night. It unfolds step by step, test by test. The Jewish people leave Egypt physically in Parshas Bo, but emotionally and spiritually, the journey has only begun.
And so has ours.
Every generation has its own Egypts.
Everyone has moments when the path ahead feels uncertain.
Parshas Bo reminds us that redemption doesn’t always arrive with fireworks.
Sometimes it begins with:
Lighting a candle
Choosing faith over fear
Acting with integrity before outcomes are clear
Trusting that Hashem is present, even when He feels hidden
That, too, is freedom.