In this week’s Torah portion of “Bo,” G-d commands Moses “Come To Pharaoh...”
Shouldn’t He say “Go..”?
In Kabbalah, a fascinating spiritual episode — one of deep moral and infinite inspiration, and moral ethical rectification — was actually being played out.
Of course, the stories of our Holy Torah (Bible) are not fairy-tales — and though they happened historically, they are neither history. Rather they are archetypical paradigms, from which we the students derive the greatest ethical, moral and spiritual lessons for life.
The essence of Pharaoh is what G-d was telling Moses to go and destroy — ultimately Pharaoh represents the very antithesis of all that is good and holy.
The rotten arrogance that believes its wishes — even as debased, narcissistic and evil as enslaving another, shedding their blood, refusing their freedom — are justified, due to his “almighty” greatness.
Moses was told by G-d to go and enter into the very heart and soul of this evil. As he traversed the spiritual dimension, he saw a river in which many sea monsters scurried out, for they were all afraid of this giant serpent. Seeing the great fear, Moses himself was afraid… and hence G-d said to Moses, “Come… I myself shall accompany you on your mission” (as is always the case — for G-d never asks of us the impossible.)
And as he goes into the very belly of the beast, he is met with an astonishing sight — that the entire narcissism, the entire grandeur, all the assumption of might and power, were nothing but a delusion, an ego that had lost its mind.
Rabbi Zevi Wineberg is a rabbi at Chabad House of Overland Park and runs the website/blog www.KabbalahWisdom.org.
