Locusts, darkness, and death. These 3 plagues are what we read about in this week’s Parsha: Parshat Bo. Bo is a Parsha we all know about, even if we don’t realize it. It’s the story of the final three plagues we discuss every Passover. These plagues that struck the Egyptian people eventually led to the exodus from Egypt. 

The first of the three plagues is the locusts. After suffering through this plague, Pharaoh begs Moses to ask G-d to get rid of them. G-d listens, but upon their removal Pharaoh’s heart is hardened and he once again refuses to let the Jews leave.  

The next plague is darkness. The Egyptians were plagued with complete darkness for three days. After this plague, Pharaoh told Moses they could leave, but without their livestock. Moses refused to take the Jews out under these conditions. Once again Pharaoh hardened his heart  and he refused to let them leave. 

The final plague is the death of the firstborn. After this deadly plague, Pharaoh lets them leave. This Torah portion teaches us a lot about greed. Pharaoh’s greediness for wanting to keep the Jews as slaves results in his people being tortured by plagues to the point of death for some.

Parshat Bo taught me to be thankful for what I have and to think of others. If Pharaoh had thought of the lives of the Jews and how we would be impacted he wouldn't have kept us as slaves. While it’s a simple lesson, it’s an important one. If we can all see each other’s stories and understand what others are going through I think we can have a much better understanding and be so much kinder to one another. 

‍

Shabbat Shalom,

Sophia Good, Rocky Mountain Region