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Signs, Wonders and Judgments - Parashat Va'era 5778, January 12, 2018

This week’s parasha, Parashat Va'Era, is the second of four parashiyot discussing the Jewish People’s enslavement in Egypt and Hashem’s salvation of His nation.

Hashem employed a series of miracles in freeing His people, beginning with the signs that Moshe showed Paroh and his magicians and culminating with the Egyptians drowning in the Reed Sea. The Torah refers to these miracles in different ways.

Two of these descriptors are used in one section early in our parasha. Hashem tells Moshe, “You will say everything that I command you, and Aharon, your brother will speak to Paroh and he will send the Jewish People from his land. And I will harden Paroh’s heart and I will increase my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. And Paroh will not listen, and I will put My hand in Egypt, and I will bring out My legions, My nation, the Jewish People, from the land of Egypt with great judgments.” (Shemot 6:2-4)

In what way were Hashem’s miracles signs and wonders and in what way were they great judgments? What is the difference between these two descriptions?

HaRav HaGaon Eliyahu MiVilna, the GR”A, addresses himself to this question in a comment that he makes on a verse in Sefer Mishle – the Book of Proverbs. King Solomon writes, “When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices; when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy”. (Mishle 11:10) What is the verse teaching?

The GR”A explains that when Hashem saves His people from their enemies who rise up against them, He first redeems them and does good to them. Only afterwards does Hashem take vengeance against the enemy of the Jewish People. In Egypt, for example, at the outset Hashem redeemed the Jewish People and only afterwards did He destroy the Egyptians at the Sea of Reeds. The GR”A continues and explains that this pattern also occurred in Persia during the time of Haman Ha’Rasha – first, Hashem made Mordechai successful and only afterwards was Haman’s “lot drawn” and was Haman hung.

The GR”A continues his explanation and says that there is an important reason for this pattern in the destruction of the enemies of the Jewish People – the enemy should see the greatness of the Jewish People and that Hashem is Lord over all.

King Solomon’s teaching, “When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices” – the people (not the enemies of the Jews) are happy because the righteous prosper. However, only after the “wicked perish”, are there “shouts of joy”. The GR”A explains, only after the enemies of the Jews perish, do the people praise Hashem.

Parenthetically, Hitler and most Nazi leaders, yemach shemam vezichronam, witnessed the liberation of the concentration camps before they met their demise. By Hitler’s death on April 30, 1945, Bergen-Belsen, Auschwitz, Buchenwald and many of the other concentration camps had been liberated by either the Soviets, Americans or British. Hitler and his ilk witnessed the liberation of the Jew.

This idea explains the difference between signs and wonders and great judgments. The miracles that Hashem performed in redeeming the Jewish People from Egypt had two goals. First, the miracles demonstrated to the Egyptians and to the world that Hashem is Omnipotent – He is Master. This goal is conveyed by signs and wonders. However, there was another aim of the miracles – to punish the wicked. This is described by great judgments. In Hashem’s infinite wisdom, these miracles accomplished the two aims of saving the Jewish People and exacting punishment on our oppressor – the Egyptians.

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