Long Island Torah Network
  • Home
  • Locations
    • East Northport
    • Huntington
    • Merrick
  • Programs
    • Lulav and Ethrog
    • Catalog >
      • Hebrew
      • Jewish Values
      • Holidays
      • Jewish Living
      • Jewish History
      • Text Study
    • Hebrew School
    • Beis Medrash Night
    • Telephone and Online Learning >
      • Special Classes
      • Daily Audio Learning
      • Torah on ZOOM
    • Learning and Lox
  • About Us
    • Our Team
    • Our Mission
    • L.I.T.N. Video
  • News and Recent Events
    • Chanukah Event
    • 2019 L.I.T.N. Dinner
  • Publications/Media
    • SederBox
    • Our Video
    • L.I.T.N. 2017 Dinner
    • Torah Minute >
      • Tzav / Pesach - From Generation to Generation
      • Vayikra - Mitzvos - From Hashem with Love
      • Purim - Seeing the Hand of G-d
      • Vayigash - Torah Study - Key to Our Nation's Survival
      • Chayei Sarah - Kindness and Respect
      • Vayeirah - Respect the Person, Reject the Misdeed
      • Lech Lecha - The Opportunity of a Challenge
      • Noach - The Power of Appreciation
      • Bereishis - Importance of Character Development
      • Yom Kippur - A Priceless Opportunity
      • Yom Kippur - Take the First Step to Greatness
      • Rosh Hashana - G-d Loves Us - Let's Build Our Relationship
      • Shoftim - The Dignity of Every Human Being
      • Balak - The Greatness of Torah Study
      • Chukas - Torah-A Gift for All of Us
      • Korach- Capacity for Growth
      • Shlach- The Power of Speech
      • Beha'aloscha - Mitzvos - The Greatest Gift and Opportunity
      • Naso -New Stage - New Opportunities
      • Naso - Every Mitzvah is a Big Mitzvah
      • Shavuos - The Freedom of the Torah
      • Bechukosai - Our Relationship with Hashem - An Eternal Bond
      • Behar - Torah Transmission - From Sinai to the Present
      • Acharei Mos-Kedoshim - The Divine Spark in Every Human Being
      • Pesach - Internalizing the Message
      • Tetzaveh - The Power of a First Impression
      • Terumah - Doing the Best We Can
      • Mishpatim - In Someone Else's Shoes
      • Yisro - Finding Happiness with what we Have
      • Beshalach - Knowing Who We Are
      • Bo - Seeing the Hand of G-d
      • Va'eirah - Generation to Generation - Influence and Impact
      • Shemos - Empathy - Do we Have Enough?
      • Vayechi - Our Relationships with People - Our Relationship with G-D
      • Vayechi - Seeking Advice
      • Chanukah - The Source of our Strength
      • Vayeishev - From Generation to Generation
      • Vayishlach - The Purpose of our Possesions
      • Vayeitzei - Great Interpersonal Conduct - Making it Even Better
      • Toldos - Just Say it
      • Bereishis - Greatness of Humanity
      • Sukkos - Happiness for us and all our People
      • Yom Kippur - Day of Atonement- A Time to Thank
      • Vayeilech - Shabbos Shuva - The Impact on Others
      • Nitzavim - Rosh Hashana
      • Ki Savo - The Future of Judaism
      • Ki Savo - My Idea or Yours?
      • Ki Savo - Every Day a New Opportunity
      • Ki Seitzei - Strength is Being Aware of Weakness
      • Va'eschanan-Nachamu - Hashem is Always with Us
      • Va'eschanan-Nachamu - Miztvos - Recipe for Spiritual Well-being
      • Tisha B'Av - A Day of Mourning, A Day of Hope
      • Devarim Tisha B'Av- I Can Bring World Peace?
      • Devarim - Prayers are Always Answered
      • Devarim-Tisha B'Av - Torah-It's Already Ours
      • Matos-Masei- It's Not "Just Words"
      • Matos Masei- Appreciating Our Worth - The Key to Growth
      • Korach - The Power of Community
      • Metzora - Pesach - G-d's Love for Me
      • Tazria-Metzorah - The Action or the Attitude
      • Tazria - Avoiding Slander - More Opportunities than Ever
      • Shmini - Difficulty of Accepting Criticism
      • Pekudei - I Wish I Could
      • Vayakhel - Inspire Ourselves and We Can Do it
      • Ki Sisa - Sensitivity to Feelings
      • Yisro - Of Course I'm Aware! - It's Obvious!
      • Bo - Appreciating Every Detail
      • Ki Seitzei - Working Together with Sensitivity
      • Re'eh - The Torah's Mitzvos- The Perfect Prescription
      • Eikev - Mitzvos - For Hashem or for Us?
      • Pinchas - The Impact of an Experience
      • Pinchas - Seeing is Believing
      • Va'eirah - Do I Really Know who I Am?
      • Va'eirah - G-d's Kindness - A Force Like No Other
      • Tetzaveh - Purim - Seize the Moment
      • Torah Inspirations - Parshas B'Shalach
      • Toldos - The Impact of our Environment
      • Nitzavim-Vayeilech - Change-We Could Do It
      • The Situation in Israel - How We Can Help
    • Snapshot >
      • Parshas Vayikra
      • Parshas Tetzaveh
      • Parshas Vayigash
      • Parshas Vayeishev
      • Parshas Vayishlach
      • Parshas Vayeitzei
      • Parshas Vayeitzei
      • Parshas Toldos
      • Parshas Chayei Sarah
      • Parshas Vayeirah
      • Parshas Lech Lecha
      • Parshas Pinchas
      • Parshas Balak
      • Parshas Chukas
      • Parshas Korach
      • Parshas Shlach
      • Beha'aloscha
      • Parshas Naso
      • Parshas Behar-Bechukosai
      • Parshas Emor
      • Achrei Mos-Kedoshim
      • Parshas Tazria-Metzorah
      • Parshas Shmini
      • Parshas Pekudei
      • Parshas Vayakhel
      • Parshas Ki Sisa
      • Parshas Terumah
      • Parshas Mishpatim
      • Parshas Yisro
      • Parshas Beshalach
      • Parshas Bo
      • Parshas Va'eirah
      • Parshas Shemos
      • Parshas Vayechi
      • Parshas Noach
      • Parshas Vayeilech
      • Parshas Ki Savo
      • Beha'aloscha
      • Parshas Vayechi
    • A Closer Look >
      • Beha'aloscha
      • Parshas Noach CL
      • Parshas Ki Savo
      • Parshas Tazria-Metzora
      • Parshas Vayikra CL
      • Parshas Pekudei CL
      • Parshas Vayakhel CL
      • Parshas Ki Sisa CL
      • Parshas Tetzaveh
      • Parshas Terumah
      • Parshas Mishpatim CL
      • Parshas Yisro CL
      • Parshas Beshalach CL
      • Parshas Shemos CL
      • Parshas Vayechi CL
      • Parshas Vayigash CL
      • Parshas Vayeisheiv CL
      • Parshas Vayishlach CL
      • Parshas Vayeitzei CL
      • Parshas Toldos CL
      • Parshas Chayei Sarah CL
      • Parshas Vayeirah CL
      • Parshas Korach
      • Sh'lach
      • Parshas Yisro
      • Parshas B'shalach
      • Haazinu
      • Beha'aloscha
      • Parshas Vayakhel
      • Parshas Shemos
      • Parshas Vayechi
      • Parshas Vayigash
      • Parshas Vayaishev
      • Vayishlach
      • Parshas Behar-Bechukosai
      • Parshas Emor
      • Achrei Mos-Kedoshim
      • Parshas Shmini
      • Parshas Vayeitzei
      • Parshas Noach
    • Thoughts and Perspectives on the Coronavirus situation
    • Call-In Archives
    • Relationships Seminar
    • Elul >
      • One By One
    • Thoughts for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur
    • Yom Kippur Overview
    • Sukkos - Meanings, Observances and Traditions
    • Chanukah - History, Meaning, and Observance >
      • Laws of Chanukah Candle Lighting
    • The Tenth of Teveth
    • Purim
    • Pesach - Passover
    • Three Weeks and Nine Days
    • Shavuos
    • Tisha B'Av
  • Donate
  • Contact
    • Ask the Rabbi
Picture

Parshas Bo
  Snapshot

This week's Torah Portion, Bo, opens with the eighth of the Ten Plagues: Locusts swarm over Egypt, blanketing the land and consuming any vegetation not already destroyed by the Hail.

The Ninth Plague is Darkness: for three days, the Egyptians are unable to see; for three more days they cannot even move. All the while, the Jews enjoy the light of day as usual.

Finally, Moses warns Pharaoh that the tenth and final Plague is at hand: at midnight on the Fifteenth of Nissan, G-d will pass through Egypt and smite the firstborn son in every Egyptian home. When this happens, Pharaoh and his people will beg the Jews to leave. 

In preparation for this momentous Exodus, the Jews are given their first Mitzvah (commandment) as a nation: to follow a lunar calendar. This month, Nissan, shall be the first month. (Rosh HaShana, the Jewish New Year, actually falls in the autumn, in Tishrei, the seventh month; while Nissan, the first month, falls half a year later in the spring).


G-d also asks the Israelites to obtain valuables from their Egyptian neighbors, to fulfill the prophecy that "they will leave with great wealth." G-d induces the Egyptians to willingly hand over their valuables to the Jews.

Additionally, each Jewish family is to select a lamb, which they will slaughter and eat on that night. The blood of he lamb is to be smeared on the doorposts of the Jewish homes, and serves as a sign that G-d will "pass over" their homes and spare them during the Tenth Plague.

At midnight, the plague strikes. Egypt is in a uproar, and Pharaoh runs to Moses in the middle of the night, begging him to take his people and go. The Jews don't actually leave until the morning, but they leave in such haste that the bread they are baking has no time to rise, and turns into unleavened Matzah instead.

The Torah Portion concludes with a number of commandments that commemorate the Exodus, including the Tefillin, worn on the arm and head; the Mezuzah, placed on the doorpost; the Redemption of the Firstborn; and the retelling of the Exodus at the Passover Seder.


​Click below to open a printable pdf
parsha_snapshot_bo.pdf
File Size: 148 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File