One of my lasting childhood memories recurs every four years. I remember watching Presidential Inaugurations with my parents. The experience was an all-day civics lesson with my father reminding me of the miracle that we witness with the peaceful transfer of power. He and my mother would remind me and my sister that history has consistently demonstrated the extremely rare and miraculous nature of the peaceful transfer of power. They explained this miracle as simultaneously "fragile" and "powerful", like a flame being passed from candle to candle bringing light to the darkness.
This week's Parsha is Bo. The ten plagues culminate with locusts, darkness, and finally the killing of the firstborn. On the night of the last plague, God instructs Moshe to tell B'nai Yisroel to slaughter a lamb for each family. The blood should be painted onto the doorpost. The sacrificed lamb must be completely eaten that night with no leftovers. The command continues with God instructing Moshe to reiterate this story to the children of each family. The Parsha concludes with the command to sanctify the firstborn, remember this night, remember what God did for B'nai Yisroel, and how B'nai Yisroel eventually returned to the land.
Parts of the Parsha are read on Pesach. Those parts dealing with the Paschal sacrifice, as well as the Mitzvah of "Telling" the child about the impending redemption, are read. However, there is one phrase that is particularly interesting and revealing. The second to last plague is Choshech, darkness. Vayomer Adonai el Moshe N'Teih Yadchah al Hashamayim - And God said to Moshe "Stretch forth your hand toward the heavens, Va'Yehi Choshech al Eretz Mitzrayim- "And there will be darkness upon the land of Egypt, Vayameish Choshech - and the darkness will depart. (Ex. 10:21). What does it mean that the darkness will depart? If darkness departs doesn’t that mean light arrives? Typical darkness is merely the absence of light. According to Sforno, the great Italian Rennaissance commentator, typical darkness is an atmosphere prepared to receive light. After all, the moon reflects light into the night, and the stars shine a light as well. Sforno explains that the word VaYameish comes from the three-letter root Mem Vav Shin - to feel or touch. The plague of darkness conjures up the image of a person trying to feel their way in the darkness, lost and unable to see immediately in front as if they have their hands outstretched and feeling their way around. This plague is perhaps the most perfectly designed plague, and, ironically, it can only affect the Egyptians precisely because they were free. This type of darkness could not affect the Hebrew slaves. Prior to the darkness, the free Egyptians could come and go as they pleased, they were not confined. They had freedom of movement. Obviously, slaves do not enjoy the freedom of movement. Like prisoners, slaves are captive and bound by very physical limits. The slave lives in darkness and has learned how to “see” within the darkness, not so the master who is unconstrained by physical limits. As a result of being unable to “see” in this type of darkness, the “master” cannot move for fear that the next step will constitute a “last step”, into an abyss. In a sense, the free person has become paralyzed.
The plague of darkness didn’t spread to the homes of the Hebrew slaves, darkness was confined to Egypt and to the Egyptians. B’nai Yisroel had light, they had a covenant with God. Moshe would remind them of that covenant and remind them to teach their children of that covenant and engage in rituals to remind them of and continue to participate in that covenant. Yes, I have grown older, our family gathers together every four years and watches the same miracle that I watched with my parents, and our children receive the same civics lesson that I received. I realized that the lessons we learn as children and transmit to our children, the rituals that we engage in as children, and the same rituals we teach to and do with our children bring light to a darkened world. If those values are integrated and deeply internalized, that light still combats darkness.
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