Summary

Every time that a plague was finished, Pharaoh decided that he was not ready to let the Jewish people out of Egypt. If Pharaoh still had the option to let the Jewish people leave and avoid the next plague, that he was forewarned about, how could he be so foolish to keep them? By the plague of lice, the magicians had to acknowledge that the plague was a Divine act. As soon as the plague was gone, and Pharaoh saw some respite, he refused to listen to anyone and would not let the Jewish people go. Pharaoh's mindset is comparable to a famous parable about a good lady who was travelling by foot by herself. We wonder how Pharaoh could be so foolish, but are we that different ourselves? When push comes to shove, almost everyone knows instinctively that there is a G'd that can be approached and Who is ready to help. Who knows how many difficulties and problems we could avoid if we would keep close to G'd all the time.

Pharaoh's hardened heart

In the beginning of this week's Parasha the Torah relates how G'd brought the last three of the ten plagues upon the Egyptian people. Every time that a plague was finished, Pharaoh decided that he was not ready to let the Jewish people out of Egypt. The Torah describes how after the first five plagues Pharaoh strengthened himself and hardened his heart to come to this decision. But at the last five plagues, G'd strengthened him to withstand the readiness that slowly developed within him to send the Jews out (see Rashi Shemos 7:3).

Pharaoh so foolish

We mentioned last week that the Sforno explains that G'd's hardening of Pharaoh's heart did not take away his free will. Rather, it was a way to counterbalance the influence of the plagues so that Pharaoh still had a choice. However, if Pharaoh still had the option to let the Jewish people leave and avoid the next plague, that he was forewarned about, how could he be so foolish to keep them?

Pharaoh's magicians acknowledge G'd

Rashi (Shemos 7:22) explains that Pharaoh originally thought that Moses and Aaron were professional magicians. Although he and his people suffered from their "tricks", he saw nothing Divine in them. But already by the plague of frogs, Pharaoh asked Moses to pray to G'd, although his magicians also had managed to "produce" frogs (see Shemos 8:3-4). By the plague of lice, the magicians had to acknowledge that the plague was a Divine act, as they said (Shemos 8:15): "It is a finger of G'd." However, the Torah continues and says: "And Pharaoh did not listen to them." This indicates that Pharaoh disagreed with his magicians and still maintained that Moses and Aaron performed acts of magic.

Pharaoh refuses to let the Jews go

By the sixth plague of boils, G'd brought the final blow to the Egyptian magicians, as it says (Shemos 9:11): "And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the magicians and on all of Egypt." The Torah again relates how Pharaoh was stubborn and did not listen to them (see Shemos 9:12). It seems that although the magicians were too embarrassed to appear in front of Moses and Aaron, they nevertheless approached Pharaoh and told him to let the Jews go, but with his hardened heart, he refused to listen to them. This was not a simple matter. This would be comparable to if today the top US scientists acknowledge that something has happened by Divine providence and can only be described as an act of G'd. Based on their testimony the closest advisors to the president tell him to take a certain course of action, but he refuses to listen to them.

Pharaoh refused to listen

We find that several times while the plagues struck, Pharaoh called upon Moses and Aaron and begged them to pray to G'd and entreat Him to remove the plagues, but as soon as the plague was gone, and Pharaoh saw some respite, he refused to listen to anyone and would not let the Jewish people go free.

The lady and the bridge

Pharaoh's mindset is comparable to a famous parable about a good lady who was travelling by foot by herself. The weather had turned very stormy and suddenly she found herself in front of a rickety old bridge that she had to cross over a raging river. As she slowly started the difficult crossing she said to herself that if she would reach the other side of the bridge safely she would donate five candles to her synagogue. Suddenly, the storm intensified and she felt the bridge swaying under her. She cried out, "G'd please help me, and I will donate ten candles to the synagogue." A little while later the storm subsided and she said, "Maybe five candles will do." This continued until her ordeal was over. Every time she felt threatened her generosity grew, and when she felt calmer it diminished.

Are we different?

We wonder how Pharaoh could be so foolish, and we smile when we hear about the good lady crossing the river. But are we that different ourselves? A few years ago, when the Palestinians managed to send their suicide bombers to Jerusalem and other Israeli cities, most congregations worldwide added extra prayers and said Tehillim after their daily services. At some point there was a respite in the attacks and someone approached the late Rosh Yeshiva of Mesivta Torah Vodaath, Rabbi Avraham Pam, and asked him whether it was necessary to continue with the extra prayers. He answered that if they would stop saying these prayers they were acting like Pharaoh during the plagues.

Foxhole

It can be difficult to attend services in the synagogue every day and to keep praying with constant concentration and sincerity. But if someone close to us is sick, G'd forbid, or we face other difficulties in life, then we show up and pray with all our heart and entreat G'd for mercy. We must remember and internalize that G'd often puts us in these situations to give us an opportunity to get close to Him and repent. Even people who are not observant are given such chances in life, for as the saying goes, "There is no atheist in a foxhole." When push comes to shove, almost everyone knows instinctively that there is a G'd that can be approached and Who is ready to help.

Avoid difficulties and problems

Who knows how many difficulties and problems we could avoid if we would keep close to G'd all the time. If we attend services in our synagogues regularly and make a serious effort to pray to G'd with sincerity on a constant basis, then G'd will not need to remind us that He is there for us.

These words were based on a talk given by Rabbi Avraham Kahn, the Rosh Yeshiva and Founder of Yeshivas Keser Torah in Toronto.

These words were based on a talk given by Rabbi Avraham Kahn, the Rosh Yeshiva and Founder of Yeshivas Keser Torah in Toronto.

Shalom. Michael Deverett