d’var torah
Don’t Give Up
Rabbi David Levin
H Parshat Bo
ave you ever felt your good work
did not matter? Bo teaches us,
“Don’t give in. Instead, fi nd a way to
recharge and recommit yourself; you
may see things diff erently.”
After several
unsuccessful approaches to Pharoah, Moses seems
resigned that the last plagues won’t
work either. But God said to Moses,
“bo” to Pharoah. Often translated as
“go” to Pharoah, “bo” actually means
“come.” It is an urging and an invita-
tion; come (with Me) to take another
look at the situation — things have
changed, even if you do not realize
it. So come (with Me)*, and I will show
under assault, society has made
progress. In recognizing our progress,
we fi nd validation in our good work
so far and the ability to recommit
ourselves to the ongoing eff ort to bring
equal justice for all.

There is no shortage of such issues
that require our long-term commit-
ment. And despite sometimes feeling
like Sisyphus, we remind ourselves
of the words of Rabbi Tarfon in Pirkei
Avot; even if we cannot fi nish the work,
we cannot desist from it. And then we
get back to it.

It is hard. And sometimes it seems
that the only light we see in the dark
tunnel is the headlight of the oncoming
train. The slow forward progress makes
it seem like our goals are unattain-
able. The lust for power and money
We must rise to the challenge and
continue the process of becoming
something better.

you. Although Moses was skeptical,
Pharoah had been vanquished. So,
God invites Moses to trust God and
see the situation as it is.

When we do not see the changes
we are working toward, we can lapse
into gloominess; what is, will be, the
wrong is unfi xable. We do not see
that the “needle has moved,” however
slightly. Slow progress is diff erent from
no progress. Small gains, especially
in complicated things, are an achieve-
ment from which we can take comfort.

And they give us a chance to take a
breath so we can recharge and re-en-
gage in the work with renewed vigor.

For example, the civil rights we fi ght
for should already be everyone’s. We
are far from our ideal, but we have
made progress. Civil rights have been
expanding to include women, people
of color and LGBTQ communities.

Although these gains are currently
drives many people rather than ideals
such as equality, liberty and justice.

The magnitude of the problem adds
to our feeling of being overwhelmed
and paralyzed from pushing forward.

It is here is where the concept of God
becomes critically important.

With an outstretched hand, God
freed the Israelites, we are told. The
enslaved people needed to move out
of oppression and forge an identity.

The Hebrews needed to see the possi-
bility of something better and continue
to move toward freedom and the
Promised Land.

Setbacks tested their resolve along
the way. The time in the wilderness is
fi lled with stories of being tested to the
limit, then recharged and refreshed so
they can move forward. This also was
true of their leader Moses and holds
true for us, for we are partners in the
ongoing work of creating and repairing
our world.

We must rise to the challenge and
continue the process of becoming
something better. We have made
progress but have a long way yet to
go. But, like Moses and the Israelites,
we cannot turn back or stop believing
we can make a diff erence.

In those moments of doubt, we must
be encouraged by our progress and
recommit ourselves to the work that
remains to be done. We can fi nd that
in our personal journey and by joining
with brothers and sisters in bonds of
fellowship, love and with the Creator.

Bo, come with me; let us go to the
land I will show you.

*This insight is inspired by Yosef
Bekhor Shor, a 12th-century scholar
whose commentary on the Bible
examined the text’s peshat, or simple
meaning. ■
Rabbi David Levin manages Jewish
Relationships Initiative, helping
seekers of meaning through Jewish
wisdom. Levin teaches nationally on
such matters under Conversations for
Life and Legacy. The Board of Rabbis
of Greater Philadelphia is proud to
provide diverse perspectives on Torah
commentary for the Jewish Exponent.

The opinions expressed in this column
are the author’s own and do not refl ect
the view of the Board of Rabbis.

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