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5781 / 2021 The seventh day of Pesach celebrates the anniversary of the splitting of the Sea of Reeds. So momentous was this event, that the rabbis incorporated the entire Song at the Sea into the daily liturgy. Indeed, lines were composed to reenact the splitting of the sea in the blessings after the Shema, evening and morning. The evening liturgy includes these words: God led God’s children through the divided parts of the Sea of Reeds, their pursuers and their enemies God drowned in its depths. And God’s children saw God’s mighty power they praised and gave thanks to God’s Name, God’s sovereignty they willingly accepted; Moses and the children of Israel sang unto You with great joy, and they all said: Who is like You among the mighty, Adonoy! Who is like You? [You are] adorned in holiness, awesome in praise, performing wonders” Your children beheld Your sovereignty when You divided the sea before Moses. “This is my God,” they exclaimed, and declared, “Adonoy will reign forever and ever.
Please note that the posts on The Blogs are contributed by third parties. The opinions, facts and any media content in them are presented solely by the authors, and neither The Times of Israel nor its partners assume any responsibility for them. Please contact us in case of abuse. In case of abuse, Parashat Bo Parashat Bo opens with the final plagues. Locusts devastate the remaining vegetation of Egypt. Darkness so thick that the rabbis tell us one who was seated could not stand, while those standing could not sit, descended throughout Egypt. The homes of Bene Yisrael remained illuminated, but cast no light onto the rest of the country. Pharaoh expelled Moshe and Aharon from his presence. Before departing, however, God prepared Moshe for the final, horrific plague. There will be one final plague, after which Pharaoh will send you from Egypt. No Egyptian family will be spared, regardless of rank or social position. No dog will growl at you, amidst the deep wailing that will resound throughout the land. (11:1-7) The death of the first born, the symbol of Egyptian strength and future hegemony, will affect every caste but the people occupying the lowest rank in society. Moshe told Pharaoh that ultimately, even he, Pharaoh, will humble himself before God. Moshe then left Pharaoh in a rage. (11:7) Commentators remain divided regarding those final moments. Resh Lakish said, Moshe slapped Pharaoh across the face before walking away. (Talmud Zevachim 102a). Alternatively, Pharaoh slapped Moshe. (Torah Shelemah 11:7, fn. 56) These slaps are powerfully symbolic. An enslaved people cried out to the Lord. They prayed. They sought leadership. They hoped. Their leader confronted the oppressor. He spoke truth to power. He brought evidence time and again of the devastating impact of enslavement. The advanced society with a history of slave labor, oppression, and a caste system of dehumanization ended up with polluted water, infected air, despoiled soil, broken health, and a shriveled soul. Minds and attitudes are more difficult to change than behaviors, and Egypt’s leader remained myoptically strident. The confrontation of leaders ended in the symbol of that slap. A slap across the face drains a person of their pride, their sense of self, their humanity. One leader’s identity was bound to enslavement, the other’s, to freedom.