January 24, 2026 – Bo (come) – Parshat 15

• Torah: Exodus 10:1-13:16
• Haftara: Jeremiah 46:13-28
• Brit Chadasha: John 19:31-37

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה בֹּ֖א אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֑ה כִּֽי־אֲנִ֞י הִכְבַּ֤דְתִּי אֶת־לִבּוֹ֙ וְאֶת־לֵ֣ב עֲבָדָ֔יו לְמַ֗עַן שִׁתִ֛י אֹתֹתַ֥י אֵ֖לֶּה בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ׃

Vayomer Adonai el-Moshe bo el-Par’oh ki-ani hichbadeti et-libo ve’et-lev avadav lema’an shiti ototay eleh bekirbo.

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh. For I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his courtiers, in order that I may display these My signs among them,

A new beginning: the beginning of the cycle of redemption!

Shemote (Exodus) 12:2 “This month shall be to you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year to you.”

Why would HaShem make this proclamation to Moshe and Aharon for the month of Nissan? They already knew the first day of creation to be at Rosh Hashanah and it is still reckoned to be that way today by all the children of Israel. What made this necessary to declare to the entire congregation of Israel … is it not the day of redemption and restoration for all Israel, and the day of birth or rebirth of the nation? It was meant to draw us in, thru the Pesach Seder, to a place of remembering a former redemption, and looking forward to our final redemption.

When Moshe and Aharon spoke this to the people they did so with these words “Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth day of this month, they shall take to them every man a lamb,” (Exodus 12:3a). With the redeemer Moshe ready to lead them in this first deliverance, they took a lamb to show a way to the final redemption. The sages saw this calling the month of Nissan the first of months, as pointing to the one who is first and last. “You are my witnesses,” says the LORD, “With my servant whom I have chosen; that you may know and believe me, and understand that I am he. Before me there was no God formed, neither will there be after me. I myself am the LORD; and besides me there is no savior.”

The Midrash says of this “… Another explanation. “…to you it shall be the first …” (Exodus 12:2) This is referring, so to speak, to the Holy One who is called first, as it says “I am first and I am last…” (Isaiah 44:6) And Zion is called first, as it says “As a Throne of Glory, exalted from the beginning, so is the place of our Sanctuary.” (Jeremiah 17:12) And Esau is called first, as it says “And the first one emerged ruddy…” (Genesis 25:25) The Messiah is called first, as it says “The first one to Zion, behold, behold them…” (Isaiah 41:27) Let the Holy One, who is called first, come and build the Holy Temple which is called first, and exact retribution from Esau who is called first. And let the Messiah, who is called first, come in the first month, as it says “This month shall be to you the head of the months…” (Exodus 12:2) [Midrash Shemot Rabbah 15]

Each year this Torah portion breaks the hold of winter off of me and makes me look forward with excitement to the first of months, Pesach the first spring feast. While I can’t partake of it yet, I long for it’s coming, just as we long for the return of our Messiah Yeshua and our final redemption.

Ahav V’shalom L’Mish’pachtanu love and peace to our family in Messiah from Beth Hallel Lodi