Parashat HaShavua - Bo

וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה: בִּנְעָרֵינוּ וּבִזְקֵנֵינוּ נֵלֵך 
בְּבָנֵינוּ וּבִבְנוֹתֵנוּ בְּצֹאנֵנוּ וּבִבְקָרֵנוּ נֵלֵךְ
כִּי חַג-ה׳ לָנוּ.

Moshe replied, we will go our youth and our elders,
with our sons and daughters, 
our flocks and herds; 
for we must observe God’s festival.

This week's Torah portion – Parashat Bo – is one that reminds us year after year of the central role young people play in our religious tradition. Between the verse above and the commandment to tell our children the story of the Exodus, two things become clear. First, Moshe has no intention to leave Egypt without the children. And the second, the plagues and the Exodus are a key component of the story of our becoming an am, a People. This is the story we will tell and retell our children for generations to come. 

The pasuk quoted above is Moshe and Aaron’s response to Pharaoh’s question. After Moshe and Aaron warn him regarding the Arbeh (locusts) plague, Pharaoh responds “go worship your God," and he asks: "who will be going with you?” Moshe responds “with our youth, our elderly, our sons, our daughters, our sheep, our cattle – we will go – for we must observe God’s festival.” Pharaoh denies this request. He is willing for the men to leave (implying not the children). The Arbeh (locusts) plague follows. 

Focusing on the words: “we must observe God’s festival,” there is a machloket (disagreement) between two commentators. Hizkuni (13th century, France) explains that the end of the verse explains the beginning. Namely, since we need to go observe a chag, a holiday for God, this observance must always include the children, and therefore Moshe not only includes the children and youth in his list, but mentions them first.  Ibn Ezra (12th century, Spain), on the other hand, focuses on the community as a whole. He explains: we must go worship our God, therefore we must all leave.

In Parshat Bo, we learn of the central role children play in preserving our tradition. There is no better place to experience the truth of that teaching than working at the Heschel School. Children have a beautiful way of elevating the purpose and meaning of each and every tradition and holiday story. How do we simultaneously work to listen to Ibn Ezra's approach and ensure that we preserve the meaning in the holiday for the entire community and for ourselves as well?

Shabbat Shalom, 
Rabbi Dahlia Kronish
High School Associate Head