Shabbat Bo

January 30, 2025 by Jeremy Rosen
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Negotiations  

The exchanges between Moshe and Aaron on the one hand, and Paroh  on the other, are lessons in negotiation. Incidentally (Paroh or sometimes Faro, are the most accurate transliterations).
Moshe approaches Paroh and doesn’t ask as the song goes “Let my people go .” Meaning set us free. But simply “let us go and worship our God .” This itself was a challenge to Paroh, because as far as he was concerned the Egyptian gods were the most successful and powerful of all the gods of the Middle East at that time. Who could possibly want to worship any other? But Moshe and Aaron opened the negotiations softly, gently testing the waters.

The first plagues were replicated by the magicians and dismissed. But then they admit that this is “the finger of God.” Something beyond their control. The negotiations and the plagues proceed , so too do the demands. Paro is willing to let them sacrifice to their God… in Egypt. To which Moshe argued that sacrificing sheep in Egypt would only insult the Egyptians who worshipped them. That was why they needed to go out of the country. But he only asks for three days.

After the threat of hail, public opinion began to pressurize Paroh. He appears willing to compromise. But when he asked who’s going, Moshe replied, “Our young men and our old men, our sons and our daughters, our flocks and our herds, all to celebrate.”  He’s asking a lot more than Paroh was prepared to concede. Then Paroh actually admitted that he had sinned and was wrong. And yet he still tried to bargain, and said they could go, but leave their flocks behind.

Paroh wants some insurance that they will return to servitude. Even after the first born are killed and Pharaoh says, “get out of town,” nevertheless it will become clearer later that he still thought he would get them back.

The negotiations proceeded step by step. With both sides modifying their positions and bargaining for a better deal. Eventually reality begins to hit home.
There’s another lesson that we learn from the use of language. The difference between what it means when you say, “ Go to Pharaoh,” in Hebrew  Lech Le Paroh( Shemot 7:15). And the phrase  “Come to Pharoah “ Bo El Paroh”  ( Shemot 10:1) Both words Le and BO can be translated in English to go to  or to come to. And yet there is a subtle difference. EL  can simply mean physically, to come to a place. Whereas Bo means come closer, engage.

These are two different ways of communication. One is to simply go to a person or situation. The other is to try to come closer, interactively.  The Torah, uses both words, both tools. Sometimes we want to convey facts, information. Sometimes we want to persuade, get closer to someone to achieve what we want.
There is a similar nuance with the words Lech ET and Lech IM. Both can be translated as Go With. When Bilaam is told by God to go with the men of Balak, it is to go ET with them, simply to accompany them, not to identify with them. But he actually goes IM which is much more intimate, which is why then God ‘got angry’ ( Numbers 22 Verses 20&21).

This is the art of communication and negotiation. To listen carefully to the language of the person you’re trying to communicate with and making sure that he or she understands what it is that you are trying to convey. And to be prepared to have patience as well as perseverance. Whomsoever you want to engage with.

Shemot Chapter 10-13:16

Rabbi Jeremy Rosen lives in New York. He was born in Manchester. His writings are concerned with religion, culture, history and current affairs – anything he finds interesting or relevant. They are designed to entertain and to stimulate. Disagreement is always welcome.

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