Below is a collection of Parashat Bo resourcesย created by The Lookstein Center staff or contributed to the site by Jewish educators.

This is a growing collection. Check back soon or write to us atย content@lookstein.orgย if you didnโ€™t find what youโ€™re looking for.ย 

Return to Sefer Shemot Resources

PARASHAย POINTS

  • Two additional plagues, locust and darkness, nearly bring Pharaoh to agree. He withdraws his permission when Moses demands that everyone be allowed to go and that Pharaoh provide them with animals to offer to God.
  • God instructs Bnei Yisrael to prepare the Pesach. The blood on the doorposts will protect them from the plague of the firstborn which will afflict the rest of Egypt. In future years they will celebrate a seven-day holiday without leavened bread.
  • The plague of the firstborn brings Pharaoh and all of Egypt to send Bnei Yisrael out. Hurriedly, they leave Egypt more than 400 years after their arrival.
  • Bnei Yisrael receives parting gifts of gold, silver, and clothes from their Egyptian neighbors.
  • God instructs Bnei Yisrael to do the Pesach in future years. He also instructs them to remember the Exodus, including dedicating to God all firstborn males and animals.

MAJORย MITZVOT

  • The korban pesach (Pesach offering) is to be brought by every Israelite, whether native-born or converted. Males must be circumcised in order to participate.
  • The seven-day holiday of Matzot commemorates the exodus from Egypt. All leavened products are to be banished from the home.ย 
  • First-born males and animals are dedicated to God. Animals are brought to God; human children are to be redeemed. This is to serve as a reminder of the plague of the firstborn from which Bnei Yisrael was spared.
  • Tefillin are to serve as a reminder of the Exodus.

EDUCATIONAL THEMES

  • Punishments should not be meted out without warning prior to the violation.
  • Being born first does not automatically make one superior.
  • It is important to be aware of the events we experience and their significance, even as we are living through them.

NOTABLE QUOTES

  • The establishment of the Hebrew calendar:
    ื”ื—ื•ื“ืฉ ื”ื–ื” ืœื›ื ืจืืฉ ื—ื“ืฉื™ื
  • What to say to our children in future generations when we do the Pesach:
    ื•ืืžืจืชื ื–ื‘ื— ืคืกื— ื”ื•ื ืœื”’ ืืฉืจ ืคืกื— ืขืœ ื‘ืชื™ ื‘ื ื™ ื™ืฉืจืืœ ื‘ืžืฆืจื™ื ื‘ื ื’ืคื• ืืช ืžืฆืจื™ื ื•ืืช ื‘ืชื™ื ื• ื”ืฆื™ืœ
  • What happened to the bread as Bnei Yisrael was leaving:
    ื•ื™ืืคื• ืืช ื”ื‘ืฆืง ืืฉืจ ื”ื•ืฆื™ืื• ืžืžืฆืจื™ื ืขื’ื•ืช ืžืฆื•ืช ื›ื™ ืœื ื—ืžืฅ ื›ื™ ื’ืจืฉื• ืžืžืฆืจื™ื ื•ืœื ื™ื›ืœื• ืœื”ืชืžื”ืžื”
  • Set a reminder for the Exodus:
    ื•ื”ื™ื” ืœืื•ืช ืขืœ ื™ื“ืš ื•ืœื˜ื•ื˜ืคื•ืช ื‘ื™ืŸ ืขื™ื ื™ืš

ย 

DISCUSSION AND REFLECTION QUESTIONS

Question #1: In Parashat Bo, we learn of the first mitzvah the Jewish people received as a nation – the commandment of Rosh Chodesh. The months would be counted according to the phases of the moon. As slaves in Egypt, their time was not their own and belonged to their masters. Now, as free people, they will declare when the month begins and will have the responsibility to use their time wisely. How can you best use your free time? Do you think you typically use your free time well? Why or why not?

Look inside the text (Shemot 12:2),

ื”ึทื—ึนื“ึถืฉื ื”ึทื–ึผึถื” ืœึธื›ึถื ืจึนืืฉื ื—ื“ึธืฉืึดื™ื ืจึดืืฉืื•ึนืŸ ื”ื•ึผื ืœึธื›ึถื ืœึฐื—ึธื“ึฐืฉืึตื™ ื”ึทืฉืึผึธื ึธื” – This month will mark for you the beginning of the months; it will be the first of the months of the year for you.

Question #2: Everyone loves stories! Can it be a mitzvah to tell a story? In Parashat Bo, we read about the importance of telling our children the story of the Exodus. Why do you think itโ€™s important to tell the story to the children? Why isnโ€™t it enough to read the story in the Torah reading in the synagogue? Do you think youโ€™ll remember your family story and be able to tell your children one day?ย 

Look inside the text (Shemot 13:8),

ย ื•ึฐื”ึดื’ึผึทื“ึฐืชึผึธ ืœึฐื‘ึดื ึฐืšึธ ื‘ึผึทื™ึผื•ึนื ื”ึทื”ื•ึผื ืœึตืืžึนืจ ื‘ึผึทืขึฒื‘ื•ึผืจ ื–ึถึ—ื” ืขึธืฉื‚ึธื” ื”โ€™ ืœึดื™ ื‘ึผึฐืฆึตืืชึดื™ ืžึดืžึผึดืฆึฐืจึธื™ึดื – And you will explain to your son on that day, โ€˜It is because of what God did for me when I went free from Egypt.โ€™

Question #3: With the Exodus, Jews were given their own calendar, which operates on a different system from that of other nations. Whereas all other nations have either solar or lunar calendars, the Jewish calendar is comprised of lunar months and solar years with a complex system of adjustments. What are the advantages of such a system? What does having a separate calendrical system do to the interaction between Jews and other nations? Is that a good or a bad thing?

Question #4: In ancient cultures, the firstborn was considered naturally superior to all his siblings and given the rule of the household. The Torah instructs that the firstborns, even of the animals, are holy and must be dedicated to God. Is the Torah trying to continue the ancient practices or disrupt them? Should there be a natural heir in every family, or is some other system of distribution more equitable? Does Judaism believe that certain individuals, by virtue of their birth, are considered superior?

 

LESSON PLANS AND ARTICLES

Breaking News from “The Egypt Times” – This lesson plan for middle school students includes writing newspaper articles describing key events that took place in the exodus of Egypt and can be adapted for a virtual classroom.