Community Torah Corner - January 23, 2026

In Parashat Bo, we see two very different responses to choice. Pharaoh keeps refusing to let Bnei Yisrael go, and over time, his heart becomes hardened not all at once, but through repeated bad choices.

I see that in my own life. It’s easy to choose what’s comfortable: staying quiet, putting things off, or avoiding hard conversations. Those choices seem small, but over time, they shape who we become.

We also see the plague of darkness, and that’s something we still see today in cruelty, division, loneliness, or when people stop truly seeing and caring about each other. The Torah reminds us that it’s up to us to bring light: choosing kindness over sarcasm, courage over silence, and goodness even when it isn’t easy.

Bnei Yisrael chose to leave Egypt without knowing what would come next. That takes trust and courage, and it’s a reminder that freedom isn’t just leaving Egypt, it’s choosing growth over comfort and not letting our hearts harden.