Torah Commentary - Va'era
*Commentary courtesy of Menahem Me-Zahav
Our Sidrah is named for the beginning of its 2nd Passuk: “And God spoke to Moses saying: I am the Lord. Va’era (And I Appeared) To Abraham, Isaac and Jacob” (Exodus 6:1-2).
Continuation from previous Sidrah.
At the end of last week’s Sidrah (of Shemot), Moses expresses some doubt: “Why did you (God) send me? Since I came to Pharaoh, to speak in your name, he (Pharaoh) has dealt more harm to my people” (Exodus 5:22-23). We find in the next Passuk (Which is also the last Passuk of last week’s Sidra), that God repeats His promise to save his people (Exodus 6:1). At the beginning section of today’s Sidrah (Exodus 6:2-13) we find a continuation of God’s promise, to save the Jewish people from slavery in a much more detailed format.
The Promise (Exodus 6:2-13).
God now recounts His past promises to each of the patriarchs “To give them the Land of Canaan the land where they lived” (Exodus 6:4). God then proclaims His commitment, to redeem his people from Egypt and lead them to their promised land. “And I (God) will bring you into the land (Israel) for which I raised my hand (in promise) to give it to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob and I will give it to you as your heritage, I am the Lord” (Exodus 6:8). God’s messengers are Moses and Aaron “And God spoke to Moses and Aaron and charged them…to bring the Israelites out of Egypt” (Exodus 6:13).
The Family Roots of Moses and Aaron (Exodus 6:14-28).
Following above opening and before starting to tell us of the 10 plagues - we are given a detailed ancestral record of Moses and Aaron.
Why does the Torah insert the (seemingly non relevant) family roots of Moses and Aaron in the middle of God’s directions to Moses and Aaron, in regard to the harsh treatment of Pharaoh (for Pharaoh’s refusals to let Israel go)?
The great commentator Rashbam (Rabbi Shmuel Ben Meir, Grandson of Rashi - 12th Century CE) explains that Moses’ and Aaron’s family standing is vital to understanding the current events that do unfold in front of our eyes. Years ago, prior to his death while blessing his sons, Jacob avoided blessing the 3 oldest sons - Reuben, Simeon & Levi. These 3 sons were involved while still young, in shameful behaviors. Jacob vehemently disapproved and later on when blessing all his sons, he specifically mentioned these 3 sons’ shortcomings, as his reason for precluding them from a real blessing (Genesis 49:3-7, last Sidrah of Va’Yechi). Moses and Aaron are both 4th generation descendants of Levi, the 3rd son of Jacob. Moses is destined to become the most trusted man of God and Aaron will serve as the first Kohen Gadol. As both will soon be a source of great pride and admiration to all the Jewish people – it is the Torah’s desire to remedy the harm that may have been done to their good name (As a result by Jacob’s decision, not to bless their great grandfather Levi). Praising Moses and Aaron is achieved here, through the detailed listing of their family roots, just before both will be embarking, on a lifetime mission of God. They will carry out the exodus from Egypt. They will then transform the freed slaves into one free and great nation.
Pharaoh’s (soon to be mentioned) refusals to let God’s People Go, Have a deep reason.
God tells Moses and Aaron that Pharaoh will not let his Jewish slaves go freely. Being punished time and again by God with a plague, Pharaoh will pledge, every time he suffers, that he will let Israel go. Soon thereafter, when Pharaoh feels the slightest relief from the ‘current’ plague, he will change his mind and prevent them from leaving. Pharaoh’s punishment will grow and grow until the suffering will be so bad, that Pharaoh will ‘beg’ Israel to leave Egypt. God then explains that the delays have an important reason:
“And I (God) will harden Pharaoh’s heart…And he will not listen to you…And I (God) will lay my hand upon Egypt…And I will bring my children (Israel) out of Egypt with great might. And the Egyptians will then know that I am the Lord”.
What is going to happen? The first 7 Plagues are described in our Sidrah.
From now on, Moses will be going to Pharaoh, to deliver God’s message: “Let My People Go”
(Exodus 7:16). Pharaoh will refuse. Moses will deliver a stern warning to Pharaoh, Pharaoh will challenge God, to actually do what He was threatening. God will bring one plague after another, upon Egypt. Pharaoh will promise to “let Israel go” and as soon as the current plague is gone, Pharaoh will change his mind and refuse. This scenario will be repeating itself for 10 times. Each time will be associated with a harsher plague, to be brought upon Egypt.
In our Sidrah we read about the first 7 plagues, which were: 1. Dam - Blood. 2. Tzfarde’a – Frogs.
3. Kinim – Lice. 4. Arrov – Wild Beasts. 5, Dever - Cattle Plague. 6. Sh’chin – Boils.
7. Barrad – Hail.
The final 3 plagues will be mentioned in next week’s Sidrah (of Boh).
Afterwards, in next week’s Sidrah we’ll find out how Pharaoh is being punished with the last 3 plagues. (8. Arbeh – Locust. 9. Choshech – Darkness. 10. Makat Bechorrot – Death of the first Born).
The final (10th) Plague (Makat Bechorot – “Death of the 1st born”) will totally devastate Egypt. The Israelites will then be ‘commanded’ by Pharaoh to leave his country, precisely - as they have been demanding.
Haftarah: Ezekiel 28:25-29:21, Page 370
Babylonia and Egypt were always bitter enemies. The Babylonians decisively won the crucial battle of Carchemish (605 BCE) and became the dominant power in the old world. The Kingdom of Judea became part of the Babylonian empire. A few years later many prominent Jews, including the Prophet Ezekiel, were forcibly taken to Babylonia with “The exile of King Yehoyachin” (598 BCE). The Babylonians elevated to the throne King Zedekiah (Zidkiyahu). Zedekiah later contemplated rebellion against Babylonia. He hoped to be helped by the (weak and defeated) Egyptian army. Ezekiel, who lived in exile in Babylonia, vehemently objected, to any rebellion against Babylonia. This is the backdrop to our prophetic Haftarah. Ezekiel tells us, that the date of the prophecy was “The 10th Year” (to the Exile of King Yehoyachin). This, points at 588 BCE, namely 2 years prior to the destruction of the Temple in 586 BCE.
Ezekiel first encourages the Jewish people to be patient, as God will redeem them from Babylonia. “When I (God) gather Israel from the nations…they shall live on their land…And they will be safe, and they will build houses and plant vineyards” (Ezekiel 28:25-26). Only then he aims his prophecy at discouraging the idea of a rebellion against the dominant Babylonia. Ezekiel does it in a unique way. He ridicules the Egyptian’s imaginary might. Egypt is no match for Babylonia. It will be totally destroyed. “Behold, Pharaoh King of Egypt, The great dragon of the river (The Nile). I will put hooks into your jaws...And I will remove you from the river (The Nile)…And I will cast you into the wilderness” (Ezekiel 29:3-5).
Ezekiel’s message is loud and clear: ‘Do not rebel against the mighty Babylonia’. We know from history, how tragically correct was Ezekiel. The Kingdom of Judea, did rebel against Babylonia. As a result, the capital Jerusalem, and the Holy Temple were all destroyed by the Babylonians (586 BCE). Most of the Jewish people, were then exiled to Babylonia.
The linkage to our Sidrah is twofold. First, in our Sidrah Egypt is an adversary, who enslaves the Jewish People and is punished considerably. In the Haftarah, Egypt is not a nemesis but a broken stick that is incapable of supporting Israel “They – The Egyptians – are like a shattered cane – to the House of Israel’’ (Ezekiel 29:6). Second, In the Sidrah the Israelites are just about, to leave Egypt and head to their own land. In the Haftarah, the Jewish people are promised that they will soon leave their exile in Babylonia, on their way back to their homeland.
