At the heart of the parashah stands one commandment, seemingly quiet but revolutionary: "This month shall be unto you the beginning of months.".

This is the first commandment given to the Jewish people as a nation. Not the exodus from Egypt, not a social law, not a moral imperative, but taking responsibility for time. This is not a random choice. It touches on the heart of the concept of freedom, and therefore also on the heart of the meaning of hope.

The Sages interpreted the words "This month shall be unto you" not merely as a technical commandment, but as a transfer of authority. Not "I define the time for you," but "you shall determine it." This is a profound and bold move: time passes from the hands of Heaven to the responsibility of man. From this arises a whole system of human responsibility: sanctifying the month, determining the calendar, passing on knowledge of the months to distant communities, constructing a calendar that takes pilgrims into account. It is a method that invites controversy, uncertainty, and arguments about authority, but insists on human freedom and choice. An early form of liberal thought.

There was an alternative, a solar calendar in which everything was predetermined. Orderly, predictable, and convenient, with almost no room for human decision-making. A calendar in which history "moves forward on its own." But the choice was not for convenience, but for a lunar calendar, human, dependent on testimony and decision-making. Less elegant and established, but requiring humans to take responsibility. This is the source of the deep connection between time and freedom: slavery is a situation in which time is predetermined for you; freedom is a situation in which you can, and above all are required to, choose and decide, even at the cost of imperfection.

In Egypt, the Israelites were slaves not only to Pharaoh, but also to time. They did not determine when the day began, when the week ended, or when reality changed. Time was the property of the ruling class. Therefore, just before leaving Egypt, they were told: if you want to be free, start by saying when the month begins. Start by saying: now.

The same position was powerfully articulated by the prophet of human freedom, the black pastor Martin Luther King, in his "I Have a Dream" speech. He repeated the call again and again: "Now is the time." He warned against moral procrastination, against the argument that "it is right, but not now." Time, he said, does not heal injustices. It is neutral. Only human action gives it moral direction.

In the parashah "Bo," the Israelites are commanded to sanctify the month while they are still in darkness. The plague of darkness is still here, Pharaoh has not yet truly released them, and the future is unclear. Nevertheless, they are required to begin to conduct themselves as a free people within the reality of slavery. Not to wait for "after," but to begin now.

In the Beit Midrash, whose theme this year is Shabbat, we discussed how the calendar itself is a human construct. There is no such thing as a "week" in nature, nor is there a "new moon." And that is precisely why it has power: humans draw a framework within time, and within it they choose meaning, commitment, and action. Without a framework, everything is postponed, smeared, and dissolved.

As the poet Yankele Rotblit said, "Don't say 'the day will come'—bring the day.".

So even today, faced with a sense of civil disintegration, it is easy to fall into a new kind of slavery: slavery to procrastination. "It's not the right time," "Let's wait," "Soon." But in the parashah "Ba," the Sages, Martin Luther King, all teach: "There are moments when waiting itself is an injustice.".

And the civil significance is clear:
The upcoming elections are not an abstract idea or a distant prospect. These are the most important elections in the history of the State of Israel. The time between now and election day is the most important civic resource we have.

And just as we knew to shout "Everyone—now!" because we knew that in human life, time means life, so too in elections there is a "now."

Now is the time to affiliate,
Now is the time to make an impact from within.,
Now is the time to talk to those who are still undecided.,
Now is the time to choose engagement over cynicism, action over despair.

Time is not neutral. It will not "do its thing." When we do nothing, it works in favor of those who already hold power. When we act, it can become a tool for change. As the members of Hadag Nahash say, it's time to wake up. Democracy doesn't disappear in a day, and it won't be saved in a day either. It depends on what we choose to do with the time we have.

Now!