In his Reflections on the Revolution in France, political philosopher Edmund Burke writes about the importance of tradition in binding generations together and creating continuity: “People will not look forward to posterity, who never look backward to their ancestors.”
Parshas Bo similarly stresses the importance of inter-generational ties and passing along the Jewish tradition to our children. At the beginning of the parsha, Hashem commands Moshe to announce the eighth plague. He explains that He is hardening Pharaoh’s heart to create signs of His presence and strength, but also, “U’lemaan tesaper be’aznei vincha u’vnei bincha es asher hisalalti b’Mitzrayim,” that its story can be told from generation to generation (Shemos 10:2).
Rabbi Yaakov Nagen, a Ram at Yeshivat Otniel, notes that the verse is suggesting that retelling the story of the Exodus is so important that Hashem is performing ever-greater miracles specifically so that parents can tell their stories to future generations. This reading certainly suggests the pivotal role that telling stories plays in remembering the Exodus. But it also suggests how important it is for these stories to be passed along from generation to generation.
When instructing the people of Israel regarding the Korban Pesach, Hashem commands, “Ushmartem es hadavar hazeh lechak lecha u’lvanecha ad olam, guard this matter and fulfill it for you and your children forever” (Shemos 12:24). The Ibn Ezra teaches that “hadavar hazeh, this matter,” is referring to the family eating the Korban Pesach together in their home. Eating the korban together prods the child to ask what is going on, “Mah ha’avodah hazos lachem,Why are you doing this?” This question in turn enables the parent to reply, teaching him how Hashem saved them from Egypt, and passing the narrative of the Exodus on to the next generation. I believe the Torah, through the words “ad olam,” is stressing the eternal nature of parents passing along the tradition of the Exodus to their children. It may also help to explain why it is customary for the person leading the Seder to wear a kittel, the garment in which he will eventually be buried.
Telling the story is also significant towards the end of the parsha. When eating the matzah, the parent explains ba’avur zeh asah Hashem li betzeisi miMitzrayim, because of this Hashem took me out of Mitzrayim” (Shemos 13:7). Ibn Ezra explains that Hashem took Israel out of Mitzrayim to serve God and keep His commandments. But, I think we can also read it al derech drush (homiletically): Hashem took Israel out of Mitzrayim in order to create interactions like this one between the parent and child, so that the Exodus and the rituals surrounding it can be passed on to the next generation.
Finally, at the very end of the parsha, Hashem requires the sanctification of the firstborn. The Torah teaches that when the child asks his parent what is going on, the parent responds by teaching him about the Exodus, the plague against the Egyptian firstborn and the salvation of the Israelite firstborn.
As we know, we are obligated to teach the rest of the Torah to our children as well, as we recite in the Shema (Devarim 6:7, 11:19). On the other hand, Parshas Bo teaches us that children gain from directly experiencing a living Jewish tradition from a parent beyond what they’ll learn from studying Torah from sefarim.
One of my congregants is a – bli ayin hara – 99-year-old Holocaust survivor. His father pulled him out of school after his bar mitzvah so he could study to be a tailor. During the war, the Nazis were in need of people with tailoring skills and this saved his life. Although he never had the opportunity to become a Torah scholar, he embodies the simple faith and love of Judaism that he imbibed from his family and the alter heim.