Jan. 23, 2026 – Bo

Significant Firsts in the Second Round of Plagues:
The Meaning of Parshat Bo Amid the Anxiety of ICE

Within the narrative arc of The Ten Plagues on Egypt, Exodus 10:1-12 represents several significant firsts for Pharaoh and his court during the eighth punishment, locusts. It is the first time Pharaoh’s inner circle challenges the all-powerful ruler. They ask him, “How long shall this man be a snare unto us? Are you not aware that Egypt is lost?” It is the first time Pharaoh attempts to avert a plague before it is inflicted, rather than refusing to listen to warnings and begging for calamities to stop. It is the first time Moses and Aaron are summoned specifically for the purpose of negotiation. While Pharaoh ordered them to appear during previous plagues, this is the first instance in which he commands them to discuss the exact terms of who can go into the wilderness to offer sacrifices. By offering to let the men go while their wives and children remain, the tyrant is starting to show a willingness to compromise. It is not an acceptable offer, but it signals the beginning of taking seriously the demands of enslaved Hebrews.

Our Exodus story can be a source of hope during the heartbreak of what is happening in Minnesota and throughout our nation. Change is possible when people across the spectrum of society have had enough. Pharaoh could care less about Hebrew suffering. The complaints of his inner circle are another matter. He cannot rule without them. So, I ask that the supporters of this Administration reflect not only on the pain of Pharaoh’s slaves but on the courage of his friends. It is only when the supporters of this Administration say it has gone too far that it will start to listen. Supporters have leverage that detractors do not. Let us join with clergy and lay leadership across the country in asking them to use these resources to make a difference.

Like the leadup to the plague of locusts, this might be the point where authority begins to think about averting suffering rather than trying to manage the fallout of unwarranted action. If Pharaoh had sufficient wisdom to explore this approach, then today’s leaders can do the same. No one benefits from an atmosphere in which people are too frightened to go to school, the hospital or houses of worship.

May the incremental progress on Pharaoh’s hardened heart stir the conscience of those who have chosen aggression over negotiation, cruelty over compromise, and complicity over compassion. The plagues upon Egypt remind us that no ruler, no inner circle, no ethnic or racial majority is immune from suffering for the injustice it wreaks on minorities. May we resolve our differences with no further bloodshed, brutishness or bigotry.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi David Wirtschafter