It's been a cold winter so far but let's see if we can warm you up a bit with some Torah Study! This week we continue our journey in the book of Exodus and the reading for Shabbat is Parsha Va'eira (Exodus 6:2 - 9:25). The first word this week tells us that G-d spoke harshly to Moses because, as we read last week, Moses complained that G-d had not made his mission to Pharaoh successful. Here in the opening verse G-d let's Moses know who he is and who is in charge.
He then "comforts" Moses with these famous words: "Therefore, say to the Children of Israel: I am Hashem, and I shall take you out from under the burdens of Egypt; I shall rescue you from their service; I shall redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. I shall take you to Me for a people and I shall be a G-d to you and you shall know that I am Hashem your G-d." The word "Hashem" means "the name".
Then we begin the story of the Ten Plagues that G-d put on the Egyptians. He did this not only to free the Jews but to also show all the world that he, alone, is G-d...today, tomorrow and forever.
The first nine plagues are divisible into three groups: 1) the water turning to blood, frogs, lice 2) wild beasts, pestilence/epidemic, boils 3) hail, locust, and darkness.
Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch explains that these were punishments measure for measure for afflicting the Jewish people with slavery: 1) The first of each group reduced Egyptians in their own land to the insecurity of strangers. 2) The second of each group robbed them of pride, possessions and a sense of superiority. 3) The third in each group imposed physical suffering.
Now, notice something odd about the first plague...the plague of blood? G-d commands Moses to tell his brother Aaron to initiate the first plague. Why would that be?
The rabbis say that because the water had protected Moses when he was thrown into the river. Therefor it would not be proper for Moses to "smite" the water which helped save him.
There is a great lesson here. Water is not a person but a thing. G-d is clearly telling us that we must show gratitude to those who show us kindness. Beware of the saying, "No good deed goes unpunished" because if we are truly in tune with the idea of being grateful we will go to great lengths to show it.
Have a wonderful Shabbat!
A reminder that next week, 19 January we will have services at 7:15PM at the Shul with the Midrash (Bible Study) on Shabbat. It will be the Parsha Bo (Exodus 10:1 - 13:16)
See you in Shul!
Comments