Questions on Parshas Bo to think about and discuss:

1. How many days was Makos Choshech, the plague of darkness, for?
2. What is the new start found in Parshas Bo?
3. Why are so many mitzvahs remembering the leaving from Mitzrayim?
4. Why do we always call it יציאת מצרים that literally means “the leaving of the Egyptians” not the Jews? Either it should be יציאת ישראל or יציאה ממצרים?
5. When else in the year do we read in the Torah from Parshas Bo?
6. Who died as a result of Makos Bechoiros, the plague of the firstborns?
7. What is the significance that the Jews count the lunar and not the solar year?
8. When we list the ten makos, we name each one but only by the last one do we add the word maka before it – Makas Bechoiros. Why is this different?
9. What is the significance that Makas Bechoiros took place at midnight unlike all the other plagues?
10. When a person comes in contact with dogs who are coming to attack, they should say the possuk from our parsha (11:7) that talks about the dogs not harming the Jews. What is so special about this happening by Yetzias Mitzrayim that it is singled out?
11. What is the significance that the last three plagues are found separately in Parshas Bo?
12. Paro called Moshe to stop the locusts. If by then everything was already eaten why then bother calling Moshe?
13. By the plague of the locusts is the first time Paro says that he also sinned to the Jews. In what way was it now different that he admitted to this here and not beforehand?

Ideas for answers on the general parsha:

1. Rashi  (10:22) brings that it consisted of two groups of three, making six days. Other plagues were for seven days. Therefore some say that the seventh day of darkness took place when the Egyptians chased the Jews in the sea. However, the Ibn Ezra and Rashbam say that the double mention of three days is an explanation. This means that really the plague was only for three days.
2. Rashi at the beginning of Bereishis says that the Torah should have really started from Parshas Bo since this is where the first mitzvah is said to all the Jews.
3. The Ramban at the end of Parshas Bo explains that it is a foundation for our belief. Hashem openly revealed He is in charge of the world by Yetzias Mitzrayim and from this we realise that this remains true despite the cloud of nature that hides Him.
4. Perhaps we see from here how the Jews were so steeped in the 49^th level of tuma that they were hardly recognisable from the real Egyptians!
5. We read parts from Parshas Bo for the Maftir for Parshas HaChodesh and also for the reading for the first day of Pesach as well as the reading for the first day of Chol Hamoed Pesach.
6. Every firstborn child even from just one parent and if none were found in the house then the oldest one would die. (Rashi, 12:30) This is besides those who died as a result of the revolt by the firstborns who killed those who objected to releasing the Jews. This happened when they heard the next plague would have them killed. (Pirkei DeReb Eliezer 48).
7. The lunar year sees the moon changing – it has ups and downs and renews itself each month. This reflects the pattern of the Jewish Nation throughout history. However, as we express in Kiddush Levana we daven for a spiritual renewal.
8. In Parshas Va’eira we quoted the Malbim who says an introduction about the ten plagues. He points out that there are three groups of three plagues with a pattern. However, Makos Bechorois was the only one that came to actually make Paro send the Jews out. It was different to all the others and therefore earns the special name of the plague together with the word “Maka“. Perhaps another reason is that this is the only plague where each household was directly effected with a death.
11. The Abarbanel says that we find the theme of darkness by all the last three plagues. The locusts covered over the sun and ground making it dark. Choshech was darkness while Makos Bechoiros took place at midnight. Another difference is that locusts marks a change from all the previous plagues. Until now, Paro only called Moshe to stop the plague after it had started. By locusts was the first time when Paro called Moshe back even before the plague had started! The last three plagues are really the start of the redemption and therefore are grouped together in Parshas Bo that talks about the actual redemption and exodus.
12. The Shach answers that Paro called Moshe when the locusts had finished eating everything in the fields and were threatening to enter the houses. It was this that he asked Moshe to stop.

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