Parashas Vaera
1 Shevat 5770
January 16, 2010
Daf Yomi: Bava Basra 148

Guest Author:
Rabbi Azriel Blumberg

Congregation Kadimah-Toras Moshe-Boston

Associate Member, Young Israel Council of Rabbis

 

Our response to the makkot has always been bittersweet.  At the seder, when we list each plague, there is a custom to remove some of the wine from our cup.  While rejoicing in the great salvation that HaShem has given us from our enemies, we can never fully rejoice in their suffering. As the Nation of HaShem, we are sensitive to the suffering of all individuals.

In general, we understand that the makkot were a necessary evil, a way to humble the king of Egypt into allowing the Jews to leave.  Indeed, this seems to have been a difficult objective to achieve. As each plague is occurring, Pharaoh seems ready to let the Jews go. As soon as the plague stopped, he changed his mind, necessitating the onset of yet another devastating plague.

What is more surprising is that some of these changes of heart were brought about by HaShem.  After the makkah of shechin {boils}, we are told that HaShem hardened Pharaoh’s heart and therefore he did not allow the people to go out.  In fact, HaShem had foretold this to Moshe, “And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and I will increase My signs and My wonders in the land of MItzrayim.” [7:3]

How do we understand this?  If Pharaoh is willing to let the Jews go out, why should HaShem delay the process by having Pharaoh change his mind?  If the goal of these latter makkot was to show Hashem’s great strength, why should the Egyptians suffer for it?  While the Midrash does tell us that HaShem “was not consoled” and would ideally have inflicted more makkot on the Egyptians, He refrained from doing so once Pharaoh had sent the Jews out.  If Pharaoh was ready to send the Jews out after the first five makkot, why stop him from doing so?  Why should Pharaoh be punished for sins he did not really choose to commit?

The objective of the makkot was not merely to exact revenge or only to display some of HaShem’s powers.  Rather, the Midrash gives us a parable:  

Rabbi Levi said: A king had an orchard in which he planted shade trees along with the fruit trees.  His servants said to him, “What benefit do you derive from these shade trees which bear no fruit?”  He answered, “Just as I need these fruit trees for the fruit they produce, so do I need these shade trees for their wood.” For this reason, Moshe was told to speak “to the Children of Israel and to Pharaoh.” Just as His praise arises from the mouths of the righteous as they receive their reward in the Garden of Eden, so too does it arise from the mouths of the wicked as they receive their punishment in Gehinnom. [Shemot Rabbah 7:4]

When the time came to take the Jews out of Mitzrayim, HaShem did not need Pharaoh’s permission to do so.  The reason that it was crucial that Pharaoh let the Jews go on their own volition was that Pharaoh should repent for all he had done.  During the first five makkot, Pharaoh had the choice of accepting HaShem’s sovereignty and acknowledging that HaShem is the Master of the World.  Had Pharaoh done so, his repentance would have been accepted.  After the first five makkot, Pharaoh was guilty not only of oppressing the Jews, but of not being moved by all these makkot to believe in HaShem.  Therefore, says the Shelah, the last five makkot were really punishments for the first five.  Although not the plain meaning, a hint to this can be found in the words of the Haggadah, that “each makkah [corresponded to] five makkot.”  Pharaoh was not punished for those decisions he was forced to make; rather, he was made to harden his heart in order to bring about the punishments he had already earned.

If Pharaoh really deserved more makkot, why not just inflict them upon him?  Why go through the steps of hardening his heart time and time again?  The Shelah answers: To all outward appearances, Pharaoh seemed repentant.  To punish someone who publicly declares that HaShem is righteous and is willing to let the Jews go would seem grossly unfair.  However, HaShem, who sees into the hearts of men, knew that this repentance was superficial, that Pharaoh’s capitulation was not caused by a genuine acceptance of HaShem’s rule, but was done out of fear of further consequences and retribution.  Until Pharaoh had done genuine teshuva, the makkot needed to continue.  To avoid a chillul HaShem, an appearance of unfairness on HaShem’s part, Pharaoh’s outer actions were made to match his inner state of mind.

The Sefer Hachinuch [Mitzvah 83] mentions a similar concept, although in the converse.  In a capital case, judges are commanded to find any possible basis for which to acquit the defendant, even to the extent of reopening the case if one says, “I have a reason to acquit.”  Lest one think that we are perverting justice by doing so, we must remember that only HaShem can be the true judge of whether someone should be put to death.  If, against all odds, the defendant is able to be acquitted on a technicality, perhaps it is because he has truly repented.for his judgments.  Only He, who knows the inner workings of our hearts, is qualified to exact these judgments.

Perhaps most importantly, HaShem never “writes anyone off.”  Rather, His goal for each We are often troubled by events around us.  For the good and the bad, we ask, “Why do they deserve this?”  May the story of Pharaoh serve as a reminder of several truths: HaShem has many complex reasons of us is that we come to recognize His greatness, and to “know that there is none like Him in the entire land.”

Shabbat Shalom

 

THE WEEKLY SIDRA- VAERA

Rabbi Moshe Greebel

 

     The definition of a con game (also known as a bunko, flim flam, gaffle, grift, hustle, scam, scheme, swindle or bamboozle) is an attempt to defraud a person or group by gaining their confidence.  In this world, one must always be wary of each and every word being said to him, and have the ability to weigh and measure every noun and verb..

 

     Equally essential is the ability to withstand conning another, even though the situation may innocently present itself.  For, if our words are even slightly deceitful G-d forbid, we may very well come to having them injudiciously thrown back into our faces, as did the Pharaoh.

 

     In this week’s Sidra, we have a very unique perspective of how Moshe Rabbeinu was aware of the con game being played by the Pharaoh, and, how Moshe responded to such deceit.  When the Pharaoh pleaded with Moshe to remove the fourth Makkah (plague) of Arov (mixture of noxious beasts), he tried to con Moshe:

 

     “And Pharaoh said, ‘I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to HaShem your G-d in the wilderness…..’”  (Sh’mos 8:24)

 

     Examining the Pharaoh’s words very carefully, we see that in truth, he only gave permission to Moshe and Aharon, who stood before him, to leave Egypt- not to the B’nai Yisroel.  Moshe, who was quite well aware of the game the Pharaoh was playing, responded in the following way:

 

     “And Moshe said, ‘Behold, I go out from you, and I will entreat HaShem that the Arov may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, tomorrow; but let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to sacrifice to HaShem!’”  (ibid. 8:25)

 

     In the text K’hilas Yitzchak (page 86), we have a very interesting explanation of what was truly occurring here, in the name of one Rav Benzion Aryeh from Shkoder.

 

     Initially, expounded Rav Benzion, we must understand Moshe’s choice of words ‘But let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more.’  What he should have said was, “But let not Pharaoh lie any more, as he did with the Makkah of Tz’fardim (frogs)!”  Wouldn’t this stronger language of lying have put the Pharaoh more at a disadvantage?  This open lie of the Pharaoh during the Makkah of Tz’fardim, is seen from:

 

     “Then Pharaoh called for Moshe and Aharon, and said, ‘Entreat HaShem, that He may take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may do sacrifice to HaShem.’”  (ibid. 8:4)

 

     And, of course, the Pharaoh lied openly here, for he did not ‘let the people go’ when the Tz’fardim were removed.  So again, at the Makkah of Arov, why did Moshe warn the Pharaoh not to be deceitful?  Why did he not warn him more directly and stronger, not to lie again?

 

     In answer to this, Rav Benzion taught that from Pharaoh’s words of ‘I will let you go’ (applying only to Moshe and Aharon), Moshe knew that the Pharaoh would not openly lie again, for through ancient royal protocol, a king may only openly lie once (actual words of the K’hilas Yitzchak) concerning a matter- not any more. 

 

     Instead, Moshe realized, the Pharaoh was attempting to con him- not openly lie to him- by only granting permission to the two of them to leave Egypt- not to the B’nai Yisroel.  That is why at this Makkah, Moshe said, “But let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more!”  From this point on, Moshe could not accuse the Pharaoh of openly lying.

 

     Now, what is truly interesting here taught Rav Benzion, is that the Torah bears evidence of the Pharaoh having tried to con Moshe, after the Arov was removed:

    

     “And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go.”  (ibid. 8:28)

 

     That is, the Pharaoh felt justified through his con game, in not allowing the B’nai Yisroel to leave, except for Moshe and Aharon.

 

     As a result of the last Makkah of B’choros (death of the first born), explained Rav Benzion, the Pharaoh and all Egypt were devastated.  At this moment, the defeated Pharaoh was embarrassingly forced to openly state to Moshe, that the B’nai Yisroel would be sent out of Egypt:

 

     “And he called for Moshe and Aharon by night, and said, ‘Rise up, and get out from among my people, both you and the people of Yisroel; and go, serve HaShem, as you have said!’”  (ibid. 12:31)

 

     By openly vowing this time to send out the B’nai Yisroel, the Pharaoh was admitting that during the Makkah of Arov, he was trying to con Moshe.  From the Pharaoh having openly admitted in the end, that he was deceitful, we see the benefits of living a straight and honest life- of making certain that any less than honest statements never come back to haunt us.

 

     While there are times when we may have a bit of an advantage over another by not being completely honest, we must at all times guard against such thinking and behavior.  We are the Am HaNivchar (the chosen people) of all the people who populate this earth, with the inheritance of Torah at our side.  Our every action must be a Kiddush HaShem (a sanctification of HaShem), as prescribed by the Torah HaK’dosha. 

 

     May we soon see the G’ulah Sh’laimah in its complete resplendency- and in our times.  Good Shabbos.