בא BO

My Musing
What does it mean to be in the dark? When I was young it meant to be clueless. But nowadays, my students express the fear and cold of being alone and lost with no way out. Perhaps this youthful interpretation is more in line with the midrash.
The midrash is perplexed by the concept of the darkness that was palpable. While clearly divine, the midrash entertains two opinions as to the origin of this divine darkness. It is either heavenly or from hell.
Either way the most intriguing characteristic of the darkness was its thickness. While totally enveloping and palpable, it was only as thick as a very common coin.

מדרש תנחומא (ורשא) פרשת בא סימן ב
(שמות י:כא) "וַיֹּאמֶר יְדֹוָד אֶל מֹשֶׁה נְטֵה יָדְךָ עַל הַשָּׁמַיִם וִיהִי חֹשֶׁךְ עַל אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם וְיָמֵשׁ חֹשֶׁךְ"

And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Stretch out thy hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.'

"נְטֵה יָדְךָ עַל הַשָּׁמַיִם וִיהִי חֹשֶׁךְ"
מהיכן היה אותו החשך?
רבי יהודה ורבי נחמיה. רבי יהודה אומר מחשך של מעלה שנאמר, (תהלים יח:יב) "יָשֶׁת חֹשֶׁךְ סִתְרוֹ סְבִיבוֹתָיו סֻכָּתוֹ חֶשְׁכַת מַיִם עָבֵי שְׁחָקִים". רבי נחמיה אומר מחשך גיהנם, שנאמר, (איוב י:כב) "אֶרֶץ עֵיפָתָה כְּמוֹ אֹפֶל צַלְמָוֶת וְלֹא סְדָרִים וַתֹּפַע כְּמוֹ אֹפֶל"

From where was this darkness?
Rabbi Judah and Rabbi Nechemia. Rabbi Judah said it came from the upper darkness as it says " He made darkness His hiding-place, His pavilion round about Him; darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies." Rabbi Nechemia said it came from the darkness of Hell. As it says, "A land of thick darkness, as darkness itself; a land of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness."

אמר רבי יהושע בן לוי, בשלשה מקומות שמענו שאדם משמיע תלמודו סמוך למיתתו. מנין? שנאמר, (משלי כב:כא) "לְהוֹדִיעֲךָ קֹשְׁטְ אִמְרֵי אֱמֶת לְהָשִׁיב אֲמָרִים אֱמֶת לְשֹׁלְחֶיךָ" וכן שלמה אמר, (קהלת יב:יג) "סוֹף דָּבָר הַכֹּל נִשְׁמָע אֶת הָאֱלֹהִים יְרָא וְאֶת מִצְוֹתָיו שְׁמוֹר כִּי זֶה כָּל הָאָדָם"

Said Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, three instances we have heard that a man makes sure his Teaching is heard by his students near his death. From where is this known? As it says, That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth, that thou might bring back words of truth to them that send thee? And similarly Solomon said, " The end of the matter, all having been heard: fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is the whole man"

וכאן "צַלְמָוֶת וְלֹא סְדָרִים". כיון שאדם נטה לצילה של מיתה הוא סודר תלמודו, שנאמר, "צַלְמָוֶת וְלֹא סְדָרִים".
רבי תנחומא בר אבא אמר, כיון שבא להסתלק, מלאכי השרת אומרים, 'תנו עוז לאלקים' הוי "אֶרֶץ עֵיפָתָה כְּמוֹ אֹפֶל".
ווי לו לבית שחלונו פתוחה לתוך חשך ותופע כמו אופל. אור שלה מתוך חשך. וכן הוא אומר, (יחזקאל לא:טו) "כֹּה אָמַר אֲדֹ-נָי יְדֹוִד, בְּיוֹם רִדְתּוֹ שְׁאוֹלָה, הֶאֱבַלְתִּי כִּסֵּתִי עָלָיו אֶת תְּהוֹם, וָאֶמְנַע נַהֲרוֹתֶיהָ וַיִּכָּלְאוּ מַיִם רַבִּים, וָאַקְדִּר עָלָיו לְבָנוֹן וְכָל עֲצֵי הַשָּׂדֶה עָלָיו עֻלְפֶּה"

And here, " a land of the shadow of death, without any order". Since a man tilts towards the shadow of death he arranges his study, as it says, " a land of the shadow of death, without any order". Rabbi Tanhuma says, since he comes to take away, the ministering angels say, 'give strength to God' that is ""A land of thick darkness, as darkness itself"
Woe unto the person who has a house where the windows open to the darkness and are enveloped by darkness. Its light comes from dark. And thus he says, "Thus saith the Lord GOD: In the day when he went down to the nether-world I caused the deep to mourn and cover itself for him, and I restrained the rivers thereof, and the great waters were stayed; and I caused Lebanon to mourn for him, and all the trees of the field fainted for him."

ר' יהודה בר ר' אמר, במה הרשעים מתכסים בגיהנם? בחשך. חזקיה בן ר"י אומר, הגיגית הזו במה מכסין אותה? בכלי חרש מינה ובה. כשם שהיא של חרס כך מכסין אותה בכלי חרס, כך הרשעים. (ישעיהו כט:טו) "הוֹי הַמַּעֲמִיקִים מֵידֹוָד לַסְתִּר עֵצָה, וְהָיָה בְמַחְשָׁךְ מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם, וַיֹּאמְרוּ מִי רֹאֵנוּ וּמִי יוֹדְעֵנוּ"

Rabbi Judah the son of Rebbe said, with what do the evil people cover themselves in hell? In darkness. Chizkiah the son of Rabbi Judah said, This pot, with what is it covered? With a clay utensil like it and in it. Just as it is made from clay, it is covered with a clay utensil, such are the evil ones. "Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say: 'Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?"

לפיכך הקדוש ברוך הוא מכסה עליהם את התהום שהוא חשך, שנאמר, (בראשית א:ב) "וְהָאָרֶץ הָיְתָה תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ, וְחֹשֶׁךְ עַל פְּנֵי תְהוֹם, וְרוּחַ אֱלֹקִים מְרַחֶפֶת עַל פְּנֵי הַמָּיִם" זה גיהנם. הוי חשך שהביא על המצרים מתוך גיהנם היה. "וְיָמֵשׁ חֹשֶׁךְ", כמה היה אותו חשך? אמרו רבותינו זכרונם לברכה, עבה כדינר שנאמר "וְיָמֵשׁ חֹשֶׁךְ".

Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, covers them with the depths that are darkness as it says, "Now the earth was unformed and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters." That is "gehinom". That is the darkness that enveloped the Egyptians, it was from hell. And they could touch the dark, how much was there of the dark? The Rabbis of blessed memory said, it was as thick as a dinar.