Perashat Bo: Deities of Egypt

Our freedom from Egypt was dependent on the humiliation of their deities. This is hinted at in a teaching from the Talmud (Sukkah 29) You will not find any nation that is smitten, whose angelic forces are not smitten along with it. As it is stated in Shemot  (12:12) " Against all the deities of Egypt I shall mete out judgements." Who are these gods or deities that the Torah is referencing? How and when were they smitten? Did we participate in their downfall? Did any deity survive the Exodus? 

Four Deities of Egypt

Admittedly we have not seen in the writings of our Sages a list of these deities. We will however, attempt to identify four of them. Since it is not absolutely clear or universally agreed upon by our sages how they interrelate with each other, we will treat them for our purposes here as four distinct spiritual forces. They are; 

1. The ministering angel or Sar called (by the sages) - the firstborn of Egypt. 

2. The lamb/ram - The astrological force or sign of the month of Aries. 

3. The deity of the north called Ba'al Sephon (the Desert deity or Parnassa deity) of Egypt. 

4. The sun deity of Egypt called Ra or רעה 

To obtain a complete physical and spiritual release from the hand of Egypt these deities needed to be identified and humiliated. Hence, freedom would be obtained in four stages paralleling the humiliation of each of the four deities. With the fall of each force, Bene Yisrael will experience a successive partial release from bondage. 

Ministering Angel - Sar - The Firstborn of Egypt

According to the Shelah the ministering angel or Sar of Misrayim is the most highly placed amongst all of the 70 celestial representative of the nations. Our Sages in Ketuvot 112 have implied this, when they taught that Egypt is only second to Eres Yisrael. The royalty of Yosef was an expression of his control over this Sar. Egypt is described in Sefer Beresheet as Ervat HaAres - the naked or exposed land. Yosef who was loyal to his Holy Covenant was thereby able to ascend and obtain control of this lofty level.

Yosef referred to himself as (45:8) "Father of Par'o", sitting on the (41:43) "Second chariot" a vehicle suited for the angel representing Egypt above. Yosef "riding" is a hyperbole the Torah uses to accentuate his replacement of the Sar. This figured well until a "new king arose in Egypt". At that time it appears as if the Sar of Egypt once again arose and regained his position as Bekhor - בכור - the firstborn or the first and senior representative of the 70 nations.

Moshe's mission was to inform Par'o that Israel is the true Bekhorבכור as it is written (4:22) בני בכורי ישראל. This is apparently the reason why Moshe insisted that we as the true firstborn, must leave Egypt to serve Hashem seeing  that we are collectively responsible in that role to bring him sacrifices.  Par'o refuses to acknowledge our role as the true firstborn. He saw at that time his Sar taking the position as ראש- or the head in the celestial realm.  

We know that when the Shehina is in exile the Sar of the nations ascends to the level of firstborn; as it is written (Eicha 1:5) "The adversaries have ascended to the Rosh" - The tenth plague - the slaying of all the firstborn (even that of the prisoner, animals), was the physical revelation that the Shehina had begun its ascent back to its rightful level of firstborn and the Ministering Angel of Egypt had been demoted or slain. 

The Sign of Aries - The Korban Pesah

We have already been taught (Bersheet 46:34) that the Misrim considered this sign of the zodiac - Aries and the physical animals representing this sign as deities. This constellation of the lamb/ram is the first or the Rosh of the 12 astrological periods. In order to humiliate Egypt's control over this astrological constellation Bene Yisrael were commanded to acquire a lamb, lock it up, roast and then consume it as the Korban Pesah.

It was essential that it take place in the middle of the month of Aries (Nissan)  on the 15th at night, at the time of the full moon. These actions would grant us control over this sign to whom Hashem had delegated limited powers. Hence the commandment (12:2) "This month is to you the head ראש of the months" is an announcement that Israel has taken control over the entire astrological system and an expression of the humiliation of the deity of Egypt. 

The Deity of the North - Ba'al Sephon at the Sea

After the death of the firstborn (and the ministering angel), the Korban Pesah (sign of Aries), we find the Egyptians still in hot pursuit of Bene Yisrael at the sea. This was due to the fact that they still retained some spiritual power. It appears that their strength was reinforced by a force whom Rashi refers to as the last remaining deity in Egypt.

Hashem instructs Israel (14:2) to encamp in the confines of this deity; thereby luring Par'o into believing that Israel is trapped on one side by the sea which cannot be crossed and on the other by Ba'al Sephon. Some commentators  (Keli Yakar) suspect this to be a deity of parnassa (related to the direction - north which connotes riches) while others consider this the deity of the desert. Par'o pursues and overtakes them before Ba'al Sephon. We then see (14:14) Moshe announcing 

ה׳ ילחם לכם ואתם תחרישן Hashem will destroy this deity alone and Bene Yisrael would need to remain passively silent. We are then told of the Egyptians drowning and the Torah then reports about a single death of Misrayim. וירא ישראל את מצרים מת - it appears as if Israel saw this spiritual deity dead on the shores of the sea. The three deities who had resided in Egypt were now smitten. One however remained. 

The Sun God of Egypt - The Sin of the Golden Calf

Prior to the plague of locusts, Par'o issues a warning to Moshe and Aharon. (10:10) ראו כי רעה נגד פניכם - Even if you are granted permission to leave and escape the grasp of the other deities of Egypt, there is still the sun god of Egypt called Ra רעה that you will have to contend with (see Yalkut Shimoni 392). As it says "the diety רעה Ra will face you." Namely even after your escape from Egypt, Bene Yisrael will weaken and get punished from above, you will be handed over by your God to be subjects of the deity Ra.

Par'os prediction even included that Yisrael will attribute the exodus and all the miracles performed in Egypt to this deity. After the Sin of golden calf, Moshe beseeches Hashem not to overly punish Israel. Why? Moshe recalling what Par'o predicted acknowledged that this approach to wipe out Israel will cause an ascent of the deity Ra in the eyes of Israel. As Moshe asserts that they will claim (32:10) that it was Ra who took us out of Egypt - ברעה הוציאם - Hashem acquiesces and listens to Moshe's plea and reconsiders not allowing Ra to ascend as it says (32:14) והנחם על הרעה לעמך - Moshe hereby temporarily frustrated the effort and prediction of Par'o.

The final blow to the deity would wait until Yehoshua circumcised Israel during its entry into the land. Hashem says to Yehoshua (Yehoshua 5:9) "I have rolled away the humiliation of Egypt from upon you." It was only at this point that the Lord (Bemidbar 33:4) completely executed his judgements on all the deities of Egypt. The entry into the land completing the final stage to freedom for Bene Yisrael.