Dear Congregation Kehillah and Friends,
Our Torah portion for this week is Bo - 'Come' [to Pharaoh] - in which the final three plagues, connected through the darkness they imposed, are inflicted on Egypt and our people go free. The years of slavery, though, had taken a toll on their spirit. What meaning can we find today?
Did you notice that the text uses the word 'come' to pharaoh rather than 'go' to pharaoh? This hints to us that aspects of Pharaoh and Egypt (which in Hebrew is Mitzrayim meaning 'narrow places') are found in each of us. We are being asked to go to those 'narrow' places deep within and liberate ourselves from the insecurities - the voices inside that tell us that we're not good enough - all that holds us back from becoming all that we can be, and free ourselves from the slavery that these restrictions impose. If we can do that, then we will allow ourselves the possibility of reaching our full God-given potential.
