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Bo Shabbat Candles: 5:43 pm Shabbat Mincha: 5:35 pm Click here to Listen to Torah Shiur Bo 5772 Audio Shiur this week is sponsored by: Duke McCarthy for May McCarthy, all US and Israeli elected officials, all US marines, all Israeli soldiers, mercy from Hashem, peace in Jerusalem and all involved with PATH
A Schtickle Torah from Rabbi Salid Bo 5771 The last mitzvah recorded in Parashas Bo is the redemption of the firstborn. In Parashas Bamidbar the explanation of this mitzvah is given. When Hashem smote the firstborn of Egypt He sanctified the Israeli firstborn. We find that until the sin of the golden calf the Divine service devolved upon the firstborn. We actually preserve a vestige of this idea in that if there are no Levites in shul the b’chorim wash the hands of the Kohanim for the Priestly Blessing. After the sin of the calf, the Levites took over as helpers of the Kohanim. The Sforno tells us that just as any Holy item must be redeemed to permit secular use, so too must we redeem our firstborn sons so that they may lead a normal life and not be consecrated to Divine service. The Sforno also points out that the only way Hashem could save the b’chorim was by making them Holy. Their new found Holiness endowed them with a super human strength and protected them from the Angel of Death. Hashem appointed them to His staff, so to speak, and thereby they received immunity. FROM THIS WE LEARN a potential lesson for all of us. The degree to which we merit Divine assistance and protection is directly proportional to the degree to which we dedicate ourselves to Hashem’s service. If we understand that our mission is to bring glory to His Name and demonstrate what it means to be a member of His staff, we will surely merit His protection and be zocheh to the ultimate revelation of His Presence, culminating with the advent of Moshiach. |
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