Parshat Bo: Lessons Learned in the Dark
Parshat Bo brings us into one of the most unsettling plagues: darkness. Not ordinary nightfall, but a darkness so dense that the Torah tells us people could not see one another, could not rise from where they were, could not move for three days.
Parshat Bo brings us into one of the most unsettling plagues: darkness. Not ordinary nightfall, but a darkness so dense that the Torah tells us people could not see one another, could not rise from where they were, could not move for three days. Egypt is frozen in place, suspended in an unlivable fog. And yet, in the homes of the Israelites, there is light. They can see. They can function. They can keep going. This contrast tempts us toward a simple story: darkness is there, light is here. Confusion belongs to them; clarity belongs to us.
But then comes a surprising moment. In a negotiation with Pharaoh about what they will be permitted to bring on this long-promised journey, Moses says “We will not know how we are to worship God until we arrive there.” In other words: even with light in our homes, even with the path opening, we do not yet know what faith will demand of us. The Israelites may be spared the paralyzing darkness, but they are not spared uncertainty. Moses does not trade confusion for certainty. He trades immobilizing darkness for a different challenge: moving forward without a clear map.
Parshat Bo suggests that redemption is not the moment when everything becomes clear. It is the moment when we are willing to walk toward what we cannot yet name. Faith, here, is not confidence. It is the courage to leave the lit room and step into a future that will only reveal itself once we arrive. The Israelites are not asked to understand everything before they go. They are asked to trust that understanding comes through motion — that we can't discover truth, meaning, and purpose in advance, but only along the way.
Reflection Questions
Where in your life do you have “light”—clarity, stability, or comfort—but still sense a call to move into something uncertain?
What feels harder right now: being stuck in darkness, or being asked to move forward without knowing what will be required of you?
Welcome to Torah in Harlem! As we move through each week, we’ll explore the stories and insights of the weekly Torah portion—the ancient text at the heart of Jewish life—and let them inspire conversation in our community. Our hope is to cultivate a gathering place where learning belongs, reflection brings joy, and we can all grow together.
Artwork by Hillel Smith.
