This week’s Parsha starts with the word “Bo,” when G-d tells Moshe Rabbeinu to “come” to Paro (Pharaoh). Something immediately seems unusual about this; Why does Moshe say “come” to Paro instead of “Go” to Paro? “Come” implied “Come with me.” The Zohar says that Moshe was intimidated at the prospect of facing Paro. Buy why would the highest level of kedusha in human form, the outward manifestation of Divine Wisdom, Moshe Rabbeinu, be afraid of Paro, even though Paro was the epitome of evil?
Paro’s deeds and wicked commands truly made him seem like the epitome of evil. But he was not just the most evil person on Earth, he actually represented the source of all evil. What is startling is that not only was Paro the ultimate Evil, but he also represented, on a spiritual plane, the source for the revelation of all light. He represented a chaos of good as well as bad, of a supernal wildness of light that could not be contained in the physical world. So how was it that he could be both the source of evil and represent unbounded light? Because this level of light could not be clothed in the appropriately in the physical world, the outward manifestation had to be the opposite of what it really was, and appear to be ultimate evil. The Evil was like a mask to conceal the unbounded light, which could not find expression in this world
Moshe, who was the ultimate prophet, was aware of this and was therefore, intimidated by the prospect of facing Paro. He could not go alone, but had to be bound to G-d in his journey, since only G-d can fuse these opposite powers and allow Moshe, as a human being subject to limitations, to receive unlimited power. Moshe was transformed by this confrontation into a being that could, with the help of G-d, receive revelations that would otherwise be too overwhelming for the physical world.
We saw this as well in G-d’s initial request that Moshe speak to the Children of Israel. Moshe said that he was unable to speak well. Why was Moshe, the prophet of Israel, given a speech impediment? Because at that time, the highest aspect of holy speech was in exile, and therefore, Moshe who was destined to access this level of speech, could not speak clearly because of this exile. When G-d said, “I will be your mouth and will direct what you say,” he was able to help Moshe release this level of speech and prophecy from its confinement, and Moshe was cured of his speech impediment.
This theme of G-d enabling Moshe and the Jewish People to access a spiritual level that reconciles opposite powers is continued through the entire process of redemption from Egypt, from G-d initial sending of Moshe, to Moshe’s confrontation with Paro, until the giving of the Torah, which was the goal of the release from Egypt. Before the Torah was given, the physical and the spiritual worlds were completely separate and there was no way physical existence could influence the spiritual and vice versa. When G-d gave the Torah to Moshe and the Jewish People, he reconciled these opposites, so there could be a spiritual refinement of physical objects through mitzvos (commandments). When a person makes a blessing on food, he returns sparks of the food to their heavenly source. This was not possible before the giving of the Torah.
The ultimate refinement of the world will occur in the Final Redemption, which will be the completion of all of the other redemptions, including the redemption from Egypt. In every generation, there is a Moshe Rabbeinu, who is Moshiach Tzidkeinu, and whose task is to deliver the Jewish People to the Complete and True Redemption. May we merit to see the revelation of Moshiach Today!
(Adapted from The Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Sicha, Bo 5752)