Parshat Bo: Rabbi Tuvia Bolton

????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????B"H

?

?

5-minute on Moshiach-TUNNEL: https://youtu.be/6CqXYdkH18g ?

Parshat Bo

For PDF request at [email protected]

This week we read of the last three of the ten Plagues with which G-d smote Egypt; locusts, darkness and death of the firstborn.

This last 'firstborn' plague was very different from the rest; before the plague the Jews had to put a sign (blood from the Paschal lamb and from their circumcisions) on the inside of their doors so G-d would "Pass over" their houses.

At first glance this doesn't make sense. The Jews had been slaves, anyone could tell them from the Egyptians. If G-d could discern between a firstborn and a second- born Egyptian (the plague was done by G-d Himself), certainly He knew the difference between an Egyptian and a Jew. So why did they need the sign on their doors?

And why put it on the INSIDE of the door where only they could see it? And why two types of blood?

To understand all this, here is a story.

The city of Lezinsk in Poland was part of a massive province owned by cruel landowner by the name of count Stilanski. He didn't like people in general but especially he hated the Jews, which was certainly nothing unusual for the time.

To him 'his' Jews were no more than livestock for his profit so it puzzled him why it was that every time he tried to raise their taxes or squeeze money from them, he always softened up and pushed off the decree when they pleaded for mercy.

Each time he would hate himself for giving in but something inside of him simply couldn't see the Jews suffer. At first, he thought that perhaps he had some Jewish blood in his veins but after extensive searching he discovered to his great relief that it wasn't so.

So he went to ask the local bishop.

"Seems to me it's their Rabbi!" the bishop said. "The Jews have this holy man in the city of Lezinsk they call Rebbe Elimelech. He has very great powers and one of them is protecting them. Get rid of him and your problems will be over."

The Count knew what he had to do. He rushed home, wrote a letter ordering this Rebbe Elimelech to leave his domain within the month or he would be imprisoned and gave it to his servants to deliver. Then he took off his boots, lit his pipe, poured himself a drink, leaned back on his plush chair in front of his massive fireplace and sighed a deep sigh of contentment, finally he could milk the Jews! ?

The next morning life went on as usual for the count; he woke late, poured himself a drink and looked out his massive window at the beautiful scenery surrounding his castle. He stepped outside on his porch, the sun was shining brightly, his servant brought him another drink and said merrily, "Good morning my lord! Beautiful, warm day my lord, perfect for a swim!? Why not take a swim in your river?" The count liked the idea; warm day and why not!

He and his trusted servant rode their horses for an hour or so till they reached the secluded banks of a picturesque, placid river. In a flash the count dismounted, removed his clothes and dived into the cool water. Being an excellent swimmer, he swam back and forth for over an hour until he decided he would lay down to rest for a few minutes on the opposite side of the river and bask in the sun.

He lay down thinking how great and successful he was and wondering if, perhaps he should try to become king someday as the sun warmed his body and he closed his eyes in bliss.

An hour later he awoke, stood, stretched in the sun and looked for his servant on the other side. But there was no one there.

He called out the servant's name, but only the birds in the forest answered. So he swam to the other side; perhaps he could find some clue… perhaps his servant was sleeping or had been robbed, attacked, kidnapped? But there was no evidence of a scuffle, his horse was also nowhere near and also didn't come when called.

Night was beginning to fall and the temperature was dropping rapidly. He had to find somewhere to take shelter… but where? The forest was out of question. With no clothes he would freeze and without a weapon he was helpless. Wolves began to howl and the wind began to enter his bones. He had no choice but to try to make it to the nearest village before nightfall.

The unfortunate count's ego was so inflated that he didn't dream that he would be treated with anything but awe as always. He was shocked to his soul when the villagers began to howl in glee and double up in laughter when they saw him, a completely naked man, exiting he woods. And those that didn't laugh at first, did so uncontrollably when he angrily insisted that he was the count and began screaming orders at them!

The children threw stones and sticks at him until finally someone gave him an old blanket and a few pieces of bread and told him to keep moving.

The count learned fast. When he reached the next town, he kept a low profile. He sought out the beggars, joined their ranks and was thankful to receive a place to sleep, some warm soup and a pair of shoes and pants.

Weeks passed. A few days after he had begged a shirt and a coat, he decided to go to his castle and set things straight. But it was no use. The guards around his place didn't recognize him and told him to leave or they would beat him. He hung his head in sorrow and left.

But as he turned for one more glance back, he saw from afar his 'trusted' servant leaving his palace arm in arm with the bishop surrounded by what used to be his own special guard.

Now it was all clear. His servant had stolen his things, convinced everyone he had drowned and made himself count! At first, he though it was just a terrible nightmare, but this was too long ... much too long and too many details! He pinched himself a hundred times but it was no nightmare...it was really happening!

What could he do? All avenues of salvation were closed. No one believed him, no one was loyal to him, no one even recognized him and it was getting worse every day! He already had lost twenty pounds and had a wild beard. There was no way he could get back his status or even get enough money to live normally. In Poland peasants remained peasants. He was lost!

Suddenly the idea popped into his mind. Rebbe Elimelech! Maybe he can save me. Maybe he didn't heed his orders and was still in Lezinsk. "After all," the count told himself, "I never actually harmed the Jews. Maybe he could help. Maybe he'll do a miracle for me!"

It was a long shot; Even if the Rebbe hadn't left, he probably wouldn't help him; the opposite! He'd be glad to be rid of him. But it was his only chance.

Several days later he entered the town of Lezinsk like a thief at night, hoping no one would recognize him. He found his way to the Rebbe's Shul (Synagogue) and sat with his hood over his head among the other paupers hoping for an opportunity to approach the Rebbe. But when the Rebbe came out of his room to pray the Morning Prayer with his Chassidim and passed out coins to the poor people there, he looked the count in the eyes and said, "Come to my room after the prayers."

Two hours later the count was sitting opposite the Rebbe pouring out his heart about what had happened. "It's hopeless!" He wrung his hands and said "I have no friends! My servant has stolen everything from me!"

The Rebbe calmed him down. "Listen, G-d is everyone's friend; yours too. That's why you never were able to harm the Jews; because G-d protected you as well as them. If you would have harmed them you would have been punished. So now, take my advice."

The Rebbe gave him money and told him to wash up, take a haircut, go to a local tailor and have royal garments made like the ones he lost. Then he should buy a horse and carriage like he used to have, ride to the house of the bishop, tell him what happened and have his servant punished.

But the Rebbe warned him to never even think about harming the Jews again.

The count did as the Rebbe told him and it worked. The bishop was convinced, the servant got punished and the count regained his throne. And until the count's passing many years later the Jews in the province of Lezinsk had no problems.

This answers our questions about the blood on the doors.

The first nine plagues came to teach the Egyptians to 'know' G-d and therefore only Egyptians suffered, But in this last plague came an Angel of Destruction (Mashchis( (12:23) to kill all sinners. And because most of the Jews worshipped idolatry in Egypt, they were also fair game!

And that is the reason for the blood on the door; to save the sinning Jews (even Jews that were found in Egyptian houses! (12:13)) and to remind them why.

Namely because they are his 'sons' (4:22) G-d loves them above reason.

But also that deep down, every Jew is willing to sacrifice their life for G-d. That is called the 'Jewish Soul'

That explains the two types of blood on the doorposts: both the blood of circumcision and of the Sheep demonstrated self-sacrifice for HaShem.

To do these two things: circumcise themselves before beginning the arduous Exodus from Egypt into the desert and sacrificing a sheep which was one of the Egyptian gods ONLY BECAUSE G_D COMMANDED was pure self-sacrifice. ?

But this is the essence of Judaism. The previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, whose Yahrzeit (commemoration of day of passing) we celebrate on the Hebrew date of Yud Shvat this Shabbat, called it 'Shtus d'Kedusha' Holy Insanity, and said that without it, Judaism cannot fulfill its goal of bringing Moshiach and perfecting the world. ?

The redemption brought by Moses was a forerunner of Moshiach: therefore it demanded this total devotion. But the Exodus from Egypt was only temporary and only for the Jews.

?Moshiach will free the entire world from selfishness and negativity to permanently reveal the good concealed in each human and in the entire creation.

But today we need not endanger our lives to make it happen.

Now we are standing on the merits of thousands of years of Jewish self-sacrifice, prayers and suffering. Now it could be that doing just a bit more than we want: one more good deed, word or even thought, will tilt the scales so G-d will reveal ….

MOSHIACH NOW!!

Rabbi Tuvia Bolton Yeshiva Ohr Tmimim Kfar Chabad, Israel

Please?Donate?to?Ohr Tmimim?https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=VS68A3VT3VD7C&source=url

? --To?Subscribe?to Torah Online: ?send your email address to??[email protected]??

--?Join our daily classes!!??Sun – Thurs– (Israeli time) 8:15 a.m. Chassidut. ?9:00 a.m. Dvar Malchut??https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81716407325???

----?VIEW past classes:??https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs94DJEzXWPkMgYV-YtQe5w?? ?

?