Words From Rabbi White

Dear congregants,

TWO PLUS ONE = THREE

HaShem tells Moshe to go to Pharoah, but He uses the word “bo’”, which means “come,” rather than “lekh,” which would mean “go.” Baal HaTurim points out that the numerical value of the word “bo” is 3, [the letter ‘aleph =1, the letter “b”=2. ] This makes it easy to remember that this parasha of “bo’” contains the last three plagues. (Locusts, darkness, first born.)

This is not what we could call “peshat,” but it is useful as a mnemonic.

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ANOTHER APPROACH

We are all so thankful and happy at the news of the release of hostages. However, a close friend of my daughter’s, who lives in the Shomron, and who is part of the religious Zionist community, has a different take. Here is part of the letter that she sent to my daughter, slightly edited by me:  What people in the US don't understand is that the yellow ribbon "bring them home now" protest is a campaign. It's run by the exact same people...who held huge protests...against Netanyahu. You don't make deals with terrorists. Period. They have left the last 65-70 hostages to their fates, reconstructed and rearmed Azza/Hammas, they have made the deaths of nearly 1000 soldiers (over 10 from our area alone) close to meaningless and are responsible for endangering all 8 million Israelis, especially those in Yehuda v'Shomron.  Sinwaar was released in return for Gilad Shalit. These campaigners are using the families of the hostages because they want a “progressive” Israel. They never once talk about the soldiers that died, the ones that lost their sight, arms, legs, hearing, voices... They spew hate towards everything and anything religious- even the religious soldiers fighting to protect them. They say that the religious people are fanatic messianics that will turn Israel into Iran and that they're worse than the Hammas. They have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on this campaign and have helped the Hammas. The Hammas, as it has been reported by captured terrorists and released hostages alike, are extremely happy about the demonstrations and the entire campaign. So I'm sorry. It's because of the yellow ribbon campaign that I carry a gun almost everywhere now... But I'm happy for the 30 hostages that were released. If these people would have held up a united war front and encouraged the government to fight to win the war and save the hostages and opposed all the humanitarian aid, they would have been home much much sooner...and perhaps most or all would be home. Israel has no cards left to play and I believe that many more חלילה will be killed...

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In other words, although everyone is extremely happy that the hostages have been released, a large segment feels that the government has been forced to go about it the wrong way.

I was asked: why did the rabbis who divided the Torah into weekly portions not put all the 10 plagues into the same parasha?

Why did they split it up: 7 last week and 3 this week?   My answer was to give the Egyptians time to reflect on what was happening to them. But they didn’t learn their lesson. Likewise, in our time, if Hamas had really been concerned about their people, they could have returned the hostages a long time ago.

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Stanley Goldstein and Mariam Mintz observe for their mother, Chana bat Shalom HaKohen, Anne Wittenberg Goldstein, on Sunday 4 Shevat.

Arlene Sheffer observes for her father, Ike Winstan, on Monday, 5 Shevat.

We pray for good news and release of all the hostages.

Shabbat shalom, Rabbi Menahem White