Bo

Come with Me!

Adapted from Sarah Margles and Nancy Schwartz Sternoff

At the beginning of Parshat Bo, God says to Moshe, bo el par'oh. Translators approach these words in different ways. Some translators focus on the literal meaning of the Hebrew words and offer the translation "Come to Pharaoh." But this translation is awkward. At first glance, it seems it would only be grammatically correct if Par'oh himself invited Moshe in. So, other translators use the more natural English expression, "Go to Pharaoh." But this translation misses something. Torah is intentional poetic prose. When Torah uses an odd expression, Torah usually points to a deeper layer of meaning.

We can explore this layer of meaning by comparing the two translations. In English, "to go" means "to move on a course or to move out of or away from a place expressed or implied." When we direct someone to embark on a journey alone, we are likely to tell them to "Go!"  If God were telling Moshe to "Go!" it would mean Moshe would embark alone.

"To come" means "to move toward something or to advance toward accomplishment." When we plan to travel along with a person, or when we will be waiting for them at the destination, we tend to invite them to "Come." By telling Moshe to "Come," God is letting Moshe know that Moshe is not alone on the journey. God will be with Moshe as Moshe confronts Par'oh. Although Moshe is reluctant, God's invitation inspires him to step forward.

Often we ask others to step forward to advocate for us or to advocate on our behalf for important causes. How much more powerful would our request be if we let each other know that we are in it together!

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