Parshas Vaera

Vol. 20 Issue #14

Redemption

Avi Rothwachs (16)

This weeks parshah includes one of the most important lines in the pesach narrative. The pasuk says
(Shemos 6:6,7)

...

From these two pesukim, we learn that Hashem took us
out of Mitzrayim in four different ways, as expressed by
four different words. There are many explanations for
how to understand these four words and how Hashem
took us out of Miztrayim.
The Kli Yakar in his commentary on this
weeks parshah has an interesting way of understanding
these four terms. He connects them to the bris bein
habisarim; the promise that Hashem made to Avraham
back in Bereishis. The Kli Yakar explains that each word
has a corresponding aspect to the agreement that Hashem
made.
The pasuk in parshas Lech-Lecha says
(Bereishis 15:13):

The Kli Yakar explains that the first part of
this pasuk shows us Gayrus. The next part of the pasuk,
bieretz lo lahem shows us that gayrim are far from
the shechinah, as the gemara (Keusubos 110b) tells us that
its as if people who live in chutz laaretz dont have a God.
This proves to us that there is a strong connection between being a stranger in a land and the Divine Presence.
The next part of the pasuk, vaavadum, adds a new level
to gayrus, as a regular stranger cannot become a slave in

28 Teves 5776

the land that he is living in. The final part of the pasuk,
viinu osam adds yet another level to a slave, since a regular slave is not oppressed to the extent that the Jews were
in Mitzrayim.
The three different levels that the pasuk in Bereishis shows us, is demonstrated in our parshah as well, just
in the opposite order. When Hashem is telling Moshe
how he is going to save the Jews, he uses different forms
of saving to save the Jews from each aspect of their exile. The first word, vihotzeisi, corresponds to the most
urgent matter that the Jews must be saved from- the cruelty of the mitzrim. After this most critical saving is done,
the next level of saving can occur. Vihitzalti refers to
the need for the Jews to be saved not only from the cruelty of their slavery, but slavery in general. After all of
this saving is done, Hashem can finally save the Jews from
the least pressing issue of being gayrim- which is what the
term vigaalti refers to. The final aspect of saving that
Hashem did was vilakachti. This type of saving could
only occur after the Jews were taken out of Mitzrayim
because it shows that Hashem will take us as his nation.
With these different types of redemptions in
mind, we can learn a lot of different lessons. Most importantly that, thank God, we are not slaves, but we could
still use saving from our gayrus and ultimately be taken
back to our homeland and become His nation once again.
Optimism in Sub-Optimal
Situations

Hillel Krief (16)

Hashem tells Moshe and Aharon that the Pharaoh
is going to see a great miracle. It was going to be something so compelling and so unique that it was bound to

Page 2

amaze every spectator. God laid out a plan that Moshe

would throw down his staff and it would materialize into a
snake. After God commanded Moshe and Aharon to do the
miracle they followed His directions as expected. Then,
the Torah praises the brothers eloquently as if they did the
most amazing thing in the world.
If God were to come to you and ask you to perform a miracle, you would do it without any contemplation. They were given a task to perform from the mouth
of Godwouldnt anyone do it? Whats the big deal?
Furthermore, rather than praising the action they performed in carrying out God's command, the Torah
praises only the fact that they came to Pharaoh. Isnt the
action of performing the miracle more deserving of commendation? Clearly there must be more than what we see
on the surface.
The initial response to this miracle was that
Moshe and Aharon became the mockery of Egypt. Every
Egyptian knew how turn a stick into a snake from their
youth. The Midrash Rabbah even says that immediately
following Moshe and Aharons presentation, Pharaoh
called upon all the school children to perform the same
miracle, and subsequently make a mockery of Moshe and
Aharon.
Imagine what Moshe and Aharon were thinking
when God commanded them to do this. Pharaoh is meticulously waiting to see what the God of the Jews is capable of doing, and this is the miracle that God wants us
to perform to prove that our God is almighty? Think of
it this way: One is asked to showcase one of his/her
demos to Jay-Z to get a chance to sign a record deal. A
messenger of God reveals himself to you and instructs
you to bring in the parody to the Elmo theme song that
he made for his 3-year-old sister. Are you prepared to go
up to Jay-Z and embarrass yourself? Are you mentally
equipped to hear his reaction?
That was in essence what God asked Moshe and
Aharon to do, when he asked them to confront Pharaoh.
All God asked of them was to throw the staff on the
ground, and told them it will turn into a snake; they
thought this was God's entire plan. They didnt know
that after the fierce mockery, God would assist them in

Vo l. 20 I s su e # 14

performing a miracle that would make Pharaoh fearful

that Moshes staff swallowed Pharaohs and all his assistants staffs. This is why God praises them for going to
Pharaoh. They knew they Rabbi Michael
were going into a battle Taubes
that they were sure to lose,
Rosh Yeshiva
yet without hesitation they
did as God commanded.
Rabbi Baruch Pesach
Moshe and Aharon Mendelson
could have easily asked why
Rabbinic Advisor
God put them in that situation. Instead, they were Ezra Epstein
optimistic and assumed it Avi Rothwachs
would work out. So too,
Editors in Chief
we shouldnt automatically
turn to God asking him Yehuda Goldberg
why he put us in our Ben Tzion Zuckier
unique situations. Rather,
Executive Editors
just like Moshe and
Aharon, one should be op- Ari Hagler
timistic and all will turn
Distribution Coordinator
out for the best.