Vaeira – Page 4 – Peninim on the Torah

הן בני ישראל לא שמעו אלי

Behold! Bnei Yisrael have not listened to me. (6:12)

Moshe Rabbeinu raised the issue of his inability to speak well. Furthermore, he thought that the people had lost confidence in him, because his earlier intercession with Pharaoh had catalyzed greater work for them. Nonetheless, despite Klal Yisrael’s probable unenthusiastic response to him, Hashem still sent Moshe to them. Why? If they would not listen, perhaps it would be best that he not come. We must remember that consecrated words do not simply go into oblivion. When someone of the calibre of Moshe speaks, his words are not wasted – ever. If they do not penetrate the ears of the…

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הירא את דבר ד'

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vaeira, 5777

Who among the servants of Pharaoh feared the word of G-d. (9:20)

The Torah tells us that the G-d-fearing Egyptians brought their animals indoors for fear of the hail which would strike the country. Chazal derive from here Tov she’b’nechashim ratzutz es mocho, “The best of snakes, smash his head.” (In other words, there is no such thing as a good snake.) Chazal base this statement on the fact that, when Pharaoh required chariots and horses, he had to obtain these horses from someone. Since all of Egypt’s animals had been killed, from where could Pharaoh have gotten the animals? Apparently, the G-d-fearing Egyptians who had saved their animals by listening to…

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וידבר אלקים אל משה ויאמר אליו אני ד'

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vaeira, 5776

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

Rashi observes that Hashem spoke to Moshe Rabbeinu using words of rebuke for speaking harshly when he said, “Why have You harmed this people?” In the previous parsha, we note Moshe speaking to Hashem following Moshe’s return from his first meeting with Pharaoh. The Egyptian ruler did not take kindly to being told to free the Jews. He took umbrage to Moshe’s and Aharon’s demands. Not only did he not free the Jews, he added to their workload. Our quintessential leader could not understand why Hashem sent him to Pharaoh, which, in effect, had a negative effect. He expressed his…

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והוצאתי אתכם מתחת סבלת מצרים והצלתי אתכם... וגאלתי אתכם... ולקחתי אתכם לי לעם, והייתי לכם לאלקים וידעתם כי אני ד' אלקיכם המוציא אתכם מתחת סבלות מצרים

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vaeira, 5776

“I shall take you out from under the burdens of Egypt. I shall rescue you… I shall redeem you… 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, Who takes you out from under the burdens of Egypt.” (6:6,7)

Horav Yechezkel Abramsky, zl, observes that it is only after V’lakachti eschem li l’am, “I shall take you to Me for a people,” which is a reference to Kabbolas HaTorah, Accepting the Torah, that the Torah follows up with V’yidaatem ki Ani Hashem, “And you will know that I am your G-d Hashem, Who takes you out.” Until we received the Torah, we viewed life’s occurrences, even the spectacular miracles that overwhelmed Egypt, as supernatural events – but, we did not equate them with Hashem, nor did they bring us any closer to Him. It was after we donned the…

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הוא אהרן ומשה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vaeira, 5776

This was the [same] Aharon and Moshe. (6:26)

Rashi explains that there are places in the Torah where Moshe Rabbeinu’s name precedes that of Aharon HaKohen. Likewise, there are instances where Aharon’s name precedes that of Moshe. The Chasam Sofer wonders why specifically it is in the above pasuk that we find Aharon’s name written first. (Obviously, Moshe Rabbeinu, being the Rabban Shel Kol Yisrael, quintessential leader of our People, should have his name written first. When Aharon’s name precedes Moshe’s there must be a reason, a lesson to be derived therein.) Indeed, as Hashem’s primary agent for leading Klal Yisrael out of Egypt, Moshe’s name should be…

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ויחזק לב פרעה ולא שמע אליהם כאשר דבר ד'

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vaeira, 5776

But Pharaoh’s heart was strong and he did not heed them, as Hashem had spoken. (8:15)

The Torah informs us that Hashem hardened Pharaoh’s heart and then continues to relate concerning the next plague, arov, mixture of animals. What happened to the kinnim, lice? Did they leave? Nothing is mentioned of their disappearance. Horav Sholom Schwadron, zl, suggests that quite possibly the lice became permanent residents of Egypt. Why? Because Pharaoh did not beg for them to be removed – as he did earlier with the frogs. Indeed, as support for this, Rav Sholom cites the pasuk in Tehillim 105:31: Amar va’yavo arov, kinnim b’chol gevulam, “He spoke and hordes of beasts arrived, and lice throughout…

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והוצאתי אתכם מתחת סבלת מצרים והצלתי אתכם מעבדתם וגאלתי אתכם בזרוע נטויה ובשפטים גדלים

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vaeira, 5775

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. (6:6)

The above pasuk contains therein the four different expressions of redemption, which represent four progressive stages of the redemption with which Hashem liberated Klal Yisrael from Egypt. These three are followed by V’lakachti eschem Li l’am, “I shall take you to Me for a people,” referring to the Giving of the Torah, our acceptance of which made us Hashem’s nation. The Chidushei HaRim wonders about the sequence of the expressions, of placing V’hotzeisi, “And I shall take you out” before V’hitzalti, “And I shall rescue you from their service.” One would assume that, in the sequence of redemption, cessation of…

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ולקחתי אתכם לי לעם והייתי לכם לאלקים

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vaeira, 5775

I shall take you to Me for a people, and I will be a G-d to you. (6:7)

The election of Klal Yisrael as the nation upon whom Hashem confers His Name is a concept about which every ben Torah, every observant Jew and Jewess, is acutely aware. Sadly, the term “observant” in this case is more than a mere adjective. It defines those who believe in Klal Yisrael as the am ha’nivchar, “chosen people.” We choose to be chosen, and only we are willing to aspire to be worthy of the mission of “choseness.” Of the millions who carry the name Jewish to define race, only those who are knowledgeable and committed to this mission understand its…

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ונתתי את ידי במצרים והוצאתי את צבאתי את עמי בני ישראל מארץ מצרים בשפטים גדלים

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vaeira, 5775

And I shall put My hand upon Egypt; and I shall take out My legions – My People Bnei Yisrael – from the Land of Egypt. (7:4)

Hashem promised to take the Jewish People out of Egypt, dealing with the Egyptians and punishing them for mistreating the Jews. There is no question that the Egyptians deserved a very strong punishment – one which they would remember for all time. They persecuted and murdered an innocent people who had done nothing to them. Now, they would pay not only with their material bounty, but with their own blood. They would suffer as we suffered. While this is all understandable and unquestionably deserved by the Egyptians, did it have to occur before the Jews could be redeemed from Egypt?…

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הירא את דבר ד' מעבדי פרעה הניס את עבדיו ואת מקנהו אל הבתים

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vaeira, 5775

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

What is the meaning of avdei Pharaoh, the servants of Pharaoh? What about the citizens of Egypt? What did they do? The Meshech Chochmah explains that, when word went out from Moshe Rabbeinu that all Egyptians should take their animals inside, the immediate reaction was to comply. After all, Moshe seemed to have a powerful track record. It would be suicide to defy his warning. Pharaoh, however, would not allow his people to cave in to Moshe. He dispatched his servants throughout the land with an order to actively disregard Moshe’s warning. The Egyptian citizen was now in a quandary:…

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הן בני ישראל לא שמעו אלי

Behold! Bnei Yisrael have not listened to me. (6:12)

הירא את דבר ד'

Who among the servants of Pharaoh feared the word of G-d. (9:20)

וידבר אלקים אל משה ויאמר אליו אני ד'

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

והוצאתי אתכם מתחת סבלת מצרים והצלתי אתכם... וגאלתי אתכם... ולקחתי אתכם לי לעם, והייתי לכם לאלקים וידעתם כי אני ד' אלקיכם המוציא אתכם מתחת סבלות מצרים

“I shall take you out from under the burdens of Egypt. I shall rescue you… I shall redeem you… 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, Who takes you out from under the burdens of Egypt.” (6:6,7)

הוא אהרן ומשה

This was the [same] Aharon and Moshe. (6:26)

ויחזק לב פרעה ולא שמע אליהם כאשר דבר ד'

But Pharaoh’s heart was strong and he did not heed them, as Hashem had spoken. (8:15)

והוצאתי אתכם מתחת סבלת מצרים והצלתי אתכם מעבדתם וגאלתי אתכם בזרוע נטויה ובשפטים גדלים

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. (6:6)

ולקחתי אתכם לי לעם והייתי לכם לאלקים

I shall take you to Me for a people, and I will be a G-d to you. (6:7)

ונתתי את ידי במצרים והוצאתי את צבאתי את עמי בני ישראל מארץ מצרים בשפטים גדלים

And I shall put My hand upon Egypt; and I shall take out My legions – My People Bnei Yisrael – from the Land of Egypt. (7:4)

הירא את דבר ד' מעבדי פרעה הניס את עבדיו ואת מקנהו אל הבתים

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

YEARS

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