Parashat Bo: Distinguishing

Two weeks ago, we encountered God’s beautiful name,

“I AM WHO I AM,” (Exodus 3:14)

which portrays His divine presence and character throughout times and all walks in history, wherever we are on the globe. Then this week, God identifies with His people with the name,

“the God of the Hebrews” (verse 3),

which appears right after the call to re-tell the Exodus and,

“what signs I have done among them,”

as a means to pass on this vital memory of redemption to every generation. Why so?

“That you may know that I am the Lord.” (Exodus 10:1-2)

Story Telling

The weekly ‘Kiddush’-blessing that’s sung at the Shabbat table while raising a cup of wine or grape juice, connects the Shabbat to creation by calling it,

“a remembrance of the work of creation”;

while also calling the Shabbat,

“a remembrance of the exodus from Egypt”.

In addition, the Exodus is commemorated in the daily Jewish prayers and at the Pesach celebration by means of an interactive celebration that uses story-telling as a powerful tool to pass on Israel’s national memory of this vital, miraculous redemption where God brought out His people from such a majestic empire after having been abused ruthlessly for over 400 years.

We story-tell to remind ourselves of our deep gratitude to God for our freedom from bondage, and we story-tell to ingrain each generation with their personal history. The Exodus foreshadows an even greater spiritual freedom for the entire world that’s also so deeply ingrained in faith thanks to the sacrifice of Yeshua the Messiah.

Shabbat

During the darkest times of history, such as the slavery in Egypt, the Shabbat was but a dream to be able to take a deep breath and experience true peace after working hard. The Shabbat goes beyond our earthly weekdays and embodies a glimpse of the Eternal Shabbat we so long for in this world. Our longing for Shabbat and rest goes beyond our sigh of relief as we sit back from our physical labor and enjoy special Shabbat dishes, as we look at Yeshua, the Lamb of God Who died for us at Pesach to bring true spiritual freedom from sin for the entire world.

Havdalah

Beyond the connection of Shabbat and the Exodus, Parashat Bo also reminds of another beautiful ceremony and that’s ‘Havdalah’. Havdalah means ‘separation’ and refers to the ritual that marks the end of Shabbat and the beginning of the new week. Havdalah marks the spiritual boundary between the (holiness of the) Shabbat and the regular work days, rest and work. With a small glass of wine or grape juice, a candle with multiple wicks, and a box of pleasant-smelling spices that leave its ‘scent of Shabbat’ for the rest of the week, which makes us look forward to the next Shabbat, much like we long to be in the peaceful presence of Messiah in the coming world.

Like the Havdalah ceremony, Parashat Bo mentions a similar distinction between light & darkness,

“They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the people of Israel had light where they lived” (Exodus 10:23).

There’s also a double mention of the distinction between Israel & Egypt,

“That you may know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel” (verse 7),

and that,

“he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses." (Exodus 12:27)

Notice how the Havdalah ceremony blends in beautifully with the light we read about in Exodus 10:23, in a quote from Esther 8,

“for the Jews there was light and gladness, joy and honor - so may it be for us”.

God separates between what’s holy, or ‘set aside’, and the rest. He’s faithful and grants redemption and light. At the Exodus, along with the People of Israel others joined in with the desert journey. This is mentioned with the words “am rav” (or: “a mixed multitude”, Exodus 12:38). Together, as a beautiful mix of people from all over the world, we serve Him in gratitude and celebrate His redemption that’s both physical and spiritual.

We look up to Yeshua, the giver of true rest,

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)