Glossary of Terms Used in the Bo Weekly Torah Portion

Locust

In all the plagues of Egypt, a person feels how beneficial the plagues are. The plague comes because a person is immersed in the ego, in a special situation, and the plagues help one out of that state. The plague of the locust corresponds to Bina.

Darkness

In each state we have darkness. However, in states of darkness, it is our personal darkness from which we can escape to another state. Here, the state of darkness comes when we are confused, not knowing anything, as it is said in the Purim story when the people did not know whether Haman or Mordechai was right. In a state of darkness, we need to obtain the light of Hassadim because darkness comes from the light of Hochma, and we come out of it through the light of Hassadim. We need Hassadim, understanding that we need the light, and because we are ready, the pillar of fire or the cloud appears.

Plague of the Firstborn

“The Plague of the First-Born” is the final, biggest blow. It is a blow that is the root because the first-born is man. It is the biggest will to receive at the level of Keter, after which there is nothing more to do in Egypt. It is here that Pharaoh surrenders.

Pharaoh is left without an army, without anything. Once the children of Israel leave Egypt, Pharaoh sends after them whatever he has left of his army. But afterward, the mixed multitude joins Israel, as well, and Pharaoh is left with nothing.

The Cry of Egypt

“The cry of Egypt” is the cry of our egos asking, “How will I live if I am all bare without any reception for myself, without any understanding how to exist in the world? I am not used to this situation. I have to switch to a new paradigm, to an opposite world that is all giving, connection, mutual guarantee, and love. I cannot live like that. I do not know how!”

This is the great outcry of our egoistic Kelim. It is a state we must go through, similar to a physical birth where the newborn baby goes through a type of trauma, too. We learn from The Zohar that its root is the serpent’s bite of the doe. That is, Malchut is the source, and she is the one giving birth to the soul. It is a very dramatic and special state. If we go through that state together with unity among us, as the Torah explains, we will feel elated and alert, and we will come out of it easily.