The Voice of the Prophet
Bo
The Haftarah portion for Shabbat Bo (Jer. 46:13-28) narrated in English by Ronald Guttman.
Questions for Discussion:
This haftarah holds all parties accountable for wrongdoing, while simultaneously rejecting false moral equivalencies. Egypt is guilty of sins so terrible as to warrant its utter destruction. The people Israel, though victimized by Egypt, are nevertheless not entirely innocent; they too will be chastised, but in a measured way appropriate to the lesser level of wrongdoing.
• How can our society reclaim moral discernment, neither whitewashing bad behavior, nor erasing important differences in the nature and degree of wrongdoing?
JTS wishes to acknowledge the generosity of the Jewish Publication Society for allowing us to use their translation.