VOLUME 114 NUMBER 2
Teves 24, 5785
January 24, 2025
Parshas Vaeira
Candlelighting Time 4:52
When Hashem commanded Moshe to lead the uprising against Pharoah and extricate the nation from bondage, he retorted that they will not believe me. Hashem punished him for that and to insure that their faith would be strengthened he gave Moshe signs to present to the people. And truth be told, they did believe him as ‘predicted’ by Hashem. However, when he did announce to them that the time for redemption had arrived they would not listen to him due to ‘shortness of breath’ and hard work. This would seem to contradict the previous understanding that they had bought in to Moshe’s message.
Malbim explains that although they truly did trust Moshe that the redemption was pending and soon to be, nonetheless their inner spirit was weakened on account of their intense labor under the Egyptian taskmasters and therefore they could not process internally that the end was so close and their freedom was a certainty. Of course, if they had been strong enough to surmount the challenge and accepted Moshe’s declaration without any reluctance then perhaps the redemption would have occurred earlier with that merit. However, after so many generations of harsh and brutal treatment they did not have the capabilities to do so. Hence although they grasped what Moshe was telling but they weren’t attentive to what he was saying. Sforno sums it up clearly stating that they were incapable of identifying with and entirely comprehending what Moshe’s message meant. Perhaps this was Moshe’s comparison to Pharoah. When Hashem commanded him to approach Pharoah he responded that the people don’t understand what I am saying, how will he? And, of course, the obvious question is they were worked to the bone while Pharoah was a free man with free will to appreciate what Moshe was saying to him. However, each person in their own right can truly expand their ability to achieve the goal that is necessary. The nation did have the ability but refused to exercise it with perhaps the legitimate excuse of their situation. Pharoah as well, could have expanded his mind to accept the existence of a omnipotence that far surpassed his power and authority, however he chose not to and therefore faced a set of very difficult circumstances.
There is another very important missive that needs to be mentioned. The promise that Hashem made to rescue the nation from Egyptian bondage was made to the Patriarchs. Their descendants would have to endure a difficult period of time under foreign rule and sovereignty and then they would be liberated. However, when they finally cried out to Hashem, Ksav Sofer points out that their need for freedom was predicated upon the necessity to escape their terrible slave conditions. True as it was, they did not relate back to their predecessors and desire that the pledge made to the Patriarchs should be the fundamental basis for their exodus. We must always refer back to our connection to our previous generations because it is through them that we have the fortitude and vision to realize the greatness that is in store for us since we are the children of Hashem.
A BYTE FOR SHABBOS
Even though it would seem that Hashem removed Pharoah’s free will and coerced him to ignore the obvious that his kingdom was being destroyed, actually he still could have submitted to Hashem’s will and released the people however he lacked Divine assistance to do so. We must always realize that whatever we do, we need the help of Hashem to be successful. CHOFETZ CHAIM
GOOD SHABBOS
EVERYONE IS ELATED THAT TRUMP IS OUR PRESIDENT AND TRUTH BE TOLD IY’H HE WILL PERFORM WELL. BUT WE MUST NEVER FORGET THAT EVERYTHING, AND THAT INCLUDES EVERYTHING IS THE WORK OF HASHEM AND NOTHING, AND THAT INCLUDES NOTHING CAN TAKE PLACE WITHOUT HIS EXPRESS ‘DESIRE’ THAT WHAT IS HAPPENING SHOULD HAPPEN. PLACE YOUR TRUST IN HASHEM BECAUSE HE IS THE SOURCE OF ALL THAT WE BENEFIT.
