The teachings of Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto are widely recognized for their deep fusion of Kabbalah, Chassidic thought, and practical wisdom for life. His insights into the weekly Torah portion shed light on fundamental spiritual principles that guide our daily experiences. This week, in Parashat Bo, we explore a profound lesson about the nature of evil, resistance, and divine intervention.
“And Hashem said to Moshe: Come to Pharaoh” (Exodus 10:1). The Zohar poses a striking question: Why does the Torah use the word “come” instead of “go”? Ordinarily, when someone is sent on a mission, the natural instruction would be “go.” The term “come” implies drawing closer, as in “come to me.”
Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, speaking to his select group of disciples, explained that Moshe hesitated before confronting Pharaoh, fearing the overwhelming impurity and dark spiritual forces surrounding him. Pharaoh was not just a ruler—he was a manifestation of the deepest levels of impurity, a human embodiment of resistance to divine will. If Moshe were to approach him alone, he risked being spiritually affected.
Thus, Hashem’s wording was precise: “Come to Pharaoh”—not as a command for Moshe to go alone, but as a reassurance that Hashem Himself would accompany him. This teaches a vital principle: when facing darkness and resistance, one must not rely solely on personal strength. Rather, divine assistance is necessary to withstand and overcome such forces.
The ten plagues were not arbitrary punishments but part of a calculated process of dismantling Pharaoh’s spiritual authority. They parallel the Ten Utterances of Creation and the Ten Commandments, yet in reverse order. The final and most devastating plague—Death of the Firstborn—corresponds to the first and highest commandment: “I am Hashem your God.” Conversely, the first and lightest plague—Blood—aligns with the last commandment.
This inverse correlation illustrates the structure of divine justice: as impurity collapses, holiness is revealed in ascending order. The plagues stripped Pharaoh of his perceived power, breaking him down step by step until the final plague eradicated the last vestiges of his illusion of control.
The turning point in this process occurred during the Plague of Darkness. The Midrash explains that this plague consisted of two stages: first, three days of manageable darkness, followed by an additional three days of absolute, paralyzing darkness. It was during this time that Pharaoh, sensing his inevitable downfall, reacted with unprecedented hostility.
“Leave me! Beware, do not see my face again, for on the day you see my face, you shall die!” Pharaoh’s aggressive threat, as recorded in the Torah, was a desperate attempt to maintain authority. Yet, as Rabbi Pinto explains, this very act of violence signified the collapse of his power.
Until this point, Moshe had always stepped outside of Egypt to receive divine prophecy. Egypt was steeped in idolatry and spiritual contamination, making it unfit for direct revelation. But now, for the first time, Moshe prophesied from within Pharaoh’s own palace—announcing the coming of the final plague, Death of the Firstborn. Why now?
Rabbi Pinto explains that as each plague diminished Egypt’s spiritual impurity, its hold on reality weakened. The Plague of Darkness—corresponding to the commandment “You shall have no other gods”—shattered Pharaoh’s illusion of divinity. Once Pharaoh’s ideological power was broken, Egypt was no longer the same place. It had lost its dominion over holiness, allowing Moshe to receive prophecy even within its borders.
The lesson here is both historical and personal. When evil feels cornered, it does not surrender peacefully—it fights back harder. It lashes out, desperate to maintain control, but in reality, this reaction signals its final downfall.
Throughout history, and in our personal lives, we witness this pattern repeatedly. When truth emerges, falsehood resists. When light shines, darkness struggles. And when holiness asserts itself, impurity fights back with all its might. But in the end, as we see from the collapse of Pharaoh, the ultimate victory belongs to truth, holiness, and divine justice.
This article was written in cooperation with Shuva Israel