Parsha Bo

(10,1) Adonoy said to Moshe, “Go in to Pharaoh for I have hardened his heart and [also] the hearts of his servants, so that I will be able to set [perform] these [miraculous] signs in their midst.

(10,2) And so that you may relate in the ears of your son and grandson how I made a mockery of the Egyptians, and the miraculous signs I performed among them. You will then know that I am Adonoy.”

(10,3) Moshe and Aharon went in to Pharaoh and they said to him, “This is what Adonoy, God of the Hebrews, has said, ‘How long will you refuse to be humbled before Me? Send My people out that they may worship Me.

(10,4) For if you refuse to send My people out, I will bring locusts within your borders tomorrow.

(10,5) They will cover the visible surface of the land so that one will be unable to see the land. They will eat all that was spared, that remained for you from the hail, and they will eat every tree that grows for you in the field.

(10,6) They will fill your houses, and the houses of all your servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians. [It will be something] that was never seen by your fathers or your fathers’ fathers since the day they were on the earth until this day.’” He [Moshe] then turned and went out from Pharaoh.

(10,7) Pharaoh’s servants said to him, “How long will this [man] be a menace to us? Send these men out and let them worship Adonoy, their God. Did you not yet realize that Egypt is [being] destroyed?”

(10,8) Moshe and Aharon were brought back to Pharaoh, and he said to them, “Go worship Adonoy, your God. Exactly who will be going?”

(10,9) Moshe said, “With our young and with our old we will go. With our sons, with our daughters, with our sheep and with our cattle we will go, for it is a festival to Adonoy for all of us.”

(10,10) He [Pharaoh] said to them, “So be it. May Adonoy be with you just as I will send you and your little ones. Beware for evil confronts you.

(10,11) This is not right. [Only] the [adult] men should go and worship Adonoy for this is what you desire.” He had them expelled from Pharaoh’s presence.

(10,12) Adonoy said to Moshe, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts [to bring the locusts] and they will emerge upon the land of Egypt. They will eat all the vegetation in the land, that remained from [the destruction of] the hail.”

(10,13) Moshe stretched out his rod over the land of Egypt and Adonoy directed an east wind over the land all that day and all the night. When morning came the east wind had carried [brought] the locusts.

(10,14) The locusts came up over the whole land of Egypt, and rested [settled] within all the borders of Egypt. It was very severe. Never before had there been such locusts and never again after them.

(10,15) They covered the visible surface of the entire land so that the land was darkened. They ate all the vegetation of the land, and all the fruit of the trees that was left [spared] by the hail. No greenery remained on the trees or on the vegetation of the field in the entire land of Egypt.

(10,16) Pharaoh hurriedly called for Moshe and Aharon, and he said, “I have sinned to Adonoy, your God, and to you.

(10,17) Now forgive my sin just this one time and plead with Adonoy, your God, just to remove this death from me.”

(10,18) He [Moshe] left Pharaoh’s presence and prayed to Adonoy.

(10,19) Adonoy turned a very strong westerly wind, that carried away the locusts, and plunged them into the Reed Sea. Not a single locust remained in all of Egypt’s borders.

(10,20) Adonoy hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not send out the B’nei Yisrael.

(10,21) Adonoy said to Moshe, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky, and there will be darkness over the land of Egypt. The darkness will be tangible.”

(10,22) Moshe stretched out his hand toward the sky, and there was total darkness in the entire land of Egypt for three days.

(10,23) Man could not see his fellow man, nor could anyone rise from his place for three days. But all the B’nei Yisrael had light in their dwellings.

(10,24) Pharaoh called to Moshe, and he said, “Go! Worship Adonoy. Just let your sheep and cattle stay behind. Even your little ones can go with you.”

(10,25) Moshe said, “You too will give us sacrifices and burnt-offerings that we will make [offer] to our God.

(10,26) Our own flocks will also go with us. Not a single hoof will remain. We must take from them to worship Adonoy our God; since we do not know with what [animals] we will worship Adonoy until we get there.”

(10,27) Adonoy hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he was [no longer] willing to send them away.

(10,28) Pharaoh said to him [Moshe] “Leave my presence. Beware! Do not see my face again; for on the day you see my face you will die.”

(10,29) Moshe said, “As you say. I will not see your face again.”

(11,1) Adonoy said to Moshe, “There is one more plague that I will bring upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt. After that he will send you away from here. When he sends you away, he will actually drive you out from here completely.

(11,2) Speak, please, in the ears of the people, and let each man request [borrow] from his friend, and each woman from her friend, articles of silver and articles of gold.”

(11,3) Adonoy gave the people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians. Moshe too was very great in the land of Egypt, [both] in the eyes of Pharaoh’s servants and in the eyes of the people.

(11,4) Moshe said, “This is what Adonoy has said, About the time of midnight, I will go out in the midst of Egypt.

(11,5) Every first-born in the land of Egypt will die, from the first-born of Pharaoh sitting on his throne, to the first-born of the [Egyptian] slave girl, behind the mill-stones, and every first-born animal.

(11,6) There will be a great cry [of anguish] throughout the entire land of Egypt, the likes of which there never was and like there never will be.

(11,7) But among all the B’nei Yisrael, a dog will not sharpen its tongue [growl] at man or animal. You will then know that Adonoy distinguishes between Egypt and Yisrael.

(11,8) Then all these, your servants, will come down to me, and prostrate themselves saying, ‘Go! You and all the people that follow you. Then I will go out.” He [Moshe] then left Pharaoh in great anger.

(11,9) Adonoy said to Moshe, “Pharaoh will not listen to you. Thus I will multiply My wonders in the land of Egypt.”

(11,10) Moshe and Aharon had done all these wonders before Pharaoh. [However] Adonoy hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he did not send the B’nei Yisrael out of his land.

(12,1) Adonoy said to Moshe and Aharon in the land of Egypt saying:

(12,2) “This month shall be [reckoned] to you [as] the head [beginning] of months. It shall be to you the first of the months of the year.

(12,3) Speak to the entire community of Israel saying, ‘On the tenth [day] of this month they shall take—each man [shall take] a lamb for [his] family, a lamb for each household.

(12,4) If the [members of the] household are too few for the [eating of a] lamb then he shall take [a lamb] [together] with his neighbor, close by his house, according to the number of individuals. According to what the person eats shall you make your count regarding the lamb.

(12,5) A flawless lamb, a yearling male must be in your possession. You may take it from sheep or goats.

(12,6) You shall hold it in safekeeping until the fourteenth day of this month, they shall slaughter it—the entire community of Yisrael—between evenings [in the afternoon].

(12,7) They shall take of its blood and place it on the side of the doorposts and on the lintel of the houses in which they will eat [the lamb].

(12,8) They shall eat the meat during this night. It shall be roasted over fire. They shall eat it with matzos and bitter herbs.

(12,9) You must not eat it half-cooked or boiled in water, but only roasted over fire, its head with its knees and its inner organs.

(12,10) You must not leave any of it over until morning. Any of it left over until morning must be burned in fire.

(12,11) This is how you must eat it: with your waist belted, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand. You must eat it in haste, it is a Pesach-offering to Adonoy.

(12,12) I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and I will strike [kill] every first-born in the land of Egypt, from man to beast; and against all the gods of Egypt, I will execute judgments, I am Adonoy.

(12,13) The blood will be for you as a sign on the houses where you are [staying]. I will see the blood and I will pass over you. There will be no plague against you when I strike the land of Egypt.

(12,14) This day shall be for you a [day of] remembrance. You shall celebrate it as a festival to Adonoy, throughout your generations. It is an eternal statute that you must celebrate it.

(12,15) You must eat matzos for seven days, but before the first day you must remove [all] leaven from your homes; for anyone who eats chametz, that soul will be cut off from Yisrael. [Chametz is forbidden] from the first day [of Pesach] until [after] the seventh day.

(12,16) The first day shall be a holy assembly and the seventh day shall be a holy assembly to you. No work shall be done on them, only for [the preparation of food] which will be eaten by every person, that alone may be done for you.

(12,17) You must be vigilant regarding the matzos, for on this very day I brought out your hosts from the land of Egypt. You must preserve this day for your generations, it is an eternal statute.

(12,18) In the first [month] on the fourteenth day of the month, in the evening you shall eat matzos; until the twenty-first day of the month in the evening.

(12,19) For seven days leaven may not be found in your homes, for whoever eats chametz that soul shall be cut off from the community of Israel, whether a proselyte or a native born in the land.

(12,20) You must not eat anything that is chametz. In all your dwellings you shall eat matzos.

(12,21) Moshe called to all the elders of Yisrael, and he said to them, “Draw [from your flocks] or purchase for yourselves a lamb for your families and slaughter it as a Pesach offering.

(12,22) Take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin. Touch the lintel and the two side [door] posts with some of the blood in the basin. And all of you, let no man go out the door of his house until morning.

(12,23) Adonoy will pass through to plague the Egyptians and He will see the blood on the lintel and on the two side [door] posts. Adonoy will then pass over that door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to plague you.

(12,24) You must preserve this [ritual] as a statute for you and your children forever.

(12,25) When you come to the land that Adonoy will give to you, as He spoke, you must preserve this service.

(12,26) When your children will ask you, “What is this service of yours?”

(12,27) You shall say, “It is the Pesach-offering to Adonoy Who passed over the houses of the B’nei Yisrael in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and saved our homes. The people then bowed and prostrated themselves.

(12,28) The B’nei Yisrael went and did as Adonoy commanded Moshe and Aharon. They [also] did so.

(12,29) It was [exactly] midnight and Adonoy struck down [killed] every first-born son in the land of Egypt, from the first-born son of Pharaoh sitting on his throne, to the first-born son of the captive [prisoner] who was in the dungeon, as well as every first-born animal.

(12,30) Pharaoh arose at night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians, and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was no house where there were no dead.

(12,31) [Pharaoh] called for Moshe and Aharon that night and said, “Set out! Get out from among my people, both you and the B’nei Yisrael. Go worship Adonoy as you have said [requested].

(12,32) Take your sheep and cattle too, as you have said and go; bless me too.

(12,33) The Egyptians pressed the people to hurry them—to send them out of the land, for they said, “We are all dead men.”

(12,34) The people took their dough before it was leavened. Their leftovers were wrapped in their clothing, [and carried] on their shoulders.

(12,35) The B’nei Yisrael did as Moshe said, and they requested of the Egyptians silver articles and gold articles and clothing.

(12,36) Adonoy granted the people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, and they granted their request. They [B’nei Yisrael thus] drained Egypt of its wealth.

(12,37) The B’nei Yisrael traveled from Ramseis to Sukkos. There were about six hundred thousand males on foot besides the children.

(12,38) A great mixture [of nationalities] also went up with them. There were [also] sheep and cattle, a huge amount of livestock.

(12,39) They baked the dough that they had brought out of Egypt into matzoh cakes, for it was not leavened. Since they were driven out of Egypt and could not delay, they had also not prepared provisions for themselves.

(12,40) The habitation of the B’nei Yisrael living in Egypt lasted four hundred and thirty years.

(12,41) It was at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, and on that very day all of Adonoy’s multitudes went out of the land of Egypt.

(12,42) This was a night of vigil for Adonoy, to bring them out of the land of Egypt. This night remains a night of vigil to Adonoy for all the B’nei Yisrael for [all] their generations.

(12,43) Adonoy said to Moshe and Aharon, “This is the statute of the Pesach offering: No alien may eat it.

(12,44) However each man’s slave [if he was]purchased with money, you must circumcise him and then he may eat it.

(12,45) An [alien] sojourner or hired worker may not eat it.

(12,46) It must be eaten in one house. You must not remove from the house any of its flesh, to the outdoors, and you must not break any of its bones.

(12,47) The entire community of Yisrael must make this [offering].

(12,48) When a proselyte dwells with you and wants to make the Pesach-offering to Adonoy, every male must be circumcised. He may then come near [join] to make it, and be like the native born. But no uncircumcised male may eat of it.

(12,49) There shall be one law for the native born and for the proselyte who dwells among you.

(12,50) All the B’nei Yisrael did as Adonoy commanded Moshe and Aharon. They [Moshe and Aharon] also did so.

(12,51) On that very day, Adonoy took the B’nei Yisrael out of Egypt in their multitudes.

(13,1) Adonoy spoke to Moshe, saying,

(13,2) “Sanctify to Me all the first-born, that [is the first to] open the womb among the B’nei Yisrael, both of man and beast, it is Mine.”

(13,3) Moshe said to the people, “Remember this day [as the day] on which you came out of Egypt, from the house of slavery, for with a strong hand Adonoy brought you out from this. You must not eat chametz.

(13,4) On this day you went out, in the month of Aviv [Nissan].

(13,5) When Adonoy brings you to the land of the Canaanite, the Chittites, the Emorites, the Chivites and the Yevusites, which He swore to your fathers [that He would] give to you—a land flowing with milk and honey—you must conduct this service in this month.

(13,6) For seven days you must eat matzos, and the seventh day is a festival to Adonoy.

(13,7) Matzos must be eaten these seven days. No chametz may be seen in your possession, and no leaven may be seen in all your boundaries.

(13,8) You must tell your son [child] on that day saying, ‘Because of this, Adonoy did [this] for me when I came out of Egypt.’

(13,9) It shall be to you as a sign on your hand, and for a reminder between your eyes, so that Adonoy’s teachings will be in your mouth, for with a strong hand Adonoy brought you out of Egypt.

(13,10) You must preserve this statute in its appointed time, from year to year.

(13,11) When Adonoy brings you to the land of the Canaanites as He swore to you and to your fathers; and He will have given it to you.

(13,12) [At that time] you must pass on, [set aside] every one that [is first to] open the womb, to Adonoy. Every firstling that is dropped [born] by animals that belong to you, the males shall belong to Adonoy.

(13,13) Redeem each firstling donkey with a sheep. If it is not redeemed, you must break its neck. Redeem every first-born male among your sons.

(13,14) When your son asks you at a later time saying ‘What is this?’ You should say to him, “With a strong hand Adonoy brought us out of Egypt from the house of slavery.

(13,15) When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to send us out, Adonoy killed every first-born in the land of Egypt, from the first-born of man to the first-born of beast. I am therefore sacrificing to Adonoy all that [is first to] open the womb which are male, and the first-born of my sons I redeem.’

(13,16) [These words] shall be a sign on your hand and for totafos between your eyes, for with a strong hand Adonoy brought us out of Egypt.”