Parashat VaEira/Rosh Chodesh
January 16, 2010
1 Shevat 5770
Vol. 19 No. 16

This week's Halacha file: Expelling Arabs from Israel

This issue is sponsored by Mushy and Lenny Fuld in honor of their grandchildren, Klilah and Emunah Mischel and Eden Fuld.
To sponsor an issue, please contact: business@koltorah.org

How Bad is Anger?
by Isaac Shulman

In this week’s Parashah, we read of the first seven out of ten plagues brought onto Mitzrayim by Hashem. The second plague, Tzefardeia, frogs, has a peculiar textual description. Moshe tells Paroh, as directed by Hashem, “Hinei Anochi Nogeif Et Kol Gevulecha BaTzefarde’im,” “Here, I will smite all your borders with frogs” (Shemot 7:27), with “frogs” in the plural. However, when Aharon strikes the Nile River, the Torah describes, “VaTaal HaTzefardeia,” “And the frog arose” (8:2), with “frog” in the singular. In the same Pasuk, the Torah writes that the frog covered all of Egypt. How could one frog cover all of Egypt?

Rashi, quoting a Midrash on the Pasuk, claims that originally there was one frog, but the Mitzrim continuously beat the frog, causing it to multiply. Therefore, the Torah used the singular when describing “frog,” because there was originally one frog. However, Rashi’s answer raises another pressing question. Why did the Mitzrim proceed to hit the frog? Had they stopped to consider, they would have realized that the few frogs at the moment would not cause as much of a problem! The Steipler Rebbe answers that the Mitzrim couldn’t stop, as they were in a state of anger, thereby causing them to lose control and take totally irrational action.

The Rambam generally believes that one should stay in the middle of the road with regard to a person’s actions. For example, one should give Tzedaka, but not too much or too little. However, the Rambam list two traits as an exception, which one should never express—anger and arrogance. The Rambam’s emphasis on remaining calm is clear.

Similarly, the Ramban stresses arrogance and anger in his Igeret HaRamban, as his dying message to his child was to avoid getting angry. So why does the Torah assign such value to remaining calm? When one gets angry, his body releases numerous hormones that cause the body to act and think differently. He cannot make a decision based on what he truly believes, but on only his instinctive feelings at a particular moment.

Often, we use anger as an excuse for an action, and are somewhat justified. However, the issue is not that anger leads to doing wrong; it is that the person’s actions were rooted in an expression of anger. Nonetheless, anger is a difficult trait to overcome— it is a natural emotion that results from inconveniences caused by other people. Consequently, one may ponder, how can one can control his emotions and avoid anger?

The Rambam and Ramban both provide the answer by placing an emphasis on both arrogance and anger. What do those two traits have to do with each other? Anger stems from a sense of arrogance. If one feels a sense of supremacy over another, or even equality to another, he will be agitated if that individual wrongs him. To solve the dilemma, one must feel inferior to that person, just as one would feel in the presence of a great rabbi or king. Even the angry individual would ignore any inconvenience from the great person. Therefore, if one feels that everyone who surrounds him is a great Rabbi or king in comparison, he will easily disregard any slight annoyances from others. Consequently, one must have a certain degree of humility in order to maintain composure.

Moshe Rabbeinu exemplifies this trait of humility more than anyone else. As the Torah states, “VeHaIsh Moshe Anav MiKol Adam,” “And the man Moshe was more humble than any man” (BeMidbar 12:3), exhibiting Moshe’s ability to remain calm his entire life due to his humility. However, when Moshe expresses his anger, he loses his humility. Before striking the rock, Moshe says, “Shimu Na HaMorim,” “Listen, you rebels” (BeMidbar 20:10), referring to Bnei Yisrael. Moshe unfairly believes that Bnei Yisrael, who are asking for water, are rebels, despite the legitimacy of this request. In fact, Hashem heeds Bnei Yisrael’s plea without growing angry with them. When Moshe lost his humility, acted irrationally, and hit the rock in his state of anger, he inadvertently disobeyed Hashem. Although Moshe would never consider disobeying Hashem’s commands, since he allowed himself to go into a state of anger, his emotions controlled his actions, and he struck the rock, contrary to Hashem’s will.

The Torah, therefore, stresses the importance of remaining calm in all situations. Moshe Rabbeinu, the greatest human to live, made one major mistake in his life out of anger. The Torah even provides the solution to the problem by explaining that Moshe hit the rock because he viewed Bnei Yisrael as rebels. We must realize that, while it might be impossible to avoid performing unreasonable actions once we are angry, it is not impossible to avoid anger.

The Almighty Alias
by Leead Staller

Moshe is faced with a daunting task; he is to be God’s emissary, burdened with the mission of confronting Paroh, the most powerful man in the world. Parashat VaEira begins with Hashem instructing Moshe, and reassuring him of his mission. Hashem tells Moshe, ‚VaEira El Avraham El Yitzchak VeEl Yaakov BeKeil Shakai UShmi Hashem Lo Nodati Lahem‛ ‚And I appeared to Avraham Yitzchak and Yaakov as Kel Shakai and the name of Hashem was not known to them‛ (Shemot 6:3). This idea of utilizing the name Keil Shakai clearly has some great significance as Hashem chooses to reassure Moshe via this identity. In fact, Rashi focuses heavily on this facet, pointing out the Hashem specifically choose Shakai here and by the Brit Bein HaBetarim. However, the question arises as to what exactly Shakai means.

The Gemara explains that the name Shakai finds its roots in the Hebrew root Dai, meaning sufficient. The name Shakai means the one that said ‚enough.‛ In other words, Dai means the creator of the world who, when creation was finished, said that it was enough and stopped creation. While it is common to focus on the overwhelming omnipotence of God’s ability to create, the equally divine ability of stopping creation is often overlooked. The ability of perfectly controlled restraint is a power that is saved only for the Keil Shakai. However, that is not where the origin of Shakai ends. Further etymological research will show it also traces its roots to the word Shadad, meaning, powerful. This name of God is associated with power and omnipotence. From these two etymological roots, a powerful message can be understood. God, who we are commanded to emulate, is illustrating a life lesson through His own actions. What does it truly mean to be powerful; to be able to lead, and direct others as their superior? True power is the ability to know when to say Dai, it is enough.

To further understand this, one must look at other textual usages of the name Shakai. In BeReishit, when Hashem appears to Avraham and promises him that he, the Av Hamone Goyim, the patriarch of many nations, will be fruitful and bear a great nation, he appears as Shakai. Later, when Yaakov is about to leave Yitzchak’s house and embark on starting his family, Yitzchak invokes the name Shakkai. Later, this name is again used to Yaakov when Hashem tells Yaakov to leave Lavan’s house and flourish into a ‚Goy UKahal Goyim‛ ‚a nation and a company of nations‛ (BeReishit 35:11). Clearly this name is tied to the leaders of Am Yisrael, Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, and Moshe. Moreover, it is always used in the context of the future nation that will come from these leaders. Shakai, therefore, appears to be a term saved for the leaders of a Kahal Goyim, a major and powerful nation.

Hashem has just sent Moshe out to speak to the most powerful man in the world in a terrifyingly dangerous diplomatic mission. In last week’s Parashah, we see that Moshe, when first introduced to this mission, tries to avoid this responsibility. His first reaction is to tell Hashem he is not worthy of leading the Jewish people, and that Aharon would be a far better choice. But now, in VaEira, Hashem is confiding within Moshe the same advice he had shared with Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, the previous leaders of Am Yisrael. He is telling Moshe he has to know when to say Dai, enough is enough. Bnei Yisrael doubted Moshe, and even slandered him. We see throughout the Torah that Moshe’s persistent problem is communication with Hashem. He fears they won’t listen, and they don’t. He fears they will slander him, and they do. Moshe’s patience is constantly tested. Therefore, it is this piece of advice that Hashem feels necessary to convey to Moshe. One needs to be able to exercise restraint, and only then, can he impose authority. Hashem is telling Moshe that as a leader, he needs control and understanding. He needs restraint and restrictions. He needs to be able to say enough is enough.

Plagues Paralleling Persecution
by Moe Weiss

Parashat VaEira begins Bnei Yisrael’s flight from Egypt with the first seven plagues. In this extraordinary display of Hashem’s power, the Jews’ slow and eventual redemption is commenced. Hashem can do anything in an instant, so why redeem Bnei Yisrael only after ten plagues and not immediately? What is the purpose of the ten plagues and what do they represent?

In order to answer this question we must examine the way Hashem typically operates in the world. As seen throughout Tanach, Hashem chooses to operate Midah KeNeged Midah, measure for measure, as Hashem rewards (or punishes) people based on their actions in relation to Hashem or another person. For example, the Torah states “Kaveid Et Avicha VeEt Imecha LeMa’an Ya’arichun Yamecha,” “Honor your father and mother so that your days be extended [on the land that Hashem will give to you]” (Shemot 20:12). One who honors his parents is given a long life. Rabbi Chaim Ozer Shulman explains that one is given a long life for honoring his parents because he has decided to honor and respect those directly responsible for his existence. Therefore, Hashem, in accordance with Midah KeNeged Midah guidelines, rewards such a person with an extended life.

In the context of this week’s Parashah, Hashem perhaps punishes the Egyptians Midah KeNeged Midah for persecuting and enslaving Bnei Yisrael though the plagues, as they symbolize each stage of oppression.

Transforming the Nile River into a sea of blood, Dam, blood, the first plague, is directly related to Yosef’s sale by his brothers, which began our descent to Egypt. In order to explain Yosef’s disappearance, his brothers smeared his Ketonet Pasim, striped coat, in blood, presented it to their father Yaakov, and claimed that Yosef had been brutally ripped apart.

The second plague Tzefardeia, frogs, represents the Egyptians’ original perception of Bnei Yisrael arriving from Kenaan, as while the foreigners’ inhabitance might have been annoying, the Egyptians did not view the “intrusion” as a serious problem. The third plague Kinim, lice, represents the first change of Bnei Yisrael in the Egyptians’ eyes. The Jewish infestation had stopped being a harmless event but had become painful to the Egyptians.

However, in the fourth plague Arov, wild beasts, the Jews had stopped being bothersome but had become dangerous and even deadly to the Egyptians. At this point, the Egyptians felt that the Jews had attained the ability to forcefully take control of the land. This explains the fifth plague Dever, plague of livestock death, in which the cattle of the Egyptians became sick and died. The Egyptians worshipped the cow as a god and the death of cows correlates to the previously mentioned Egyptian fear that the Jews were going to overturn the Egyptian culture.

In the eyes of the Egyptians, the situation grew worse when the Jewish infestation became an internal part of the Egyptians’ lives. The Jews, in essence, had grown “under their skin,” similar to the sixth plague Shechin, boils. In the eyes of the Egyptians, what had started as a simple migration of a small people (the Jews) had now become a very dangerous situation in which a very large and very powerful nation was at the heels of a revolution to take over the land of Egypt.

In the eyes of the Egyptians, a war was about to begin. This was represented by the seventh plague Barad, hail, in which large hail destroyed the land of Egypt. The second wave of this battle is represented by the eighth plague Arbeh, locusts. Not only were the Jews looking to physically eradicate the land, felt the Egyptians, they were going to benefit from the very same land which they had inhabited for hundreds of years.

The situation, soon to become catastrophic, made the Egyptians feel out of place and almost frozen in space while a dark wave was coming for them. This is connected to the ninth plague Choshech, darkness. At this point, Paroh had had enough of the Jews and their reign of terror over the Egyptian people. In order to assert his position, Paroh decreed to kill every male Jewish baby. This plot attempted to stop the growth of the Jews in order to possibly prevent the Jewish revolt. This decision correlates to the tenth and final plague Makat Bechorot, death of the firstborn.

Seeing the situation as utterly hopeless, Paroh finally resorted to physically controlling the Jews and making them slaves in order to create a “final solution” to the Jewish problem. In order to save His people, Hashem decided to take Bnei Yisrael out. Rather than do so in an instantaneous fashion, however, Hashem decided to punish Egypt Midah KeNeged Midah.

Remez HaShavua
by Neil Bodner

"וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי אֲנִי יְקֹוָק אֱלֹהֵיכֶם הַמּוֹצִיא אֶתְכֶם מִתַּחַת סִבְלוֹת מִצְרָיִם" “and you shall know that I am the LORD your G-d, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.” (Shemot 6:7)

As our Sages point out, Bnei Yisrael, considered on the penultimate level of impurity by that time, were redeemed from Egypt solely due to Hashem’s kindness. From a different perspective, the Midrash explains in last week’s Parasha (Shemot Rabbah 3:4) that Bnei Yisrael’s merit to depart from Egypt was because they were destined to receive the Torah shortly following.

The Remez: The Gematria (numerical value) of “הַמּוֹצִיא אֶתְכֶם” in the above Pasuk is identical to that of בגמילות חסדים (613), through acts of kindness, because such was the nature of the G-d’s redemption.

But the additional catalyst for Hashem’s redeeming unmistakably emerges as well from these words’ very Gematria— the number of commandments imposed by the Torah upon Bnei Yisrael. It is our acceptance and ultimately fulfillment of these commandments which merits us G-d’s salvation from Egypt.