Bo — Go
Hebrew: בֹּא | Book: Shemot (Exodus)
Summary
The last three plagues (locusts, darkness, firstborn); the Passover sacrifice; the Exodus from Egypt.
Chabad Chassidic Teachings
Bo — God’s Direct Command
God says to Moses “bo el Pharaoh” — “come to Pharaoh” — using bo (come) rather than lech (go). Rashi notes this is puzzling. Chassidus explains: God was telling Moses “come with Me” — I will be with you even in the most dangerous confrontation. This is the model of bitachon (trust in God) — not going alone into difficulty, but knowing God accompanies one.
The Darkness: Inner Galut
The plague of darkness (choshech) is described as a darkness that “could be felt.” Chassidus reads this as the ultimate inner exile — a darkness so complete that movement becomes impossible, that one cannot even perceive the light that others see.
The light that “remained for the Israelites in their dwellings” represents the pintele Yid — the irreducible Divine point in every Jewish soul that can never be extinguished even in the darkest galut.
Passover and Maror: The Inner Bitterness
The maror (bitter herbs) of the Passover seder represents the bitterness of galut — but in Chassidic thought, the maror is also the starting point of teshuva. A person who truly feels the bitterness of spiritual exile is already beginning the journey toward geulah.
Key Concepts
Sources Cited
Shemot 10:1; Shemot 10:23; Zohar II:38a