Rabbi Geri Newburge
Bo: Exodus 10:1–13:16
My high school geometry teacher was famous for saying to his students, “Say what you mean and mean what you say.” My brother and I still quote him. Then, in graduate school, I had a professor who constantly asked us the meaning of words and would send us directly to the dictionary to make sure the class understood the range of meanings and nuances of a particular word.
As we consider this week’s parasha, Bo, the third in the book of Exodus, this critical lesson from my teachers seems particularly relevant. Bo tells of the last three plagues (locusts, darkness and death of the first born), the commandments to establish a calendar, the paschal offering along with matza, the retelling of the Exodus narrative annually and the redemption of the firstborn son.
It is this last aspect, the redemption of our firstborn sons, that I wish to consider, specifically the word pidyon, to redeem. The idea of redemption is a powerful one for the Jewish people. It is spiritual, religious and physical, as the story of our people’s redemption from slavery in Egypt is detailed.
Redemption is both corporate and individual. Just as we share the account of the Israelites’ liberation from slavery, we also have occasion to redeem individuals, in both joyous and tragic circumstances. Regarding the former, there is the Jewish ritual of pidyon haben, a ceremony performed when the baby boy is 31 days old to redeem a firstborn male child if the conditions meet certain criteria. Why do we do a pidyon haben? During the tenth plague, the Egyptian firstborn were killed and the Israelites were not. In gratitude for this, when the Israelites left Egypt the Eternal wanted the firstborn sons to assist the priests.
The word pidyon is used in other cases as well, even in this portion with regards to the redemption of livestock and donkeys. All firstborn were to be dedicated or redeemed for the Eternal. Personal and communal redemption is inherent in Parashat Bo.
It should, therefore, come as no surprise that the redemption of other humans, not just the firstborn male babies, is also an essential part of Jewish life. This kind of redemption, called pidyon shvuyim, has been in the news since Oct. 7, 2023, as Israel and Jewish leaders around the world labor to have the hostages released from Hamas. The Jewish people have struggled with how to address the reality of community members being taken for ransom or a political agenda for ages. Maimonides, who lived a thousand years ago, codified the rabbinic writings on the issue. He ultimately concluded that redeeming captives receives priority over providing the poor with food and clothing and affirms the earlier ruling that there is no mitzvah greater than redeeming captives, because a captive is included among those who are starving, those who are thirsty, those who are without clothing and are in life-threatening danger. Maimonides extends the ruling to include other biblical mandates; he claims if one does not redeem the captive, one violates the biblical prohibition of not hardening one’s heart, or closing one’s hand to help the poor, or standing idly by when someone’s life is in danger. To give further weight to the prominence of this commandment, halacha (Jewish law) states that, if necessary, one may sell a Torah scroll to raise the money for redeeming captives.
Rabbi Meir of Rothenberg (13th century), a beloved scholar, was kidnapped and ransomed. His community rallied to raise the monies demanded by the captors, but he refused to be ransomed. He believed he was upholding the Talmudic principle that one cannot be redeemed for more than they are worth. In addition, Rabbi Meir believed if he were to be ransomed at such a substantial cost, the kidnapping of rabbis would turn into a trend; thus, the entire Jewish world would suffer. As a result, the Maharam died in captivity and his ruling is still considered foundational in cases of pidyon shvuyim.
It continues to be our responsibility to support, care for and protect all our children, at birth, and at any age when they have been taken hostage. May we continue to do our part to bring redemption to all of our brothers and sisters.
Author Note: Rabbi Geri Newburge is the senior rabbi at Main Line Reform Temple-Beth Elohim in Wynnewood. The Board of Rabbis of Greater Philadelphia is proud to provide diverse perspectives on Torah commentary for the Jewish Exponent. The opinions expressed in this column are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Board of Rabbis.