Bo is the first primary word of this week’s parsha, and so
it is the one after which it was named. It is the simple, singular, third
person, male imperative of the verb la’vo – to come, a word that provides rich
complexity to the text of the Torah because it often appears to be used for the
opposite of what it means. For example, take this very first primary pasuk. If
translated literally, it should read “Come to Pharoah,” which would be
situationally normal if the speaker was addressing someone at a distance. From
the narrative, it seems clear that Hashem is speaking to Moshe from somewhere
other than in Pharoah’s presence. One would therefore expect the text to read lech
el Paraoh “Go to Pharaoh.”
From the perspective of an English major, the question that
begs to be answered is what the difference is between to come and to go. One might say that the act of going is about the
process of getting from one place to another. Its about the journey and the taking
action to move. Thus we have Hashem telling Avraham “Lech Lecha,” go for
yourself, because Avraham’s movement was what was important.
The act of coming, on the other hand, is about the destination. Hashem told Moshe “Bo el Paraoh,”
because what was important was appearing before Pharaoh, not how he got there
and not how he was affected by the act of getting there, but actually making
himself present there.
Making oneself present, bo, is actually subtly counter-posed
throughout the narrative of the plagues with the other primary ways in which Moshe
(with or without Aharon) is instructed to warn Pharaoh. The other is hashkem baboker vhityatzeiv get
up in the morning and be present (although a slightly different version of the
verb, vnitzavta, is used before the very first plague). The difference between
the two seems a fine line, but being present and making oneself present are slightly
different, and both were important for Hashem making a statement to Pharaoh. When
the term bo is used, Moshe is coming into Pharaoh’s royal presence; he is
making himself present in a way that makes an entrance and acknowledges Pharaoh’s
role as Melech Mitzrayim. When vhituatzeiv is used, he is not
making himself present with an entrance. It is an appearance before Pharaoh
that demonstrates that Pharaoh is just a man.
"Come to Pharaoh" and a version of "Present yourself before Pharoah" are used equally, and the Torah does not record
a precursor for the other plagues. The verb lech Go is only used as a
directive from Hashem in relation to the plagues at the very beginning, when he
instructs Moshe to go to Pharaoh in the morning and present himself for the
first time, a prelude to the plague of blood. Only at the first plague was the journey of
going to appear before Pharaoh important, for Moshe and for Bnei Yisrael.
Before he approached Pharaoh
with knowledge of the plagues to come and the fact that Pharaoh would harden
his heart, Moshe worried about being heard. Once he had appeared before him and
saw his own capability. He did not need the journey. Everything thereafter was
about the actual coming before Pharaoh. And it was significant that his last
appearance was at the command of Bo, come. For Moshe entered the court with the
full knowledge that he was now the harbinger of the fate of Egypt.
We often put great significance
to lech, Go, to the journeying and getting to a place or a position. But
when we change our viewpoint, reverse our position to see where we have come
to, we have the opportunity to see ourselves and the world around us in a new light.
So many of us struggle with where we think we are heading, perhaps we should
come to where we need to be so we can really see where we are.
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