Vaeira – Page 6 – Peninim on the Torah

“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, 5771

“Behold, Bnei Yisrael have not listened to me, so how will Pharaoh listen to me? And I have sealed lips!” (6:12)

Moshe Rabbeinu raises the issue of his speech impediment. He feels that, as a result of his inability to speak eloquently, he is not qualified to serve as Hashem’s spokesman to Pharaoh. Furthermore, if the Jewish People had not listened to him, how could Pharaoh be expected to listen? Rashi cites the Midrash which notes that this is one of the ten kal v’chomer, a fortiori logical arguments, in the Torah. A kal v’chomer reasons: If a rule or fact applies in a situation in which we have limited reason for it to apply, certainly it applies in a situation…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vaeira, 5771

These are the heads of their fathers’ houses: The sons of Reuven… the sons of Shimon… These are the names of the sons of Levi. (6:14-16)

Is there some distinction to the names of Levi’s sons? Apparently there must be, since concerning Reuven and Shimon, the Torah merely says: “the sons of,” without mentioning the word shaimos, names. Why does the Torah not emphasize the “names” of Reuven and Shimon’s sons? The Shlah HaKadosh, zl, explains that Shevet Levi was unique among the brothers in that they were not enslaved together with the others. This troubled them, since they wanted to share in their brothers’ pain and empathize with their plight. What did they do? They gave their sons names which brought the bitter exile to…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vaeira, 5771

“And I shall harden Pharaoh’s heart.” (7:3)

Anyone who peruses the text might think that Pharaoh was some kind of lunatic. He constantly changed his mind. One moment, he was entreating Moshe Rabbeinu and Aharon HaKohen to rid Egypt of its frogs. The next moment, he had reverted to his usual arrogance. The same scenario played itself out once again concerning makkas arov, pestilence. Every time that he was down, he begged forgiveness and appeared to be sincere. As soon as the plague disappeared, he reverted to his old self. This is the likely behavior of an animal – not a rational human being. An animal cannot change…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vaeira, 5771

“The frogs will depart… only in the river shall they remain.” (8:7)

Moshe Rabbeinu’s prayer to Hashem requesting that the frogs be removed and the plague come to a halt was effective. The frogs returned to the river where they belonged. In Parashas Chukas (Bamidbar 21:4), Moshe also prayed to Hashem that He remove the fiery snakes that were wreaking havoc in the Jewish camp. His prayer was not effective. It only worked after Hashem advised Moshe to make a fiery snake out of copper and place it on a pole. Anyone who had been bitten by the fiery snake and looked at Moshe’s snake was spared. Chazal ask, “Does a serpent cause…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vaeira, 5771

“This time I have sinned: Hashem is the Righteous One, and I and my people are the wicked ones.” (9:27)

The plague of hail brought Pharaoh to his knees – at least momentarily. He openly conceded his iniquity and lauded Hashem’s righteousness. This seems like a formidable confession coming from the archetypical man of evil, the Pharaoh of Egypt, a spiritually bankrupt country steeped in licentiousness and evil. This vidduy, confession, does not seem to coincide with Chazal’s maxim in the Talmud Eiruvin 19a: Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish says, “The wicked, even when standing at the gates of Gehinom, Purgatory, refuse to repent.” How are we to reconcile Pharaoh’s statement with Chazal’s acknowledgment of the weakness of a rasha, wicked person?…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vaeira, 5770

“Moreover, I have heard the groan of Bnei Yisrael whom Egypt enslaves.” (6:5)

A businessman once came to the Chasam Sofer to pour out his heart. Apparently, he was doing poorly in business and needed the blessing of a great man of the Chasam Sofer’s stature. The Chasam Sofer looked at the man and said, “V’gam ani shomati,” “Moreover, (also) I have heard that your brother is destitute with no source of income, and you have refused to help him.” The man looked back at the Chasam Sofer and replied, “But Rebbe, I just finished saying that I am not doing well myself. I have enough to worry about myself.” The Chasam Sofer…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vaeira, 5770

“I am Hashem. Speak to Pharaoh…everything that I speak to you.” (6:29)

Hashem instructed Moshe Rabbeinu to go to Pharaoh and demand that the Jewish People be released from bondage. If Pharaoh would not listen, Hashem would punish him and his nation severely. In order to understand Moshe Rabbeinu’s position fully vis-à-vis Pharaoh, we should consider their dialogue and the ensuing plagues in context. Imagine a family that was compelled to flee their country in response to a tyrannical king. Overnight, they escaped by train with whatever belongings they could gather. In the ensuing excitement and tumult, a small bassinet containing their infant fell off the train. Miraculously, a wealthy man…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Vaeira, 5770

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, 5770

“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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“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)

“Behold, Bnei Yisrael have not listened to me, so how will Pharaoh listen to me? And I have sealed lips!” (6:12)

These are the heads of their fathers’ houses: The sons of Reuven… the sons of Shimon… These are the names of the sons of Levi. (6:14-16)

“And I shall harden Pharaoh’s heart.” (7:3)

“The frogs will depart… only in the river shall they remain.” (8:7)

“This time I have sinned: Hashem is the Righteous One, and I and my people are the wicked ones.” (9:27)

“Moreover, I have heard the groan of Bnei Yisrael whom Egypt enslaves.” (6:5)

“I am Hashem. Speak to Pharaoh…everything that I speak to you.” (6:29)

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)

YEARS

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