Vaeira - 4th Portion

Join me as we learnish for Wednesday paras 7 verse8. Yesterday the Torah tells us as Mosh and Aaron prepared to come to Pharaoh. Moshe is 80 years old. Aaron is 83 years old. And they were there with the mission that God tells them that he will harden Pharaoh's heart. But eventually Pharaoh allowed the Jewish people to go, but not before the great plagues and punishments that will be brought upon him. And today we continue as God tells Moshe the instructions he should do as he comes before Pharaoh. Verse eight. And God said to Moshe and Aaron as follows. Verse nine when parry will speak to you saying give and produce some type of miracle some type of marvel. So you'll say to Aaron Moshe will then say to Aaron, "Take your staff and you'll throw it be down before Pharaoh in front of Pharaoh and it will become a serpent." Rashi, what does the mean that he's going to ask for a marvel for some type of miracle? What does the word mean? A sign. to tell us or prove to me that the one that sent you is actually somebody of value that I should need to listen to him that I should then send the Jewish people. What does the word mean? Means a snake. Verse 10 came to Pharaoh and they did so just like God said as God has commanded. An iron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh in front of his servants and became a serpent. Verse 10 snake. Verse 11. So Pharaoh too summoned his wise men to his magicians and they did as well. Mitim, the magicians, the of Egypt, the people that knew how to make the magic there, Bahhatam came with their incantations, with their pronunciations, what they were able to say. As Rashi explains what the word means. Rashi in verse 11. The word is as the translate with their canations meaning we don't have any similar word like this in the verse. The only thing is the only thing we do have something similar is in the earlier on in the book of Genesis when it talks about the garden of Eden that it was protected by God put a sword that was uh very sharp on the outside of the garden of Eden to protect the tree of life. How was it turning over? How was constantly moving? That was through a verbiage through a canation that was said verse 12. And each one of them threw down his staff and they became snakes turned into serpents. However, what happened was then our own staff even though it was once again already a staff swallowed up their staffs as well. Rashi explains me after the serpent now became back into a staff. Bas it then swallowed all of them because if you look at the words in the it doesn't say and the serpent swallowed the staffs it says and the staff of iron that means it was already a staff when it swallowed all the other ones as well however despite all this pharaoh was obstinate he would not allow and he did not want to allow the Jewish people to go did not listen as God said verse 14. So God now told Moses, this is on the 15th of Son 2447 where God tells Moses this is right before the first plague. Pharaoh's heart is unmoved and he refuses to send the people forth. He's refuses allowed the Jewish people to go and because of this he's deservant of punishment. What does the word mean? So Rashi explains in the word in the is unmoved. It doesn't want to do it's a noun not a verb that this is difficult for you to do. And therefore he's talking about the idea of his heart is now unmoved and he doesn't want to and he refuses the Jewish to let the Jewish people go. What is then for God tell him to do? Verse 15, go to Pharaoh in the morning for when he goes out to the water and you'll stand opposite him on the bank of the Nile River. And this same staff that turned into a serpent, you'll take with you in your hand. Verse 15, Rashi. Why does he have to tell him that he was moving going out to the Nile River? Why would Pharaoh go out to the Nile River every morning? He would go to excuse himself for the bathroom because he made himself as a god that he never needs to go to the bathroom to be able to hide himself from all the like show that he didn't need natural ways of uh surviving. So what did he do? get up early in the morning and go out to the Nile River and do his needs over there like this. Moshe would come early in the morning, catch him and say, "You think you're a god? I caught you red-handed. I know exactly what you are." Verse 16 and you will tell to him the god of the Hebrew God the god of the Hebrew sent me to you saying send my people the shall they serve me by midw in the desert and until now you have not paid attention to what I have said and therefore if you don't listen then there will be the punishments to come why does he use the terminology ado says says meaning until now meaning you haven't yet listened. That's the simple interpretation. The med says, "You're not going to listen until I finally use the terminology of so as we see that Moses says when it comes to the 10th plague of the plague of the firstborn, he says, "So said God at about midnight will then occur the plague of the firstborn." Verse 17. Now this is what God had to say. With this you will know that I am God. With this I'm now going to strike going to strike with my staff that's in my hand on the water that's in the Nile River and all the water will turn to blood. Verse 17. So what if it's going to turn to blood? Why is he first starting with the Nile River? Because there was no rain in Egypt. And the way it worked was that the Nile River would rise and then overflow. And because of that, it would water all the different banks and rivers and swamps that were in Egypt and then give water to the land. So the Egyptians would serve the Nile River as their God because that was their source of their sustenance. Therefore, therefore, the first thing that God did was plague and punish their god and then punishes them with the rest of the plagues as well. Verse 18 and the fish that is then in the river will die and the river will become putrid disgusting and the Egyptians will grow weary of trying to drink water from it. and the Egyptians will grow weary. They won't want to meaning they'll have to find some way to find some aid idea or correction or way or healing for the water of the Nile River that'll be able to drink from it and they're going to be working for no reason because since there's no way that they're going to be able to fix it. Verse 19 and God says to Moses. Now this is on the eighth of Tamuz as we're soon going to see that each one of the plagues took about a month. And over here we see now he says as follows and God says to Moses speak take your staff and and raise it over the waters of Egypt over their rivers on their canals and on their ponds and anywhere that there's a body of water and it will all turn to blood and there will be blood throughout Egypt. Even in vessels of wood and stone, all of it will turn to blood. That means even water that already been stored in those in those vessels will turn to blood as well as we see in Rashi. Why did he have to tell Aaron to do it? Because the Nile River protected Moshe when he was put into it in his basket. Therefore, the he was not the one to put the plague on the river, not by the plague of dam of blood, not by the plague of the of the frogs. And they were done through AR. Over here we learn very important mitzvah or very important concept of reciprocation or showing gratitude that because the Nile River protected Moshe, he did not even symbolically um do anything that may harm it. These are rivers that continue to flow in other places. We have rivers by us. Not rivers or lakes that stand in one place, but rivers that are continuously flowing. There are ponds. The canals, I'm sorry. There are canals. What are these? These are things that they dug in the ground. like pools that were dug in the ground that are made by people like lakes that means from the edge of the rivers in order for the water to be able to get through the fields that they should be able to water the fields they would build these canals that they would get come through all the different fields. So then it would go through the rivers and these canals and then water their fields are their ponds. These are a gathering of water that doesn't go anywhere. They don't draw any place. They don't go anywhere. Stand in one place everywhere in Egypt. Meaning even in places where water was already uh bought included or collected those that were collected in their bath houses and in their baths that were in people's homes they already be also those turned into blood including including water that was already in wooden vessels or in stone vessels all those became blood as well. That means even if the Egyptians would have gathered water earlier, any where with there was any gathering of water or their cups whatever it may be all turned to blood and so Moshar did exactly as God said God told him and he lifts Aaron raised his staff and he struck the water that's in the river in front of Pharaoh and in front of his servants and all the water that was in the Nile River turned into blood as we mentioned in the previous verse that it went to all the different bodies of water. Verse 22. Verse 21. And the fish that was in the river Mesa died. And the river became putrid, smelly. And the Egyptians were not able to drink any water from the river. And there was blood everywhere in Egypt. As we mentioned in two verses before, that in every collection of water, anywhere there was water became blood. verse 22 and the Egyptian magicians did the same with their canations and the so Pharaoh rationalized that Mosh Aaron were just performing magic and because of that he was continuing to be obstinate and he did not allow and he did not and he just uh and it hardened his heartfully and he did not listen did not heed to what God has said, as we mentioned before, the means in their canations that they would say that they would say it quietly and in a very secretive way. The rabbis have explained the actually this was demon kind of activity or magic, black magic that they were both done through saying different kinds of language over here being that pharaoh saw that his magicians were able to do the same and they said, "Oh, big deal. You guys are just doing it through magic. You're just probably doing something like an example. It's he's giving uh over here Rashi is giving a metaphor like that that Pharaoh would say for example if he there's a [clears throat] there's a city which is called a fry which was full of uh straw and all he's like tells them big deal that you're doing magic here you're coming to a place where everybody is so prolific in magic and you're showing us that you can do magic. It's like there was a place called Ephraim with that that Ephraim that had many plenty of straw and you're bringing straw like what are you coming to sell here? We have plenty of it. The same ideas Pharaoh told Mosha, we have plenty of magic here. We don't need your magic here. You're not impressing anybody with it. Verse 23. Pharaoh turned around and went to his palace and paid no attention even to this. Verse 23. No. What does it mean also? What were the two things? There were two miracles that occurred here. Number one, the miracle that happened with the staff that turned into a serpent. And also to the one that of the water turning to blood. Verse 24. And all the Egyptians dug around the river looking for drinking water to find water to drink because they were not able to drink any water from the river itself. Verse 25. And seven full days have passed since God has made since God has struck the water of the river over here. Rashi tells us seven days was seven days that the that the plague of blood stayed. The Maka, every plague was for seven last days of the month for three weeks means three quarters of the month. He would warn them and tell them about and notify them about the happening of the plague. That means every single plague took about a month. There were three weeks of warning and one week of the actual plague happening. Verse 26 and God says to Pharaoh and you will tell them so said God send forth my people so they should serve me. Verse 27. However, if you refuse to let them go, I will plague all your territory with frogs. You continue to refuse. The word comes from he put the person on the on the action of what's happening. A person who does a certain type of behavior. He calls that individual that kind of behavior. He's going to strike. Anytime that there's using the terminology or plague means that people are dying. Also doesn't mean specifically that somebody is dying. Means a striking a plague that's happening. They struck a woman who was pregnant. Doesn't mean specifically the woman died. It just means that the person was hit by something. snack form. So too we find in the book of Jeremiah before your feet hit or inim where it says that the stone should hit your legs. So the word nug means to hit to strike not necessarily doesn't mean that it's somebody's going to die from it. Specifically verse 28 and the river will then swarm with frogs and they will come up and they will come in your home in your homes and in your bedrooms and in your beds in the homes of your servants and by your nation and in your ovens and in your kneading bowls. Rashi verse 28 I'm sorry they the frogs will come from the river that's the beginning place the lowest place in Egypt and from there will gradually go to your homes and afterwards into the homes of your servants meaning it's going to start with Pharaoh and from there because since you you're the first one that decided that you don't want to let the Jewish people go therefore you're the first one that's going to get hit by it and from there will continue to go to the rest of your nation. As we see later it says that he we see earlier he said to his nation let's hurt the Jewish people and therefore from him started the plague verse 29 the frogs will enter into you and all your people and all your servants the frogs will go into didn't he already say before that it's going to go into your homes of your servants and so on so he explains over here it goes in you in your stomachs. You're going to swallow it. They're going to go inside the bellies of the individuals into the stomachs. And you're going to hear them groaning and making all the noises while they're in the stomachs of the people. Chapter 8 verse one. God says to tell Aaron to lift his lift raise your hand and your staff over the rivers and on the uh on the canals and on the ponds and make the frogs come up on the land of Egypt. Verse two and Aaron raised his hand. on the waters of Egypt and the swarm of frogs came up and covered Egypt. If you look at the terminology here should say that there were multiple frogs. Why only one frog? Why singular terminology? Because there was really one frog in the beginning. They thought they saw this big humongous frog heading towards Pharaoh's palace. They said big deal. We'll start hitting it. will kill it and we won't have any problems. But as they were killing it, as they were hitting it and as they were hitting the frog, swarms and swarms of frogs were coming from it. That is the simple interpret that is the interpretation. And according to the simple interpretation, one can say the swarming of frogs is used in a singular terminology. And that's why he says and the means that the swarm the idea the plague the swarming of the frogs came up which is a singular term. We find this later on by the next plague when it comes to the lice which means which tells us a group of swarms of frogs that came up. Verse four, I'm sorry, verse three. And the so too, the magicians of Egypt did with their cantations, with their language, and they brought up frogs over Egypt as well. Verse four, Pharaoh called Mosh. He summoned them to intreat upon God. ask you should remove these frogs from me from my nation and I'll send forth the people and they may bring sacrifices to God. Mosha said to Pharaoh, flatter yourself for what time? flatter yourself at my expense because when for what time shall I pray for you and your servants your nation to eradicate the frogs from you from your homes that they should only remain in the river. So Rashi says what does it mean he spiraly what was he telling him over here in this case what does it mean flatter yourself meaning he doesn't come the word he spur usually comes from the word pair beautify do you think that the uh wood the act says oh wow what kind of woodshopper that he won't tell to the woodshopper I'm greater than recognize. And Moshe says to Pharaoh, "Wow, you have come smart. You recognize that you need to ask something that you cannot do on your own. You think you're that great, but over here you've come to identify something that you think that you you're daring me to do something that you don't think I can do, which is to ask God to remove the frogs. What was Moshe saying here? Asking that I should ask of God that I should take away the frogs. Pick a time. When don't you want it anymore? When should we get rid of it? If I can actually do the time that you say if you would say when do you want me to pray? What should I start? What time should I start praying? Because he uses a terminology. I will today. I will pray today that the frog should stop to a specific time that you will like. Tell me what time you want, which day you want. So they should go away. Now Rashi adds, what is the word? How do we know it means to pray? Every time you find a word or this type of root word of means to pray a lot. He's telling us a grammatical rule over here. When we want to talk about you shall do, he's going to use the same terminology and gives different examples for this terminology as well. So what is uh what does Pharaoh answer? Yes, now that Moshe gave him a request, Pharaoh has preferred to get rid of the frogs immediately. But he still thought that Mosha and Aram were just practicing magic. So therefore, what does he reply? He says, tomorrow. He says, "You know what? Pray now that they disappear at least by tomorrow." And he said, Moshe responds exactly as you say. Why is it going to happen exactly tomorrow? This way you can know that you recognize that there's none like God our God. Verse six, pray today that they should stop tomorrow. As we notice in the plagues, the plagues were not just there to punish the Egyptians, but the plagues were also there to show the greatness of Hashem. As we see the last verse here, it says that in order you should know there's nobody like God. as well as casidus explains the plagues were there to eradicate evil from the kipa from the evil that existed within Egypt and therefore each one of the plagues took on a different character starting from the first one where Moshe and Aaron's staff ate the serpent ate the other staffs consuming and showing the dominant force that while you may think that Egypt and Kipa which is evil may have some power but the dominant power is ultimately with holiness as well continuing with The blood which is warm which shows an excitement towards uh an excitement towards frivvality and materialism and the frogs which is cold towards towards spirituality and each one of them being transformed showing that now Egypt itself was becoming a transformed place. These 10 plagues were not only punishing the Egyptians but also transforming the Jews and bringing the recognition and understanding and appreciation of the greatness of Hashem. This concludes the fourth Torah reading of paras.