Come to Pharoh on 5 levels and Do We Have Free Choice I P’ Bo

What’s said in this shiur

The opening of this shiur, in Rabbi Aaron L Raskin’s own words — taken from the captions, so names and Hebrew terms may be approximate.

The opening words of this week's parashah is Vayomer Hashem el Moshe, "Boy el Paro." God tells Moses, "Come to Pharaoh." Comes the question to mind, why does it say here "Come to Pharaoh?" In other places, it says "Lech, go to Pharaoh." Furthermore, most places it says "Go to Pharaoh and say the following." Here, it does not say you should say the following. It simply says "Go." Or come. Boy el Paro. To understand this on five levels, pshat, remez, drash, sod, and chassidus. First and foremost, the difference between the word "boy", "Come to Pharaoh." And "lech", "Go to Pharaoh." Says the Baal HaTurim, and this seems to be the approach of Rashi as well, that when God tells Moses to go to a temporary location, like when Pharaoh was on the Nile. Every morning, he'd go to the water to relieve himself. Pharaoh said he was a king or a god, a deity. He did not have to ever relieve himself. He got up very early before his servants got up, he went to the Nile for a walk, he did what he had to do, he came back. God says, "There is where you should go to Pharaoh and meet him." So, that's a temporary place. Lech, go there to Pharaoh. But, here, Pharaoh is in the palace. He's in his private chambers. That is boy, come. Come into the private, permanent place of Pharaoh. So, that is the pshat, the simple interpretation between "Come to Pharaoh." Or "Go to Pharaoh." What is the name is what is the hint? There's a question that the Torah is eternal even after Messiah comes. We're going to still learn the five books of Moses.

Jump to a moment

1. 0:00The opening words of this week's parashah is Vayomer Hashem el Moshe, "Boy el Paro." God…
2. 2:39If that is the case, what is the message here of come to Pharaoh? We find…
3. 5:22the big sea monster. How can I go AND APPROACH THIS GIANT SEA MONSTER? And Moses…
4. 8:04Because what does Pharaoh say? "I don't know who this God is." Moses comes to Pharaoh…
5. 10:46and he wanted to change, and he wanted to do God's will, then he would have…
6. 13:24redeemer, of Messiah. Messiah comes in the world of Tikun. And God says, "What's the problem?…
7. 16:03room into another room into the highest places to the essence of God. And there I…
8. 18:45as we'll soon see, to the rest of the world, to be able to be a…
9. 21:31wealth and treasures. But, why must they be requested from their neighbors to a degree that…
10. 24:43my feet. I saw my my entire head. And I felt a tremendous level of warmth…

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