This month shall be unto you the beginning of months (Ex. 12:2)
Each month when we sanctify the new moon we say, "David, King of Israel, is living and enduring." Every month, when the moon diminishes and seems to disappear for a short time, there is no doubt in our minds that it still exists and that it will eventually reappear. Similarly, although its reign is now in a period of dormancy, we have faith that the House of King David will rule in all its glory with the coming of Moshiach. (Rama)
And in order that you may tell in the ears of your son...and you shall know that I am G-d (Ex. 10:2)
How can a parent imbue his children with a sincere faith in G-d? "You shall know that I am G-d" - you yourselves must believe in G-d first, before you teach your offspring. (Rabbi Yehoshua Rokeach)
They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place (10:23)
The worst kind of darkness is when a person does not see his brother or extend his hand to help the needy. When one ignores his responsibilities and makes believe that the problems of others don't exist, the end result is that he himself will suffer and not be able to rise. (Chidushei HaRim)
And you shall eat it in haste (12:11)
Why the big rush when the Children of Israel finally left Egypt? Didn't their extreme haste give the mistaken impression that they had to escape quickly? Pharaoh actually wanted them to leave; they could have departed at a more leisurely pace. However, leaving Egypt was not a mere geographical move for the Jews; it was a moral step in the right direction. It was a step away from the world of spiritual degradation they had become accustomed to in Egypt. When a person desires to sever his connection to evil, it must be done all at once and not gradually. A person must grab the first opportunity that presents itself to escape from a negative influence. (Chasidic teachings)
Reprinted from the Parashat Bo 2003/5763 edition of L’Chaim, a publication of the Lubavitch Youth Organization.
