Throughout history, human beings have experienced time as a relentless force—pressing upon us, diminishing us, and often ruling our lives. Poets and thinkers have given voice to this quiet anxiety: the feeling that we are being carried forward by something we cannot stop. In Parashat Bo, Torah offers a breathtaking and revolutionary response. Before the Exodus even begins, God gives Israel authority over time itself through the commandment of Rosh Chodesh, the sanctification of the New Moon—teaching that true freedom is about fixing our relationship with time.

The Torah portion of Bo ( Exodus 10 : 1 - 13 : 16 ) is read on Shabbat, 6 Shevat Tevet 5786 - January 24, 2026