Parashat Bo: Foundation of Emuna

Good morning, everyone.

I'm sending this message for the swift recovery of Rachel bas Shmuel, and may all those afflicted in Am Yisrael find refuge, particularly from the coronavirus.

I've been contemplating our message for this week, and I absolutely love this Parasha, Bo. My father, of blessed memory, always told me it's the most fundamental parasha in the entire Torah. It contains all the foundations of emunah (faith). As we've discussed, the Ramban emphasizes the importance of believing and having emunah, knowing that Hashem knows everything and provides Divine Providence.

What's the most powerful message we can gain this week? As we know, Rashi asks at the beginning of Sefer Bereishit why the Torah starts there, when the very first mitzvah given to us as a nation was Kiddush HaChodesh (sanctifying the new month). Instead, the Torah first speaks about the Avot (Patriarchs) and all they taught us. Then, a nation was born.

The Power of Action and Renewal

Rashi explains the profound importance of this first mitzvah: for human beings, the most important thing is action. It's not just hearing, learning, or speaking, but actively doing. So, why was Kiddush HaChodesh the very first mitzvah, and not, for example, Shabbat or a lesson on emunah?

Kiddush HaChodesh brings us the notion of renewal. Every single month brings a molad—the moon is "born anew." It's not just that we see it again; it's a rebirth. Hashem gives us a deep message: as you now embark on life as a nation and begin to perform mitzvot, know there's no such thing as being stuck, in despair, or in utter darkness, wondering how to move forward.

On the contrary, each month brings a rebirth, a molad—new opportunities, new possibilities, and renewed strength. But there's one condition: we must sanctify the month; we must make the best of our time. We have to realize it's not the outside world or others. We often think our surroundings, friends, or family will act first. However, the first step towards action must come from us. We have to understand the value of time, sanctify it, make the best of our lives, and not let time pass in darkness. That's why we say each month there is a Yom Kippur Katan (a "mini" Yom Kippur). Hashem says, "Just like on Yom Kippur you start a fresh, new year, you have this opportunity every single month."

We know that man is made of afar (dust), drawing him to the earth, which represents stability and doesn't change. But man also has the Neshama (holy soul), his most important part, which comes from above. Because man was made from dust, he's drawn to the power of the earth—looking downwards. But we are given a lesson: don't be drawn by the power of afar. On the contrary, look upwards, towards the molad. Look up to heaven. Sanctify the new month, and know that "HaChodesh HaZeh Lachem"—it belongs to you. It's in your hands to make the best of it.

When Moshe Rabbeinu asked why this was the first mitzvah, Hashem showed him the molad—the shape of the new moon—made of fire. This was to tell him that this notion of renewal, of rebirth, of being able to move forward with new strength, is the most important part of a person's life. One must do it with enthusiasm, with fire. Believe in yourself, believe in your powers, and believe that you can make the best of your life and move on.

Another important lesson of Kiddush HaChodesh: in the Shabbat Tefilah, we say, "He established its renewal for the diminished crown." The moon doesn't have its own light; it receives its light from the sun. Hashem says, "If you think you are nothing, know that I am the One who can bring the greatest life and light into your life. Just call out to Me, reach out to Me, and I will help you make each month the best opportunity for renewal."

Devotion and Freedom Through Sacrifice

Moving on in the Parasha, we speak of the mitzvah of the Korban Pesach (Passover offering). I won't delve into the full importance of the tremendous mesirut nefesh (self-sacrifice) Am Yisrael displayed by taking the animal the Egyptians worshipped, endangering their lives to bring it into their homes. We all know about the Korban Pesach and how they also performed Brit Milah (circumcision)—all done with tremendous mesirut nefesh.

The verse says, "V'haya ha'dam lachem l'ot" (And the blood shall be a sign for you). The Midrash explains that they mixed this blood with the blood of the Brit Milah that each man had to make. They had to put this blood on the doorposts and ceiling, on the entrance to the house, but inside the house. The question is, if it was a sign to show where the Jews lived, why was the blood placed inside?

Hashem says, "It's a sign for you." Hashem doesn't need signs to know where a Jew is or who the firstborn is. "I know exactly. But it's for you that I am demanding an act of mesirut nefesh." This act of total devotion, of endangering your lives to prove your commitment to Hakadosh Baruch Hu, is what will transform you from a slave into a human being who can make free choices, make the right decisions, and know exactly how to devote themselves to Hakadosh Baruch Hu.

The Importance of Alacrity in Mitzvot

After speaking of the Korban Pesach, Moshe Rabbeinu speaks about the matzah: "You're going to eat matzah with your Korban Pesach. Remember when you bake the matzah, Ushmartem et haMatzot—be very careful. The entire process of preparing the matzah may not last longer than 18 minutes. It has to be done with utmost rapidity."

Our Sages tell us the meaning of Ushmartem et haMatzot: "be very careful, preserve your matzot." They shouldn't come into contact with chametz; they should be done quickly within 18 minutes. Rashi brings the Midrash that says: "Al tikra Matzot, ella Mitzvot" (Do not read 'matzot,' but 'mitzvot'). Just as you keep the matzot with rapidity and do them fast, do every single human action, all your mitzvot, with rapidity.

You might ask, is it always good to do things quickly? We know that when Avraham Avinu went to the Akedah, he "got up early," and "traveled with rapidity towards Mount Moriah." When he told Sarah to prepare dough for the guests, he said, "Hurry, do it fast." Perhaps in life, it's better to be more thoughtful, to do things at a slower pace. You might say rapidity is sometimes impulsiveness, leading to regret. However, our Sages give us a very important message here. The Exodus from Egypt had to happen very fast because, as we all know, they had reached the 49th degree of impurity. Had they not left immediately, there would have been no spiritual possibility for them to receive the Torah. They had to be saved very rapidly.

When you do things with rapidity, it shows that you truly want to do something. If I'm interested in doing something, I'll do it right away. For example, if I need to tidy up cupboards and dust, I'm not really eager, so I might try to make a phone call or do something else because I'm not interested. But if I know my children or family are visiting, and I want to set a nice table and have the house look beautiful, because I'm interested and desire to welcome them, I'm going to do it as fast as possible. When we do things with speed, it shows our inner desire, our inner interest. That's why our Sages say, whatever you do in life, just as with mitzvot, rapidity is of utmost importance. "Ushmartem et haMatzot" – that must be your attitude towards the mitzvot. If you need to daven (pray) or give tzedakah (charity), don't put it off. Do it right away. If you need to visit the sick, don't say, "I'll do it another time." If you need to make a phone call, don't push it off. Do it now, with rapidity.

The Reward for Kindness and Empathy

Another important message given to us, now that we're speaking about the renewal and rebirth of Am Yisrael: When Moshe Rabbeinu gave them all the mitzvot on Rosh Chodesh Nissan, they only performed them 14 days later. So why does Rashi say that on Rosh Chodesh, they were so full of enthusiasm and accepted the mitzvot with their whole heart? Rashi says, "Malay Hakadosh Baruch Hu..." When there was such agreement and deep emunah, and they knew Hashem would take them out of Egypt, even though it was a very dangerous and difficult situation, they believed. The Torah says, when a person has true emunah and believes, he has the special merit that Hashem counts this emunah as if he had already done the action itself, even if he hasn't yet.

I'll end with a true story connected to rewards and gratitude.

We are told that two animals were rewarded for assisting Am Yisrael when they left Egypt. On the night of Makat Bechorot (the plague of the firstborn), it says, "Lo yecheratz kelev leshono" (no dog barked). Usually, dogs bark very loudly when they sense death. But the dogs barked only near the Egyptian homes; not a single dog barked near Jewish homes, so as not to scare them. Our Sages say that because the dogs were so considerate of Jewish feelings, Hashem gave them a reward. It says in Parashat Mishpatim that when you have treif (non-kosher) meat that you cannot eat, "to the dog you shall give it." So, they were rewarded with an extra food ration for being nice and considerate towards Am Yisrael in Egypt.

On the other hand, of all the non-kosher animals, the donkey (chamor) is the only one we are commanded to sanctify and redeem its firstborn (Peter Chamor). Why the donkey? They also had camels, horses, and sheep. What was different about the donkey? Our Sages tell us that the donkeys were the ones who carried all the possessions when they left Egypt.

The difference between the dog and the donkey? The dogs were nice, but passive. They didn't actually do anything. The donkeys, however, helped. They "schlepped" and carried all the bags and parcels on their backs. They were truly helping a lot, so they received an extra reward, having their firstborns sanctified.

This teaches us that Hashem rewards whatever a person does. Even a plain animal gets rewarded. Al achat kama v'chama (how much more so) when a person does a mitzvah or something positive, he creates an angel in heaven, and his reward is tremendous.

I'd like to end with a true story about rewards and gratitude. A young boy named Jankeler lived with his parents in a Polish village. As the Nazi invasion made things very dangerous, his parents, realizing they had no hope of escape, took their blonde, non-Jewish-looking son to a kind non-Jewish neighbor lady. They told her, "Please, please. We know we are going to die, but he's blonde, he doesn't look Jewish. Please try to save him and wait for us. We'll come back after the war, but if, G-d forbid, we don't return, here's the address of a relative in America. You must contact him to come and fetch Jankeler, because we want him to remain Jewish. There's no one left of our family; he'll be the sole survivor."

The war passed. In 1945, the parents didn't show up. The Polish woman waited until 1946; when they still hadn't appeared, she understood they were dead. She decided the boy would be her son and told her husband, "Listen, he's going to be our son. We're going to baptize him. We're not keeping him as a Jew. We're going to save him, so let him become a Christian like us." Her husband countered, "Listen, you can't do that. You promised the parents. They are not alive, but you have to honor your promise." She was unconvinced and went to the local priest, a young man named John.

"Hello, I've got good news!" she announced. "I want to baptize my son." The priest looked at her, "You never had a son. What do you mean? I never saw you with a son. This boy is already nine, ten, or twelve." She said, "Yes, I had a son in the war, but it was wartime." She tried to explain his age, saying he was "so big already," and invented various stories. The priest insisted, "Tell me the truth. Is he your son?" She finally broke down and told him the entire story: he was a Jewish boy, she had a promise to his relatives in America, but she wanted to baptize him to save his soul and make him Christian.

The priest became very upset. He told her, "Listen, lady, you made a promise. You have to be honest. You must respect your promise. You're going to write to the person in America, and he must come and take the boy. You are not allowed to keep this child." This was truly incredible for a Catholic priest to do at that time.

So, the relative from America came. He picked up the boy and took him over. Jankeler became a Yeshiva boy, a special person. Who was this special Polish priest? He later became Pope John Paul II, a very famous Pope of Polish origin. No one understood how a Polish priest could become Pope of the Vatican. But the Lubavitcher Rebbe, upon hearing the story and inquiring into what he had done, said, "That is the way Hakadosh Baruch Hu rewards those who are honest and do good to others."

I think this is a tremendous lesson for us all. If someone is good to another, helps another, Hakadosh Baruch Hu helps them. This priest became world-famous, traveling the entire world, all because he saved one Jewish soul. So, you can imagine that when we help others, and we try to be as kind as we can be, the reward is immense.

Do you know what our Sages say about Makat Choshech (the plague of darkness)? Four-fifths of the Jewish nation died during that plague. Why? Because the problem was that those who died did not light up the world around them. They darkened the eyes of others. They had no empathy, no kindness. Hashem said, "If you don't know how to light up the world of other people, then you will die in Makat Choshech."

May we always have the merit to light up the world around us, to do good for others, to show empathy, and in Hashem's unity, remember "HaChodesh HaZeh Lachem"—now is the time. It's a time of renewal in our calendar, the month of Shevat, a time when nature blossoms. Here, in the UK, we're approaching summer, and we see everything blossoming around us. May Hashem give us the strength to continue, to move forward, and always to understand and appreciate all that He gives us.

Have a wonderful, wonderful Shabbos, and all my love from Jerusalem.