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Parshat Bo
Exodus 12
34The people picked up their dough when it
was not yet leavened, their leftovers bound in
their garments on their shoulders.
‫ֶח ָמץ‬
ְ ‫ִשּׂא ָה ָעם ֶאת ְבּצֵקוֹ ֶט ֶרם י‬
ָ ‫לדוַיּ‬
‫לֹתם עַל‬
ָ ‫שׂ ְמ‬
ִ ‫רֹתם ְצרֻרֹת ְבּ‬
ָ ‫שׁ ֲא‬
ְ ‫ִמ‬
:‫ְמם‬
ָ ‫שׁכ‬
ִ
35And the children of Israel did according to
Moses' order, and they borrowed from the
Egyptians silver objects, golden objects, and
garments.
‫שׁה‬
ֶ ‫ְבר מ‬
ַ ‫ָאל ָעשׂוּ ִכּד‬
ֵ ‫ִשׂר‬
ְ ‫וּבנֵי י‬
ְ ‫לה‬
‫ָהב‬
ָ ‫ֶסף וּ ְכלֵי ז‬
ֶ ‫ִשׁ ֲאלוּ ִמ ִמּ ְצ ַריִם ְכּלֵי כ‬
ְ ‫וַיּ‬
:‫וּשׂ ָמלֹת‬
ְ
ELISHEVA’S QUESTION
‫שואלת היא‬
A Midrash
Elisheva stood outside her door
A wind was blowing
Beside Elisheva’s feet grew seven small purple flowers
Their stalks like staffs, their petals like small reeds fluttering
G-d
she whispers
I am not ready to go
I have wrapped my dough, packed it tightly into our clothes
and also borrowed from our neighbors
though how I will ever return these gold and silver things I do not know
and to have requested them in their grieving caused me great pain
so I do not want to take them
Dear G-d
Elisheva whispers
I ask You
Please
May I take instead these seven purple flowers beside my feet
My G-d
I have my fears
but if I may bring these flowers into the new land from this old hard land we leave
I will have something to remind me of what was my home
The little flowers will ripen with seeds
I will tuck them into my sleeves
And if I do not reach the promised land
I will give the seeds to one who may deliver them
May they remind us that even in all the darkness we have seen
Your beauty lived in the midst of us
Beloved G-d
As my name is Elisheva, I swear that these seeds which I carry out of Mitzrayim
Each one will be an offering of my devotion to You
Beloved One
Adonai
Will You bless my carrying these miracles out of here and bless my planting there
And Elisheva’s heart heard
Yes
So she picked the flowers and held them in her cupped palms
And she gave thanks for them
And the seven small flowers exploded into a thousand tiny stars
Right there in her open loving hands
And the wind did not take them from her
Dael Adams Segal
Pesach 5775
*Elisheva was the wife of Aaron and the sister of Nachshon, who according to Midrash,
was the first man to step into the Sea of Reeds. Elisheva was the mother of the priestly
line of the kohanim. One meaning of her name in Hebrew translates G-d is her Oath
and in her name is also the cardinal number seven.