Skip to main content

The Message that Paroh Missed - Parashat Vaera 5780, January 24, 2020

Image
By

In this week’s parasha, Va’Era, Hashem prophetically tells Moshe that He will strike the Egyptians with plagues. In that context, He tells Moshe that He will harden Paroh’s heart and increase His signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. Then, then the Jews would be redeemed from Egypt.

It is difficult to understand why Hashem hardened Paroh’s heart only to then increase the plagues. What purpose did it serve?

Rabbenu Ovadiah Seforno answers this question and explains that one of the aims of the plagues was to demonstrate Hashem’s greatness. Through this demonstration, the Egyptians and Paroh would ideally recognize Hashem and repent from their idolatrous and cruel ways. However, Paroh stubbornly refused to repent – even through the early plagues. Hashem hardened Paroh’s heart and numbed him to the pain of the plagues. In other words, Hashem did not allow the pain of the plagues to be the cause of Paroh releasing the Jews from Egypt. If Paroh released the Jews, Hashem wanted it to be because he had genuinely repented and released them out of his recognition of Hashem and His omnipotence.

Throughout his commentary on the Torah, Seforno generally focuses on explaining the verses. However, in this context, Seforno includes an ethical lesson that we can take from this interpretation.

Seforno writes:
The basic lesson in ethics we derive from all this is that when suffering an affliction we must first and foremost examine our past actions to find out where we went wrong, and try to find out what these afflictions are intended to trigger in our memory so that we can improve our conduct both vis-à-vis G’d and our fellow man.

This lesson is very powerful for us and for our children. Sometimes, the bad things just happen – and the bad could not have been avoided. However, many times, bad things that happen to us are caused by our own mistakes. Our Rabbis teach a person should react to suffering by examining one’s actions. Our Rabbis are pointing out that we should look at suffering, bad things and pain as a possible symptom of a cause which we created. If the bad just happened then there is nothing to do but try to cope with the pain. However, if we ourselves are the cause of the pain, like the case of Paroh and the plagues, we should be introspective and improve and use the opportunity for growth.  





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Honor and Glory - Parashat Termuah 5780, February 28, 2020

By
This week’s  parasha , Termuah, and next week’s parasha , Tetzave, introduce Hashem’s command regarding the plans for the  mishkan  and its vessels – including the clothing worn by the  kohanim . One of the vessels that Hashem commands to be built is the  menorah  – the candelabra. The description of the plans for the menorah are described in Parashat Terumah and the description of its service is described in Parashat Tetzave. In Parashat Tetzave, the Torah says, “and they will take for you pure olive oil pressed to be lit to raise an everlasting candle.” Each evening the  kohanim  were obligated to light the candelabra with enough oil to last the night. In the morning, the  kohanim  were obligated to fix and relight the  menorah , as necessary, thus ensuring that the candelabra would constantly be lit. The Rambam – Maimonides – explains, based on a later verse, that the  mitzvah  to light the candelabra in the mishk...
1 comment
Read more

Improving Our Tefilot - Parashat Beresheit 5766 - October 9, 2015

By
Leading up to the holidays, I kept hearing the same refrain again and again – Sukkot is wonderful in Memphis. I can attest to the fact that Sukkot is wonderful in Memphis! There were so many outstanding community programs and get-togethers. Simchat Torah was so lively. There were so many guests in town. The weather was also very nice for most of the holiday. What a great week! Over the past number of weeks, I spent a lot of time praying (as I’m sure you did, too). I also spent a lot of time reflecting on prayer. Often, we measure the quality of the tefila experience from how we were affected or how we feel during the experience of davening . These types of measures are certainly important, but they are not the only measures of a quality tefila experience. This week’s parsha introduces an important perspective in considering what makes a good prayer experience and, more specifically, what makes a good prayer. Adam and Chava gave birth to Kayin and Hevel. Kayin was a farmer ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Adding and Subtracting - Parashat Re-eh 5776 - September 2, 2016

By
Torat Hashem Temimah Meshivat Nafesh – G-d’s Torah is perfect; restoring the soul. Besides being one of my favorite songs to sing on Simchat Torah, this verse from Tehilim describes the Torah as being perfect. This week’s parasha explains one aspect of the perfection of the Torah. Parashat Re’eh continues the explication of Moshe Rabbenu’s tochacha – his rebuke of the Jewish People. In this rebuke, Moshe discusses the mitzvot of bal tosif and bal tigra – to not add or subtract from the mitzvot of the Torah. Our sages teach us that the Torah is comprised of taryag – there are 613 mitzvot in the Torah. These two mitzvot teach that the Jewish People are not permitted to add a 614th commandment or to remove one of the 613 commandments from taryag . The Seforno gives some context to each of these commandments. Concerning the prohibition of adding to the Torah, he explains that this mitzvah is designed to prevent a person adding something which is detestable to Hashem, even someth...
Post a Comment
Read more