Vaeira – Page 11 – Peninim on the Torah

The sorcerers said to Pharaoh, “It is the finger of G-d.” (8:15)

Pharaoh’s magicians were finally stymied. They could not replicate this latest plague. It must be the “finger of G-d.” To paraphrase Targum Yonasan, “This does not emanate from the powers of Moshe and Aharon.” In other words, until this juncture, the magicians were able to duplicate the “miraculous” acts that “seemed” to be the result of Moshe’s and Aharon’s mystical powers. Consequently, they refused to believe that Hashem had sent them, that He was the source of these miracles. Now that they saw that this plague was beyond their magical ability, they conceded that there must be a Divine element…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vaeira, 5760

“Moshe said, “It is not proper to do so …behold if we were to slaughter the deity of Egypt in their sight, will they not stone us?” (8:22)

Pharaoh told Moshe to offer their sacrifices in Egypt. Why should they leave for the wilderness? Moshe responded that this was untenable. The Egyptians worshipped sheep, the very animal that the Jews sacrificed to Hashem. How could the Jews slaughter the Egyptian god in front of their eyes and not expect a violent reaction? This is enigmatic. If Pharaoh had issued a decree permitting the Jews to slaughter sheep in Egypt, then no one would dare to harm them. The king’s edict was law. Horav Yaakov Moshe Charlap z.l., explains that Moshe did not want to cause the Egyptians to…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vaeira, 5759

Hashem spoke to Moshe and said to him, “I am Hashem.” (6:2)

The opening pasuk of this week’s parsha serves as a response to Moshe Rabbeinu’s question/demand of Hashem which ended the previous parsha. Moshe asked Hashem why He intensified Klal Yisroel’s workload after his arrival in Egypt as Hashem’s emissary. It is as if his arrival had made things worse. Hashem said to Moshe, “I am Hashem,” which is interpreted to mean that Hashem has a cheshbon, reckoning, for everything that occurs. Pharaoh will receive his punishment in due time. Moshe’s arrival in Egypt had a specific purpose – even if Moshe did not understand the implications. In truth, the response…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vaeira, 5759

I shall take you out from under the burdens of Egypt…and I shall redeem you. (6:6)

It was not enough that Hashem was prepared to take the Jews out of Egypt; it was also necessary for them to want to leave. Perhaps they had become complacent with their way of life, albeit miserable, but it was the only one they knew. Indeed, they might even have wanted to stay in Egypt. They might not have been able to accept a lifestyle so different from their accustomed one. The story is told about Horav Nochum M’Chernobel, who once spent a night at an inn owned by a Jewish couple. It was chatzos, midnight, when Rav Nachum arose…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vaeira, 5759

Aharon cast down his staff before Pharaoh…and it became a snake…and they too, the magicians of Egypt, did so with their incantations…and the staff of Aharon swallowed their staffs. (7:10, 11, 12)

Moshe came before Pharaoh and demanded that the Jews be released from slavery, so that they might serve Hashem. Pharaoh responded in the expected manner, questioning who is Hashem who is and what powers He has that would impress him. Moshe asked Aharon to throw his staff down before Pharaoh, and it was transformed into a snake. Pharaoh was not impressed. Indeed, he called out his magicians, who duplicated Aharon’s miracle. Egypt was the center of magic and necromancy. Such a feat was child’s play for the Egyptians. To prove this point, Pharaoh called out his wife, who transformed a…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vaeira, 5759

Pharaoh saw that there was a relief, and kept making his heart stubborn. He did not heed them. (8:11)

Every time Pharaoh was down and the plagues were getting to him, he ran to Moshe Rabbeinu and implored him to pray to Hashem. The instant he experienced relief, he forgot who Moshe was, he forgot that Hashem could just as well send another devastating plague. He did not care. He experienced relief at that moment. The Midrash claims that this is the way of the wicked. When it hurts, they cry. When circumstances change and life becomes tolerable, they forget about Hashem and immediately proceed to revert to their old ways. One of the gedolei ha’mussar after citing this…

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Moshe Marcovich In Vaeira, 5758

I shall take you out from under the burdens of Egypt; I shall rescue you from their service; I shall redeem you…I shall take you to Me for a People. (6:6,7)

Sforno takes a somewhat novel approach to explaining the four expressions of redemption which the Torah employs to describe the various stages of Yetzias Mitzrayim. The four leshonos shel geulah as interpreted by Sforno are: “h,tmuvu” “I will bring you out,” when the plagues begin the slavery will end; “h,kmvu”–“I will save you,” when you leave their borders; “h,ktdu”–“I will redeem you,” with the drowning of the Egyptians in the Red Sea. After the death of your oppressors, you will no longer be slaves; “h,jeku”, “I will take you unto Me as a nation,” at Har Sinai with the giving…

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Moshe Marcovich In Vaeira, 5758

This was Aharon and Moshe to whom Hashem said: “Take the Bnei Yisrael out of Egypt…” They were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh….this was the Moshe and Aharon. (6:26,27)

Chazal note that in many places in the Torah, Aharon’s name precedes that of Moshe. This implies that they were equally great men. We must address the concept of equivalent greatness between Moshe and Aharon. Moshe was unequivocally greater in nevuah, prophecy, as well as in other areas. Moshe was the select human being, the paragon of humanity, who was the unparalleled, quintessential leader of Bnei Yisrael. How could Aharon be viewed as equally great? Horav Moshe Feinstein, zl, posits that while, indeed, Aharon did not distinguish himself as much as Moshe, he did maximize his own potential. Hashem assesses…

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Moshe Marcovich In Vaeira, 5758

And I shall harden Pharaoh’s heart…And Pharaoh will not listen to you…And I shall take out My legions, My People, the Bnei Yisrael, from the land of Egypt. (7:3,4)

Was it really necessary to harden Pharaoh’s heart? Hashem could have simply “convinced” Pharaoh to let us go. That would have been much simpler. The Baalei Musar explain that even had Pharaoh one day released us from bondage, we would still remain indebted to him. After all, he would have “liberated” us from servitude. Now that Hashem has redeemed us, we have no debt of gratitude to anyone but Hashem. Horav Chaim Friedlandler, zl supplements this idea. Had Pharaoh acquiesced to Moshe’s demand that Bnei Yisrael be released from Egypt, we might be grateful in some manner to Pharaoh. Hashem…

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Moshe Marcovich In Vaeira, 5758

Whoever among the servants of Pharaoh feared Hashem, chased his servants and livestock into the houses. (9:20)

The Torah seems to distinguish between different types of Egyptians. While the majority were obviously evil and supportive of Pharaoh’s diabolical plans to do with the Jews as he pleased, there were those who were “G-d-fearing”; they were “yarei es dvar Hashem,” “feared the word of Hashem.” Is that really true? Were these Egyptians truly G-d-fearing, or was it a ruse to save themselves and their possessions from ruin? Whatever happened to those animals that were rescued from death because of their owner’s “fear of the word of Hashem”? Chazal tell us that the horses that belonged to those “select”…

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The sorcerers said to Pharaoh, “It is the finger of G-d.” (8:15)

“Moshe said, “It is not proper to do so …behold if we were to slaughter the deity of Egypt in their sight, will they not stone us?” (8:22)

Hashem spoke to Moshe and said to him, “I am Hashem.” (6:2)

I shall take you out from under the burdens of Egypt…and I shall redeem you. (6:6)

Aharon cast down his staff before Pharaoh…and it became a snake…and they too, the magicians of Egypt, did so with their incantations…and the staff of Aharon swallowed their staffs. (7:10, 11, 12)

Pharaoh saw that there was a relief, and kept making his heart stubborn. He did not heed them. (8:11)

I shall take you out from under the burdens of Egypt; I shall rescue you from their service; I shall redeem you…I shall take you to Me for a People. (6:6,7)

This was Aharon and Moshe to whom Hashem said: “Take the Bnei Yisrael out of Egypt…” They were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh….this was the Moshe and Aharon. (6:26,27)

And I shall harden Pharaoh’s heart…And Pharaoh will not listen to you…And I shall take out My legions, My People, the Bnei Yisrael, from the land of Egypt. (7:3,4)

Whoever among the servants of Pharaoh feared Hashem, chased his servants and livestock into the houses. (9:20)

YEARS

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